The Monmouth inquirer., 1924-05-15
KEEPING ROADS OPEN
is EXPENSIVE TASK

of Agrieulture.)
Removal Of snow from the highways
Of the country is a matter Of increas-
| ing Importance each winter, accord
ing to the bureau Of public roads Of
the United States Department OF Ag-
riculture. Since 1906, the number OF
motor vehicles registered has In
creased from $4,000 to over 15.0O0,000,
while the mileage Of surfaced road has
Increased from 10000 miles to about
100000 miles. approximately 62 per
cent Of the motor vehicles are regis
tered and So per cent Of the surfaced
roads lie within the territory where
the average annual snowfall is 20 or
more inches.
The snow-clearing program Of the
states east Of the Mississippi for the
/ past winter included 5000 miles of
main trunk-line highway as compared
with 1900 miles for the previous
year, according to information collect
ed by the bureau This amounts to
about 80 per cent Of the surfaced mile
age In the states where snow is prob
lem, those north Of the southern
boundary Of Virginia and Kentucky.
With the exception of a few small
areas the annual snowfall In this belt
ranges from 20 to 100 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 IA to 132
/ inches in Maine, from % to 90 inches
in Pennsylvania, from 16 to y inches
In Delaware, from q TO 121 inches In
Michigan, and from 8 to 101 inches In
West Virginia The above figures
taken from weather bureau records
covering a period Of years show that
! the problem of snow removal varies
considerably in difficulty even in diff
ferent parts 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, West Virgins.
Illinois and Indiana, and on one sec
ton of road In Minnesota. The work
| is left to counties, towns or other
local units in New Hampshire. Yer
mont. Massachusetts, New York, Ken
| lucky. Michigan. Wisconsin and the
greater part of Minnesota. In Michi-
| gan and Wisconsin the counties may
be ordered by the state highway de-
partment to remove snow from state
roads
Pennsylvania, one of the pioneers In
snow removal, may be taken as hav-
ing an organization typical of those
well organized for the work. The
work is done by the state highway
department with It's regular mainte-
nance forces and funds, the funds be-
ing derived from motor vehicle regis
| tration fees. The state is divided INTO
/ four divisions which are subdivided
into Is districts. Under the district
engineers are 81 superintendent, 700
foremen. $500 Iaborers, 100 truck
| drivers. and 10 tractor operators. One
| hundred and sixty-seven trucks and 40
tractors are available, all Of which
are equipped with snow plows and
also 300 road machines and drags. A
garage and repair shop is located with
in the jurisdiction Of each OF the %
| sunerintendents. The equipment is
Kept in condition for instant use and
the permanently organized main
tenance force is ready TO start work
as soon as few inches Of snow has
fallen. This organization had pro-
gram for the past season OF 2,2OO
| miles OF primary roads to be cleared
| to an average width of % feet and
secondary roads to be cleared as far
as practicable.
Representatives Of the federal bu-
reau who have visited all the states
east of the Mississippi believe that
state control OF snow removal on the
main trunk-line roads is desirable IN
! the interest of economy. Such work
is easily co-ordinated with and is
really a part Of the maintenance OF
state roads
Methods OF snow removal vary con-
siderablyy but all states report that It
is essential that work be started al
1 most as soon as the snowfall begins
and continue until the roads are
| cleared. In the states which have had
the longest experience in snow re-
moval two types of equipment are pre-
ferred. these being adjustable steel
blades and y-shaped plows attached to
/ the front of trucks and tractors. The
adjustable steel blades have curved
surfaces ranging in height from 10 TO
20 inches and are approximately II
feet long. The blade is set at an angle
TO the line of travel. If trucks are
used they are loaded to capacity with
ballast. This type OF equipment is
regarded as effective for depths Of
snow up to 10 inches.
v-shaped plows vary in height from
two feet to FIVE feet with wings ten