Evening Star Newspaper, June 6, 1937, Page 58

Hit-or-Miss Highway Building Days Are Gone Workers on Road Planning Surveys in 40 States Will Obtain Information for Guidance in By Robert D. Potter. HEN we consider that 40 years ago our highways were branded as a disgrace to civilization, it is not difficult to understand why we have had to build up our tremendous transportation network without taking the time to record what we have done or to plan the things we have under- taken. The development of the auto- mobile has been so amazingly rapid that we have had almost no time to think about the future. And so today we do not know defi- nitely how many miles of roads there sre, what types of surfaces and struc- tures they comprise, how much they cost, who pays for them, how long they may be expected to last, or how they should be extended and improved to provide a transportation service which will be at once the cheapest and the most adequate for our present and future traffic require- | ments. Today, however, the necessity for taking account of our highway in- vestment and for planning our course for the future has led to the under- taking of surveys in 40 States to develop the information which will enable us to build roads wisely. Highway planning rveys consist of a number of interrelated studies from which a fund of information will be obtained to make possible a road | system based necessity and economy. The first thing to know is the amount of physical property that exists in the system. There are more than 3,000,000 miles of rural roads in the United States, but no one can say how many more because, until the road inventory studies were started, there had never been an accurate measure- ment of total mileages. on SOME States are discovering that they own considerably less than they thought. because many roads were built without regard to their need. and hence have been abandoned. In those early days of highway pioneering we were all too anxious to build roads for local pride instead of transportation. We belonged to “road booster” clubs, and were pleased to build roads that went nowhere. Some road abandonments have re- #ulted from obsolescence caused by the new requirements of high-speed traffic, | and others may be attributed to the #hifting of industries and populations, or to the opening of alternative routes which have attracted the motorist away from the older roads. Whatever the reasons may be for road abandon- ments, it is safe to say that had our early highways been planned even with limited indications there were of future traficc we might salvaged a great deal more of what we have lost. ‘The surveying parties in the road inventory study can measure distances accurately by the use of odometers, | which record to the tenth of a mile. As the surveyors drive along, they make notes of the type of surface— whether it is dirt, gravel, asphalt, cement-concrete, and so on: and of the condition of the road—whether it 15 good, fair, or poor. Highway proper- ties are inventoried—bridges, culverts, railroad grade crossings, drainage structures, underpasses, intersections and road widths. To this information there is added an inventory of all the structures served by or visible from the road— churches, meeting houses, schools, public parks, fair grounds, tourist camps, Tesorts, factories, mills, mines, stores and railroad stations. The re- sult of this reconnaissance will be the production of the first complete trans- portation maps of the country ever made. As every driver realizes, one of the foremost dangers on the highway is the lack of adequate sight distance at curves and grades, attempt to pass at those points de- cidedly hazardous, as well as creating | traffic congestion. As a first step in the provision of safe sight distances on primary high- ways, special parties are noting and measuring these danger spots in or- der to plan a program of removing such obstacles to highway safety. Horizontal or vertical curvature is considered unsafe when sight distance is less than 1,000 feet. This is the minimum distance in which a car traveling 60 miles an hour can nor- mally pass another, moving at 40 miles an hour, and avoid colliding with & vehicle approaching at 60 miles an hour in the opposite direc- tion, ‘WO cars are used by the surveying party to measure and record sight distances up to 1,000 feet. The two travel 1,000 feet apart, and when some obstacle, such as the crown of & hill or the bend of a curve, inter- feres with this minimum sight dis- tance, the driver of the first car proceeds until he reaches a point where he estimates he is as far be- yond the obstacle as the second car will be before reaching it at the moment the two cars again are visible to each other. Here the first car stops, and the second proceeds until its driver can gee the top or rear of the first car. A horizontal bar attached to the radia- tor cap of the second car is placed at the level of the driver's eye, and he sights the painted top of the first ear along this horizon. At this point he records his odom- eter reading to the one-hundredth of a mile, and proceeds until he reaches the first car, again taking the read- ing on the odometer. The difference between the two readings is the mini- mum sight distance for the curve or hill in question. YA NOTHER hazard known to all ™ drivers is the sharp curve where the centrifugal force of a vehicle is often the cause of running off the Toad or of skidding when pavements are wet and slippery. Such centri- fugal force generated at highway curves may be overcome by proper banking. Thus, for a vehicle travel- ing at 60 miles an hour, tests show that a curve of approximately six degrees should have a superelevation o6f 1% inches per foot. Accordingly, the surveying party measures all curves on primary roads, and where cur- wature in non-mountainous areas is greater than two degrees, supereleva- tion is measured to find out whether It is equal to the desirable minimum. For measuring horizontal curvature, » scale is attached to the dashboard of the test car, under the steering wheel. On the wheel a pointer is marked so that as the vehicle pro- ceeds in a straight line the pointer & located at zero on the scale. Then, i have | making an | All Projects. as the steering wheel is turned to negotiate curves in the road, the | degree of curvature is indicated on the scale and recorded at the maximum reading. Determination of what our highway | properties cost us annually in de- | preciation, maintenance, and interest, | together with information concerning the relative use of the various road systems by rural and urban residents and the payments made by these users, is the task of the financial survey and the road use and road life studies. At present we do not know the total annual charge which should be collected, nor the relative amounts to be charged to the motorist—truck, bus, or passenger car owner—to real estate, or to the general community for highway benefits. The fact is recognized, however, that “there are two classes of people who should pay for highways—first, those who own motor vehicles; second, those who do not.” The planning surveys are lead- ing the way to the adoption of an equitable scale of charges which will be based upon economic values rather than legislative whims. WHILE these various physical in- ventories and financial studies are being made, the question of what | volume and type of vehicles use the highways is being answered in the survey of traffic. Traffic surveys are like the sales records of a department store. They tell how much of the product—transportation miles— we | are selling in each department of the | highway system, that is, on our pri- mary or State roads and on our local roads. ‘The purpose of such surveys, then, of the highways, and to indicate where we should enlarge and improve our roads, and the order of importance for such undertakings. In these studies there are two types of counting stations: The key sta- tion and the blanket count station. Key stations are located at impor- tant intersections on primary roads, and are operated at each selected lo- cation for eight hours at a time 14 different times during the year—twice for each day of the week, and during different hours of the day. N ADDITION to the counting of passing vehicles, each vehicle is classified according to type, whether it is a passenger car, truck or bus, | and also whether it is of local origin or out of State. At the time the key stations are in operation, any peculiar | conditions which might affect normal | traffic volume are noted. Such might be fairs, ball games, holidays or | weather conditions. To serve as a check on sampling methods, an automatic traffic counter has recently been developed for 24- | hour counts. The instrument counts | passing vehicles by means of two parallel beams of light which are di- | rected across the roadway onto a photo-electric cell. When a vehicle intercepts the light rays, it is recorded on a time chart. As many as 400 in- terceptions may be recorded per min- ute, and pedestrians are not counted by the instrument since both light beams must be interrupted simul- taneously, that is, the object must be long enough to cover both light sources, which are 31 inches apart. Becond to the key stations are the blanket count stations, most of which are operated on local roads and for only one eight-hour period. These stations, located at thousands of in- tersections, will be continually relo- cated in the effort to find positions in the road system where there are distinct changes in the traffic pattern. THE weights and dimensions of trucks and busses, as well as in- formation concerning the nature of their haul, are a further inquiry of the traffic surveys. Pit-scale stations are operated throughout the year, generally operating on one side of the road for 15 days, then for & similar period for traffic in the opposite di- rection. Loadmeter stations are equipped with small portable scales which are shifted about and oper- ated during eight-hour periods at & is to determine the earning capacity | THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, JUNE 6, 1937—PART FOUR. Traffic moves smoothly and unhampered by tie-ups on the modern two-way highway, pike in Massachusetts, shown here. given location for 14 or 18 days dur- ing the year. ‘The importance of highway planning cannot be realized unless we are aware of one fundamental truth: That the cost of the highway system is not the amount of expenditures we make dur- ing any one year. It is the cost of owning an investment—of maintain- ing the roads we have built in order to preserve their value, of paying off the cost of those parts of the system we use up yearly, and of creating an earning power or interest, which will indicate that we are economically justified in the magnitude of our highway investment. Planning, therefore, is the only way in which we can extend our system and improve it with regard for traffic and other requirements. If we shall build roads, as we often did in the | past, just for the sake of building, we shall soon find that we can no longer carry the traffic financial obligation, and we shall lose much of what we have invested. To construct a trans- portation system without adequate provision for its proper upkeep is no less an evil than to build a road that goes nowhere (Copyright, 1937.) Automotive Briefs J. P. McDonald, division manager, and J. W. Middleton, assistant division manager, of the American Oil Co., recently returned from Old Point Comfort, where they attended a sales and advertising meeting at the Cham- berlain Hotel. They met with the executives of the company to discuss advertising and sales plans for the coming months. McDonald stated that newspapers will be one of the mainstays of the coming campaign. The American Oil Co. has always devoted a large pro- portion of its advertising expenditures | to newspaper space, and with great success. Attending the meeting at the Cham- berlain Hotel, in Old Point Comfort, were Dr. Robert E. Wilson, president; C. F. Hatmaker, vice president; Charles H. Wagner, general manager; J. N. Carney, general sales manager, Central and Southern divisions; F. A. Colonell, sales manager, Central and Southern divisions; E. F. Kalkhoff, advertising manager, and 300 division manager, assistant managers and salesmen. This meeting will be followed by | meetings in the various cities through the territory. Baldwin To Be Peer. STANLEY BALDWIN, who retired voluntarily from the prime min- istry of Great Britain, is the third head of the British government to step from his exalted office into the Heuse of Lords. Arthur J. Balfour became the Earl of Balfour, and Herbert H. Asquith became the Earl of Oxford alfter leaving Downing street. YOUAND YOURCAR ADEDBY RUSSELL | Slowing Down of Auto Often Found to Improve Ra- dio Reception. BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL. Motordom tries to improve on the | old maxim by offering the straight | and wide path, but it adds nothing to safety. There is no question but what the to & lot of blind alleys, unless the | owner of the car is careful to watch his reasoning. I was reminded of | this by a recent letter in which a reader told of difficulties with the car's radio set. There was, he ex- plained, a peculiar interference while the car's speed, decreased with de- celeration. What puzzled him most was that the trouble lessened when he pressed the brake pedal. That seemed to point to some strange interference from the brakes. | But we had better watch our step. | While there are some cases of inter- | ference from brake drums, as well as | from tires, the chances are that in this case the improvement in recep- tion upon applying the brakes was | simply due to the slowing down. Dressing Up the Car. It seems to make a convincing | story these days to say that practi- cally everything one needs with a car comes as standard equipment, and that there is no longer the former interest in accessories. But, like & | lot of other things that are said cur- rently it does not bear close exam- | ination. ‘The truth is, the accessory business is steadily on the increase. Never before have there been so many new things on the market. Never such sales volume. Last year one of the major com- panies sold $9,000,000 in extras to | its customers. The largest single item on the list covers car radios. Heaters rank next. By the looks of | things the modern buggy whip for | use as radio antenna should run a close third with spotlights. Combines Three in One. Speaking of accessories reminds me | to predict that the next important | development in windshield wipers will | be one that is not only a wiper but a cleaner and & defroster. It is just & matter of combining three separate ideas in wipers. That, of course, sounds simple, but there are certain problems to be worked out before this interesting and welcome develop- ment can become a reality. The new excitement of trouble shooting leads | the car operated. This increased with | THE FUN Place a clean, dry saucer or platter upon a table. Take a pencil, eraser end down, and hold it against the platter at an angle of about 45 degrees, Push firmly in an endeavor to move the pencil across the platter. You will find that the platter moves and may even push the table covering or table itself. Place a small quantity of water in the platter and repeat. You will find the pencil eraser now smoves across the platter with very little effort. We might say that it “skids” across the platter. There will be no tendency to move the dish. THE FACTS On a clean, dry pavement your tires | exert & very strong push. It is this | push which moves your car forward. | When the pavement is wet your tires have a tendency to repeat the eraser and wet platter performance. This may prove to be dangerous if you try to stop quickly or change your direc- tion suddenly. Other conditions |snow. Under such circumstances, | whenever you feel impatient, just re- l member the wet eraser, (Travelers Bafety Bervice.) wiper combination will put a little | cleaning fluid on the blade so that when the glass is dirty there will be no chance of scratching it. Anti- freeze may be used as the fluid in cold weather which, combined with the heating element in the blade, should solve the whole problem of meeting a Winter's sleet storm fore- armed. Mechanic Joe Speaking. “It is sometimes puzzling to car owners to have the engine use a lot of oil and still be peppy. They cannot understand how there can be fairly good compressicn while at the same time obvious need for new rings, or even a rebore jeb. “All this is easily understood when we realize that oil not only acts as an effective seal to help hold com- pression but that it makes the engine free and limber. The arrangement would be all right if it weren't so wasteful and if it didn't fill the cylin- ders with carbon.” Tough on the Clutch. Sand, believe it or not, is one of the most difficult things to pull out of with & car. The danger lies in burning out the clutch. Caught in sand the rear wheels tend to remain stationery. You race the engine, en- gage the clutch, and nothing happens. ;Thlt is, nothing you would like to have happen. Plenty of things are apt to go wrong. In mud one or the other of the rear” wheels will start spinning. That gives the clutch a chance. The same with snow. Not that being stuck in either mud or snow is anything to be desired. Simply that this situa- tion is worse with sand. Worse, too, because it doesn't suggest anything 50 serious. That naturally leads any driver to give less thought to avoiding sand. Watch This Sneaking Up. Maybe you are familiar with what safety engineers, in moments, refer to as “sneaking up.” If you're not aware of this I might define it as the tendency modern cars have of gaining on the car ahead This is particularly noticeable on the open road where there is considerable Sunday traffic. One slow driver in the procession may cause the rest of them to forget how quickly, even at normal speed, they may catch up with each other. You have to watch your own car to make sure you do not actually coast into the car ahead, and through the rear view mirror you have to be on your guard against a bumping from the car behind. Rg EMEMBEQ» % \J\) | L\VTLE / [l £ O, O.SONES |, OF THE SANY DOMINIC MIDGETS WHKEN HE ATTRACTED /4— MOCH LOCAL. w;{len \ { ATTENTION fie FINISHED AN THE HIBERNIAN VEN MILE MARATHON B AT OLO BENNING Bl cace weac, W 4 SEPT. 231909 /) — .7z e Y A \ o2 TH? SIMES) EMEMGBERL i IS OANE? i/ WONDER WHAT i K € g EseECIAL S / /la/ N\ = 7 HEH! SON THOSE WERE THE HAPPY DAYS! EAO ALL BOOY NAN P CAY TERSON AND B CAESAR YOUNG ) 29-20°N'n L= GET 00T OF TH>WAY | PEAKING o::' MARATHONS THE FIRST STAR MARATYHON WAS HELD SOME FORTY Y WHEN WE'D RRUN ALL THE WAY FROM *XHE STAR ANO OYHER NEWSCARER OFFICES 0 VARIOUS AND DISTANT EARS AGO, D0GGONE ‘-‘zfi', = DION'T WIN WHEN ‘THE FAMO 3ONINE CASE HAD *rm? éOCAL NEWS~ 4 i it 2 : N JOWN 3 L Marathon Memories. Of Water, Forest Springtime, signposts and sand- wiches signalize the arrival of the season for outings in the car, but the provident motorist, says Prederick C. Russell, realizes that they also mark the beginning of the time of year when those who use their cars for contact with the great outdoors must give serious thought to avoidance of hazards that are both personal and social. Many old customs must be revived to suit the new season, he says, and this year, especially, there must be more serious thought given to some of the problems which heretofore were exclusively for the consideration of campers and sportsmen. Through the house trailer and the better equipped touring car the motor vacationist now has new contact with nature. There are, therefore, certain precautions that must be observed. He is on new ground, especially if he is one of millions whose familiarity with the outdoors is an occasional plenic in the park. using water from unknown sources, higher surface water is the more likely it is to be pure. Usually there is some one nearby who can advise regarding the quality of available water. Trailer users can solve the problem by boiling water before drinking it. Those who are traveling without the facilities which a house trailer provide should €0 into towns for water if they want to be doubly sure of avoiding contam- ination. Swimming in unfamiliar which tend to cause similar results | are wet leaves, car tracks, oil, ice and | their informal | places is also hazardous, especially if one is tempted to dive. Quicksand is more common than most travelers think, and many places seemingly use- ful for bathing purposes have deep springs that are treacherous. Forest Fire Danger. Each year about 40 million acres of forest land are damaged by fire. This of all travelers. If these annual 150,- 000 fires are to be lessened it is up to each and every person in the motor party to do all he or she can to avoid trouble. That is why officials warn against smoking while traveling in the woods. A good rule to remember when trying to avold discarding matches that may still be burning is to break them in two. Cigar and cigarette stubs should be dead before being discarded. Many motorists who would not think of throwing lighted cigarettes from the pipe ashes in which there still is Drinking water is a problem which | should be given serious thought. Avoid | even though it may look fresh. The | calls for concerted action on the par!‘ car make the mistake of shaking out | Summer Tourists Warned Fire Hazards Don’t Swim in or Drink Unfamiliar Water; Beware of Carelessly Setting Fires. enough fire to catch in the dry brush and start one of those disastrous fires. Before building a fire, when camp- ing in the open, it is important to scrape away all inflammable ma- terial, leaving a fire spot of at lemst % feet in diameter. The fire itself should be built in a hole dug in the center of this circle, and should be kept small. One of the worst things to do is to build the fire against trees or logs. When breaking camp be sure that the fire is out. That is more easily said than done. To put out a camp fire the coals should be stirred while soaking them with water. Turn the burning sticks {over while wetting them, if wood is used. Even the ground around the fire should be wet. Lacking water, the only safe alternative is to stir in dirt and then tread on the fire until every last spark is dead. It is im- portant to be on the lookout for fires, reporting all you see to the local warden or ranger. How to Get Bearings. Before taking any exterded tour | that may lead into sections of the country where there are few signposts and no handy telephones, be sure to learn a few of the simple plans about. keeping your bearings. Learn the old | stunt of finding the points of the com= pass with the aid of a watch; or, | better still, carry a compass in the car. There are several types, one of | which affixes to the windshield. Few motorists ever think to acquaint themselves with the laws of other | States, yet this knowledge is extremely useful when starting out into the open country. Such information can be obtained from one’s local automobile club. Well-posted the tourist can save himself a lot of uncertainty and not be in constant fear of running afoul of the law, especially with re- | spect to hunting, fishing or drawing & trailer. In traveling farther and more often the modern motorist should this year CarTy more emergency equipment. A tow rope is especially necessary. The | service kit should include a fire exe tinguisher, a first-aid kit, a flashlight, & good bumper jack, spare tube and a supply of matches. For a long trip a reserve can for fuel and one for engine oil are well worth taking along. Many tourists also carry flares for use when changing tires at night This is the season for getting out and getting going. The wise motorist will prepare himself against the pos- sibility of being helpless when he has ! to get out and get under, WHERE, OH! WHERE? Forgotten But Not Gone Are a Couple of Historic Corner Stones. The Statue of Liberty One Is Buried Deep. By Horace Knowles. HERE is the corner-stone to one of the mightiest sym- bols of America's freedom —the Statue of Liberty? ‘When faced with this question re- cently, the Federal Government was forced to admit that the granite block was entombed, or to use a word of current popular usage, it is “packed’’— buried on Bedloe Island in New York harbor beneath 30 feet of firmly pressed dirt. The fact that the key block to the statue is in a molding grave was learned here when an inquiry was The National Park Service, which has charge of the big copper goddess, dug deep nto its musty files, but came out confessing total ignorance as to what, if anything, was engraved on the stone. A telegram was sent to the keeper of the statue in an effort to get the information. The reply disclosed that the corner stone rested 30 feet under ground and whether a record has been kept of the inscription was unknown. | Old records reveal that the historic | block was laid with fitting ceremonies | | | (F WASHINGTON V| A GALL GAME THEY - CAN 0UTRUR\ ANEI GHT ,%A‘/ Cly/ —By Dick Mansfield Lo YOoou AGO!QECALI_ — EMORY ENSOR ~— Y-A\.C.A. R\P* STECHER — Y. M.C.A. SOHNNY BOLAC -~ WASH.C.C.C. CHARLEY PUMPHREY ~ BLOOING DALE L .RENNER — D0E CRIST 3.AUBREY GROOME — DICK SCHOFIELD \, “BILLY* OBRIEN = MEMORIAL CLLB SORNNY MAHONEY ~ MEMORIAL CLOB HARRY FIDDESOP- POTOMAC A.C, WARNER CORLEY - DAN HEALY — ST-AWYSIUS. EMORY TTEST? B | OING A { TECH HIGH — SOUTH EAST CLUB LAUREL - WASH.C.C.C. § E.A.C. WHAT DO YOL REMEMBER ONSWER YO LAST WEEKS QAUES TION, HO WAS TOHA ROONEY ONSWER, OCAL SCORTING made concerning the inscription on it. | B MERTZ WILL SAY @ ~<o-9AY.§ =4 f \niL0R AlAgDEj)llS } 006~ ESENW, SECTIONS OF THE CITY 7O SEE WHICH NEWSBOY COULD GEY THE 7EIRSTOEF® O THE ., - NEIGHBORHOOD FOLK, REMEMBER S\ LLSAYYOLDO. ¢ ) CHARACTER,WHO CON~ § DOCTED THE FAMOOLS CAMS HEAD VNN, 1 3&D-N.Y] T WE Wio DEze A fi- 55&‘! o oz.EAA.'\ 2 BSBatan R ¢ in a driving rain on August 5. 1884. About 700 men and 25 women had | gathered for the occasion. As the rain poured in torrents, the huge square was lifted by the crane, the waves of umbrellas tilted upward and then slowly settled as the block was lowered |in place. A copper box containing | coins, daily papers, the history of the | statue, & copy of the Declaration of Independence and other memoranda | was placed beneath the stone. Un- daunted by the downpour, the speakers | were in fine form, the bands trumpeted | their loudest, a closing prayer was (offered and the drenched crowd de- | parted. Just when the corner stone was | buried is not definitely known, but it probably occurred during 1888. Old newspaper files of 1887 reveal that funds were to be provided in the near future for landscaping the grounds surrounding the statue. A large ter- | race, referred to by the Government's superintendent there as a “hill,” was thrown up as part of the beautifica- tion work. ND this brings up another corner stone story, closer to home. What is & corner stone without a corner? In an obscure nook on the south side of the Naval Hospital grounds is a large stone block with the following inscription: “Designed and presented by the Stone Cutters Union of Wash- ington as the corner stone of the Memorial Bridge, which in connecting the Nation's Capital with Arlington shall ever stand as a monument to American patriotism. Dedicated the 9th day of October, 1902, during the thirty-sixth national encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic.” Inquiry at the Public Buildings and Parks Department revealed the stone'’s existence was entirely unknown. Musty records failed to throw any light on | its history. No reason was given by officials as to why it was not used when the bridge was built a few years 8go, except the stone probably did not fit into the architectural design. The report of the Memorial Bridge Commission established in 1924 re- veals Andrew Jackson was the first to suggest such a connecting link across the Potomac. Daniel Webster, in a speech delivered July 4, 1851, made reference to Jackson's foresight. The Teport points out the span would be “symbolical of binding together of North and South in one indivisible Union, knowing no sectional bounds.” In 1901 a design was prepared and submitted to Congress, but no au- thorization for work was made. Today the stone, a block about 5 feet square and 3 feet high, clearly shows the scars that 35 years of negler': have left. Some of the edges are badly chipped and the sides are musty and weather-beaten. In a little hollow place in the center, where was to have gone the bottle of rare old Burgundy and cherished documents, are fragments of broken beer bottles and trash, What is to be done with the bat- tered old rock now that the parks department knows about it? “Nothing,” said a high official. But what is & corner stone without & corner? Why Tea Is Sweet. A CHINESE superstition, poetic in its inception, has maintained for years the practice of leaving to women the task of picking the tea leaves which make such an important con- tribution to Chinese trade. The bellef is that only leaves plucked by the delicate hands of women can retain their sweet flavor 80 to women has fallen this harvesting activity, d