Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-03-04
Interesting Data
on Keeping the
FCOuntry's Highways
Open in the Winter


ing any part of the expense Of snow
removal in the towns and the State
Highway Commission has no author
thy to spend money for snow remov-
al" asserted Chief Engineer Paul d.
Sargent of the State Highway De-
partment, Monday.
Mr. Sargent said that inquiries are
continually received at the depart
ment as to the cost and best methods
employed in removing snow from the
highways so that the roads are salts
factory for motor vehicles. He stated
that under the law the duty of caring
for the roads when they are blocked
and encountered with snow lies with
the municipal officers Of each town.
The bureau of pubic roads of the
United States Department of Agri-
culture has just completed q survey
of snow removal activities in all
states east of the Mississippi and the
report just issued carries some very
/ interesting information together with
. costs of clearing roads in the winter.
A summary of this report is as fol-
lows:
Removal Of snow from the high
ways of the country is Il matter of
increasing importance each winter,
according to the Bureau of Public
Roads of the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture. Since 1906. the
number of motor vehicles registered
has increased from $4,000 to over
fifteen million while the milagc of
surfaced road has increased from
1900 miles to about 100000 miles.
Approximately CO per cent of the
. motor J-phiclnc rn~icfprnI and
per cent of the surfaced reeds lie
within the territory whore the aver
, age annual snowfall is 90 or more
inches.
The snow clearing program Of the
states east of the Mississippi: for the
present winter includes 10000 miles
of main trunk line highway as COM
pared with $4,000 miles for last WIN
ter, according to information collect
cd by the bureau. This amounts to
about 80 per cent OF the surfaced
mileage in the states where snow is Il
problem, those north Of the southern
boundary of Virginia and Kentucky.
With the exception Of q few small
areas the annual snowfall in this belt
ranges from 20 to $50 inches. making
the clearing Of the above mileage an
undertaking of considerable size. AS
indicating the size of the undertaking
in various sections. the average an
nual snowfall ranges from - to 1872
inches in Maine. from % to % inches
in Pennsylvania. from 16 to 22 inches
in Delaware, from % to 12t inches in
Michigan and from . 20 101 inches in
West Virginia. The above figures
taken from the Weather Bureau rec
ords covering period Of years show
4l,,% J. 80
ries considerably in difficulty even in
different part of the same state. In
nearly every state in the group the
average maximum snowfall is more
than twice as great as the average
minimum snowfall. Delaware being
the only conspicuous exception.
Snow Is removed by State forces in
Rhode Island. Connecticut, New Jer-
sey. Pennsylvania. Maryland. Della
ware. Virginia. Ohio, Vest Virginia.
Illinois and Indiana and on one sec
ton of road in Minnesota. The work
ia left to counties, towns or other To-
cal units in New Hampshire, Yer
mont. Massachusetts. New York,
Kentuck. Michigan, Wisconsin, and
the greater part Of Minnesota. In
Michigan and Wisconsin the counties
may he ordered by tho state highway
department to remove snow from
state roads.
Pennsylvania. one Of the pioneers
in snow removal. may be taken as
having an organization typical of
those well organized for the work.
The work is done by the state high
way department with its regular
maintenance forces and funds. the
funds being derived from motor We
hiCle registration fees. The state is
divided into four divisions which are
subdivided into Is districts. Under
the district engineers are 50 superin-
tendents. 200 foremen. $500 laborers,
1870 truck drivers. and 40 tractor OPP
orators. One hundred and sixty seven
trucks and 40 tractors are available,
all of which are equipped with snow
plows and also 5000 road machines
and drags. A garage and repair shop
is located within the jurisdiction of
each of the 80 superinteHdents.
The equipment is kept in condition
for instant use and the permanent
ly organized maintenance force is
ready to start work as soon as Il few
inches of snow has fallen. This or
eanization has n program for the
present season of 1900 miles of pri-
mary roads TO he cleared to an aver
age width of &c feet and secondary
roads TO be cleared as far as prac-
ticable.
Representatives OF the Federal
bureau who have visited all sof the
states east of the Mississippi believe
that state control of snow removal
on the main trunk line roads is de-
sirable in the interest of economy.
Such work is easily coordinated with
and is really part of the mainte-
nance of State roads.
Methods of snow removal vary
considerably, but all states report
that it is essential that work be
started almost as soon as the snow
fall begins and continued until the
roads are cleared. In the states
which have had the longest expert
ence in snow removal two types of
equipment are preferred. these be-
ing adjustable steel blades and V
shaped plows attached to the front
of trucks and tractors. The adjust
able steel hlades have curved sur
faces ranging in height from Is to
80 inches ard are approximately IL
feet long. The blade is set at an
angle to the line OF travel. II
trucks arc used they are loaded to
ranacity with ballast TbiS fSpe IF