Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-11-20
Keeping Roads Open in
Winter is Still Problem
FOND Du LAC COUNTY FINDS
FLOWING HIGHWAYS is
UNSATISFACTORY

According to County Highway Engi-
neer J, S, Mccullough Of Fond du Lac
County there is opposition, especially
among the farmers, against any ac-
ion on the part of the county to keep
The highways free from snow block
AIDES. This is especially due to the
TACT that motor bus lines piled up huge
loads of snow last winter by use of
snow plows that completely blocked
all the side roads. In speaking of the
matter Mr.. Mccullough gives some in
teresting facts based on the expert
ments of Fond du Lac county.
Some Experiences
In their enthusiasm to keep High
ways Is and 81 open for motor bus
traffic last winter" Mr.. Mccullough
said, ''the crews piled up huge wind
rows of snow that completely blocked
all side roads. The crews left the
blockades this way, forcing "a mers
who resided along the out roads to
dig their way through to the main
highways.
AS result, the farmers are pre-
JUDGED against snow plows or any
attempts to keep the highways open
by use of machinery. Despite the econ
omic need for open highways during
he winter, this adverse sentiment is
so strong at the present time that it
will probably be years before effec4
tive action is taken. 1t will take educa
ton and an open winter to counteract
this prejudice which has set in.
Machinery Still Ineffective
The county engineer aso pointed out
that at the present time machinery
Used for clearing snow blockades was
still ineffective and it would be neoes
sary to perfect snow fighting equip
ment great deal before its public
utility would be recognized The "
shaped snow plows are Of little value
after heavy storm Mr.. Mccullough
declared. He believes that "a rotary
plow, a blower or combination OF
She two may in time be perfected into
an effective machine.
The expense of keeping the roads
open under present conditions Is an
other factor in the problem, the engi.
neer said. Last year he talked with
rdnlsals-r of engineers from the mining
country around Duluth and was in
formed that the winter before coun-
ties in that section had spent over
$4,000 in an effort to keep the roads
free from snow blockades.. But even
with this large amount of money and
he finest equipment at their comman
these engineers admitted to me that
they had found it impossible to keep
the highways open, Mr.. Mccullough
said.
Answering Some Arguments
In speaking of the parallel which is
often drawn between the highways
Ind the railways, the county engineer
declared that such comparison was
absurd. The railways, he said, run
ingle track over which trains carry
ing plows of some kind are run every
thirty minutes, but every automobile
Or truck can't be equipped with a pillow
even when severe storms tie up the
railroads, he declared, mail and valu-
able freight aud express make it
worth while for the railways to spend
normous sums in removing the snow
blockades. Is it not possible 20 use
runners on the railways, but it is on
the highways, Mr.. Mccullough said.
Fences of Little Value
The county engineer believes that
The snow fences used last winter were
Of little value in keeping ME roads
open, declaring that those placed at
Taycheedah were the only fences that
actually kept the highway unblockad
ed Fences must be placed in proper
locations with the road in order to
keep the snow from piling up over
them into the highways and even then
a change in the direction Of the wind
will make them ineffective, he said.