Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1838-04-19

no rock ofany size. This uew direction will |
give southern exposure 10 tho slope of the
road, which will cross the top of the noun
tain on broad level, and then descend ON
the south side Of spur to meet the old road
again near Armstrong;; from which place
Il must continue along run in its present
direction. The proposed alteration will sAor.
ten the road by about milo.
The mountaia is so broken and rocky thai.
after careful examination Of eyery outlet.
am convinced that no ether direction than
'his. or Stewards gap, can be taken ,hro' il.
D. Inc present road crosses Jack sons
mountain, on low level along tho Crab run;
and, although this place is both very rocky
ana roy, and miles are los. by taking this
a'rec'ion, The whole mountain is too high
ana sleep to allow OF any other course In the
expectation that some distance nigh, be gain
ed oy crossing Tho mountain, at low place
very near the line, | measured tho heigh, of
it, aud found that il would be necessary 10
graduate an elevation OF $50 feet. To over.
come this, distance OF 9 miles " ould h.
nearly lost On each side 50 that, besides the
difficulty Of the ascent, the distance would
tie greater still than by the Crab run. The
map VIII show the result Of my survey and
examination in this quarter
D.. Alter the Crab run, the Wagon road
ceases. Straight creek and Back creek
mountains must be crossed about o mile 10
'hs south OF the present path. They are both
very sleep and narrow al top, but the groucd
will generally he found free from rocks.
y. Middle mountain, and the ALLEGHENY.
present no difficulty. Both these mountains
arc broad, and the ground generally firm.
except Tor short distance in the bottom he,
tween them.
The ground continues good to The foo, of
the second Allegheny. The distance from
this point to Tygart's valley is II miles. A.
have already stated, wide road has been
undertaken over this space. Owing to a
great number sfsprings, this road, for abou,
iive miles in tho vicinity Of Cheat river, is
excessively miry, and altogether imprscti.
cable for Wagons. This part 10 intended
10 be paved. IL appeared to mo that, if il
was raised, and deep ditch cut between il
and the declivi,y ofthe hill, the springs would
not ooze any longer through the road: the
water supplied by them would collect in the
ditch, and might be carried off nv occasion.
al cul-erts under the road. Al any rate
there can be no doub. OF this fact, that the
most Of the paving would be saved in this
way, and much better road formed for.
paving on soft foundation can barely be
called an Improvement. 1t seemed to me.
besides, that, by attending too much 10 tho
stra'ghtness OF the road, il had boen nsde 10
cross several low places, which nigh, have
oeen avoided, by keeping il on higher level.
n straight road, like q straight canal, will
ofsen prove moro expensive than q curved
one, suited to the ground and, in a case
like this, ought certainly Dot to be preferred.
have offered these remarks, on the rosa
between Greenbrier and Tygari's valley be-
cause think that, although it iaclines to the
north, II ought TO make part of tho general
road. The expense Of cutting new road.
through such ridge, could NOT be compsn.
sailed BY The small distance saved, il even
such ara advantage was obtained which NAV
DC doubted, for tins reason that, as | have
observed in another place, the gaps snd spurs
assume generally anorth-westeriy direction;
and the point where the rond begins, in
Greenbrier, being in the general line, there
10 every probability that no better direction
could br found The expense, and waste Of
lime, IN exploring and surveying through
these unknown weods, where the sun hardly
ever penetrates, and the whole ground il coy>
cred with rocks, and fallen tim bel. oyerspread
with thick moss, which completely dis.
guises the soil such an expense say, would
even be greater than the end attained, if in
deed II did result in any thing like success. |
lie AVOID The miry shores Of Cheat river,
would indeed be strong inducemsnt 10
change the present road but according 10
all the accounts. no material difference could |
be found in any place.
The lossof distance may however he some, |
what diminished by descending into Tygar,'s
valley along the side of sspur which puts in
from the top ofihe mountain, about 4 miles |
from the valley, in direction mere in course |
than the road
From the valley to the Ohio, the csuntry
IS totally UNEMPLOYED: but judging frem The
water.courses, and what information could
get, the direction of the line traverses il in
probably the most advantageous places.
There can be no doubt of the great bene-
ut, road leading TO the metropolis would be
10 This part OF the country; but, I think
width Of 30 feet would render it more ex
Pensive than present circumstances seem to
advIse The expense of q rvsd being nearly
proportional to the squire OF its width, I
think that this road ought not to be made
wider Than l2 feet: with this wiatb, eight or
nine miles of it would moi cost more than one |
mile OF u road 30 feet wide.
Ii may be objected that the width I pro> !
pose, 10 not sufficient for two wagons ; but I
few wide places a. the top Of each ascent. and |
IN other commanding situations. will obyis,e |
this difficulty. It's, besides, a well known
fact, that many much travelled rsatls, among
The mountains, have no, greater width.
When the road shall be so much travelled
ne 10 cause this iocon wen ience 10 be fell. then
IT may be W idened, by laying out upon i,
The addi'Ienal expense that would be in curred
now.
AS to tbs section OF The road from the val. |
'ey TO Stsuntsn, think ths. il ought to no