New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-12-13

! w;de Dean val,ias we're to be crossed, rendering
very long and heavy entertainments inoisPet'saoie
/ As q specimen of tie extraordinary character Oh
some portions of the work, may be aoouceo lno es
t;nated cost for section OF TWO miles, cofhraeIo
ing seyenty-one miles west OF lndanapohs' On tue
/ Wabash bottom. across that rlyer rom iefls
Ha,.e being nearly $40, 0o0l The bridging and
masonry required on that same short section WIZ
cost in addition about $3.50 ,000-making those
two miles alone OF the road Inquire up 10 'iie tune
of 100000 mile:
The average cost, however, of the National road,
so far as contemplated, in the State Of Ohio, has
been little over Sill 600. OF this about ene-hslt
was for tie maca1amizing, one-fourth for the
opening and grading, and one-tourth tor the br1dg
ing and asoLry. The estimated expense OF the
unfinished portions varies materially, in the several
States, owing to the more difficult character of the
work-beng, in Ohio, $l4, 900; in Indiana, S2l,.
600; in Illinois, nearly $4,000.
Of the finished portion of the road, l3l miles
lie in Maryland and Virginia; III miles in Ohio
mile. in Indiana; and 20 in lilinols-although
the latter has not been macadamized, except tor
hort distance at Vandalia. The total amount ex-
pended east of Wheeling, must have been some
thing less than 50, 100000; the finished por-
ton in Ohio little short of So, 600, 00e; on that
in Indiana, $l75 900; on that in Illinois, s3SO.
000 The amount expended on the unfinished
portion is--in Ohio, on SO miles opened, grubbed
and partly graded 100000; in Indiana, $958, 900;
in Illinois, 1868, 900.
The estimated cost of the entire completion OF
the road, according to the last official report, Is as
follows: for the 50 miles lying between Spring
field, Ohio, and the Indiana state line, S646, 600;
for the 149 miles lying in the State of Indiana, OF
which only 9 miles are finished S3,144000; for
the 80 miles lying between the Indiana State line
and Vandalia, of which 80 miles have been graded
sc. $1,5O0,000. ] do not perceive that any esti-
mate has been contemplated for the road from
vandalia to the Mississippi.
To recapitulate-the whole cost of the finished
portions has been, in round numbers 81, 100000
amount expended on tn. unfinished sections, sl,-
$1,000; required for completion by the estimates,
"a 2e0, OOO-mnking total, in all, of $40, $780,
600.
Butts it not improbable that should the work be
destined to completion, the expensive macadamiz-
ing which has heretofore formed part of the plan,
and which fully doubles the cost of the road, will
be abandoned, and simply good earthen turnpike
be made 1t is found that the expense OF keeping
stsne road in repair is no triAing matter-the
wear of the macadamizing in Ohio being estimated
At fifteen per cent per annum; and as 1t has TO be
borne by the States who accept the road after Its
complexion by the General Government in case
the tolls levied for that purpose prove insufficient
it will doubtless be to the advantage OF their ex-
hausted treasures to have SO expensive an item
omitted altogether. This would materially lessen
the amount required and it is very possible, that
some such compromise between the friends and the
opponents of the road may be finally bit upon
G. II. S.