The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-07-22
REPORT
OF TIE gre z ar1 pr or TIVE TREASURY.
ON THE svBJEcr OF
PUBLIC ROADS u CANALS,
Made in pursuance
oFAREsoLuTIoN OF SENATE OF MARCH .
REPORT,
CcosrINvHD.1
TURNPIKE OR ARTIFICIAL. ROADS


completed IN the eastern and. middle states, at
an expence varying from less than one thousand
to fourteen Thousand dollars mile. The labor
bestowed on the least expensive species consists
IN shortening the. distance, diminishing the as
cent OF hills, removing rocks, dwelling, raising
and giving proper shape to the bed of the
roads, draining them by bitches, and erecting
bridges override intervening streams. But the
natural soil OF the road is used, instead of CO.
verng it with stratum Of gravel or pounded
stones.
1t appears by one of the papers marked (D.)
under whichletter will be found all the informal
ton which has been obtained respecting roads,
that fifty turnpike companies have been incorpo-
rated since the year 1803,. in. the state of Con.
necticut alone and that the roads undertaken
by those companies are all of that description
Thirty-nine of those roads extending together
?7o miles, are completed. The most expensive
IS that from New-Haven to Hartford, which has
cost 79,26I dollars, or the distance being 81
miles and three Quarters, at the rate of 1880
dollars mile but about 5000 dollars of the
f, capital have been expended in the purchase of
the land through which the road is carried The
nett income on this road, detuc,ing the annual
repairs and expences from the annual tolls, does
not exceed 5000 dollars OF six of the roads,
Nhichtogether extend 100 miles, no account has
>becn received The other thirty-two extend to-
gether 615 miles, and have cost only $4,000 dol
lars, or on an average at the rate of $50 dollars
nual tolls on the whole is $4,000 dollars from
which deductiRg the annual repairs and expen-
ces, amountingto $4,000 dollars, or of about
elcv en- per Cent. onthe capital expended.
No particular account has been received of
the roads in the other Eastern states; but it is
known that besides, some ofa similar description
with those of the state of Connecticut, several
OF a more expensive kind have been completed,
particularly in Massachusetts,. The cost has va.
ried from 5000 to Ia, 900 dollars mile; and a
mongst artificial roads of the first grade may be
mentioned those from Boston to Providence, TO
Salem and to Ncwburyport. These are all CO.
yered with an artificial stratum of gravel or
pounded stones, finished in the most substantial
Tnanner-Great expence has also been incurred
in order to shorten the distance without exceed.
ing the angle of ascent. which is fixed at de-
grees and it is stated that the road to Newbu-
ryPort is 80 miles in length, and in which marsh
es and rocks presented considerable obstacles,
has cost 200 dollars and at the rate of IL, 500
dollars Il mile. Those expensive roads, howe
yer useful and permanent, appear to be much
less profitable than those of Connecticut. The
road is SAID &C yield sx per cent another
road has been stated as Welding eight per cent
the income of all the others in the state of Mas
sachusetts IS SAID not TO exceed on average
three per cent. and that of the road from Bos.
ton to Newburyport amounts to no more than
two per cent.
A greater capital has been vested on turnpike
o.
Their. In less than seven years, siXty-seven con i.
panies have been Incorporated with nominal
capital OF near Ave millions of dollars, for the
purpose of making more than 5000 miles of ar
tifical roads and twenty -onc other companies
have also been incorporated with capital of
100000 dollars for the purpose of erecting 81
toll bridges. Although no particular account
has been received either of the capital actually
expended, of the annual amount Of tolls, er OF
the materials of the roads, it is known that great
progress has bsen made: and il has been stated
that nine hundred miles OF road were already
completed by % companies, whose capital A.
mounted TO-. / 300, 600 dollars, and who had
200 miles of road more to finish.
Those roads extend in every direction, but
particularly from every town or village en- the
North river, Westwardly and North Westward
ly, towards the waters of the Susquehannah
and those OF the great lakes. The most expen-
siyeis chat from Albany to Schenectady, four.
teen miles long, and which has cost at the rate
Of 10000 dollars mile. Near 10 miles of
roads extending Westwardly from Albany to
Schenectady, appear to have cost at the rate of
$500 or 5000 dollars mile. The expenca of
all the others does not seem an average to ex-
coed $50 dollars mile.
More detailed information has been obtained
respecting the roads i'll New Jersey, Pennsylva-
MIA and Maryland.
In New Jersey, turnpike road has lately been
completed FROM Trenton to Brunswick. The
distance IS rs miles; the greatest angle of ascent
8degrees, and the road is nearly in straight line,
fhe only considerable obstruction being the Sand
Hills" through which il was necessary to dig at
fhe depth of so feet, in order not 10 exceed the
angle Of ascent. The road is Sc feet wide, IS feet
OF which covered with about inches of gra-
vel. A few wooden bridges with some stone "a
butrnents and piers have been erected across the
intervening streams. The whole expense is stat
ed at 2, 800 dollars mile From Bruins wick the
road will be extended TO Elizabetlltown, and the
work is now progressing. Another road has been
undertaken in the state, from 20
Eastoii, on the river Delaware. The distance is
43 miles, of which eleven have been completed at
an expense Of 40, 600 dollars. This road will be
more expensive than the preceding, both on ac-
count ofthe ground, The bridges being more hume
rous, and the Blue Ridge, (Musconekong noun
tain) intervening land because more substan-
tai facing greater thickness Of gravel is requi-
site.-The funds of thescompaJy are exhausted
In pennsylvania, artificial roads Of the most SUBJ
stantIal kind, have been completed, or are pro-
crossing, from Philadelphia, in sundry direc-
tions
The principal are to Bristol and Trenton, -
miles Of which completed; to Cermantown
and Perkiomen, with two branches to Willow
Grove, and to Chestnut Hill and to Lancaster
and Columbia, with branch 10 Harrisburgh.
The distance from Philadelphia to Perkiomen
is IS miles & quarter the two branches extend,
one 10 miles and the other miles and a half |;
making together, near 43 miles. The angle Of
ascent is degrees the breadth of the road fifty