The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1922-06-06
n OVEL " AY. IS
USED 7 D BLAST
WAY THRU PARK
Solid Mountain of Glass
Is Obstacle that Bafled
Highway Engineers for
Time.

Ever hear of mountain of glass?
Or glass road?
No, this isn't yarn about a glass
pyramid in the rear of somebody's
bottle factory, nor story of brok-
en-bottle road police trap for speede~s.
A mountain of solid glass was the
biggest problem confronting the con-
struction engineers who built the mag
niiicent road system which is one of
the finest artificial features of the
Yellowstone National Park.
How they solved the problem by
methods hitherto unheard of in road
construction is one of the most inter-
es;irg freak stories in the history of
ROAD making.
When the special geological report
OF The scientists attached to the United
States Geological Survey was submit.
ted to the u S. Government Engin-
GERS, before construction work was
started, nothing very remarkable was
noted, except the statement, that, for
three-quarters of mile along the pro-
posed river route, there was a Scent
lngly impenetrabIe mountain of glas.
running down to the river.
Road construction was started in
other parts of the immense domain,
while the engineers prepared to attack
the mountain, which was really a sur
vival of the Cretaceous and subse-.
quent Tertiary Periods might have
been yesterday in the history of the
Yellowstone, whose story goes back
to the first cooling of the earth's sur
face.
Giant blasting powers and heavy
charges of dynamite were used, with
as little effect on the adamant glass
wall as wooden mallet. Finally.
when all the usual methods had failed,
surveyor with the engineering party
who had formerly been a glass-blower
suggested heating the mountain, and
spraying it afterwards with water to
make it disintegrate.
Since the standard methods had
proved unsuccessful, the engineers
were inclined to think this idea might
be practicable Accordingly great
logs were hauled and piled along the
base of the mountain, and fires start
ed along the three-quarter mile sec
ton of the proposed route
Energetic crews piled logs on the
fire for several days, and after the
desired heat had been registered the
intrepid engineers directed the spray
ing of the mountain face with water
from the river below.
The entire face of the mountain ex-
ploded in huge chunks, the deafening
reports being heard for many miles.
The experiment was a complete sue
cess About half of the space was
cleared and after another trial, they
had room enough for Roman char
lot race.
The chunks of glass were found to
be admirably adapted for road-build-
ing, so they were used as the base,
with the smaller pieces on top. The
temperature changes in the park cause
continual chipping of the mountain,
resulting in the surface of the road
being covered with small pieces of this
glass-like material, which ground
down by constant traffic makes "a very
durable road-bed.
This short three-quarter mile stretch
of road, while wonderfully constructed
and built to last for centuries, is UNI
equalled anywhere in the world for its
ability to infict punishment on auto
mobile tires. Because of the abrasive
forces encountered, the tires must have
very tough tread and give the ut
most in traction.