New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-12-13
From the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser.
The Cumberland Road.

From the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser
The Cumberland Road.
At Columbus, | for the first time set foot upon
the great NATIONAL RoAD-the ApPian Way Of
the notwithstanding from Cumberland, IN Ma.
rvland, to the Mississippi at st. Louis. Ii Is 3
grand monument of Governmental munihcence,
think as we may about the policy OF such internal
improvements by the Federal Government and
mo- one can travel over this magnificent thorough
fare without admiring its broad and substantial
foundations, its long extended linear course, run
ming on-on-straight as arrow-turnlng neither
to the right nor left for scores of understanding
hills that would obstruct its mighty path, and
crossing vallies on stupendogs embellishments that
seem the work Of Titans. Its culverts are taced
with cut stone, of the best workmanship; and not
tricklpg rivulet of few inches in breadth, or ap
parently triAing slough occurs in its course, Tor
which ample and pc, m8nent sluice ways are no.
provided, at ouch individual ins iance en'
would erect u common bridge over quite a stream
its bridges are msst superior structures, QUILT OF
the best materials, and being protected from the
action of the elements by good roofs will last to'
several generations. The piers and abu;ments on
which they repose are of cat stone, camped TO-
gethe- in the strongest manner. The art or ouiso-
ing bridges in these modern times seems to have
reached degree of perfection considerably IN ad'
vance of other departments of architectural sell
ence among US. We have numerous specimens
throughout the country, of most ingenious con-
struction, and each seeming combine some es-
sential advantage Tue modes OF bracing and
supporting these fabrics vary in some details, With
almost every builder but that which has been
adopted on this road is uniformly that OF parallel
arches rising on each side to hight OF some II
or Is feet from the floor Of the bridge, and formed
by stiff plank placed transversey, and pinned
through ead through at each point OF JuxtaPositioD
making an infinite number of braces, in all di
rections, and rendering the sagging or swaying OF
the structure almost an impossbility. The bridge
over which the National Road crosses the Scioto,
at Columbus, is one of the best built on the road
and although of great span, has but one pier In the
center, to sustain the wide stretched arch. Yet
when heavily loaded teams are passing over It,
scarce percep,ible jar is felt ouch Is its solldity
The Cumberland road-as it is termed by thu
Government departments-is about 500 miles liz
length, taking its whole extent; but of this only
800 miles of continuous macadamized road-frem
Cumberland to Springfield, Ohio-have been fully
finished That portion ia now under the control
of the States in which it les-the plan of its
struct ton being the completion and surrender efthe
road to the States, in sections OF 10 miles each
There are several patches of macadamizng, at diff
ferent locations along the route, near important
points where there is considerable local travel
there being three miles at Richmond Ia, FIVE
miles at indianapolis, one mile at IcTTe Haute,
and short distance at Centersille, la.
To account for the finished portions being thus
detached, it may be mentioned. that the policy
pursued in its construction was to make the Ieao
available tor use as soon as practicable, that tiis
public lands along its route might be opened to
emigrau,s. 1t was therefore cleared and sruoeed
and the more level and feasible section hrst graded
Operations having been of late years SUSPENDED
by the unfavorable view taken OF the system OF ln
ternal Improvements by those IN power, there mas
been no progress made toward the compietioh OF
the unfinished sections. Consequently the condl
ton of much of tho western portion Is wretchediy
bad during the fall and spring, when heavy rains
have converted its clayey surface into a homoge-
neous mass of stiffest mud The inhabitants along
its route feel very sensibly the withdrawal of the
public money which used to be 50 liberav expended
among them when the work was going on, and
some OF them grumbie not Ii little at the abandon
ment of the policy by the slricter constructoniss.
An amusing exemplihcation Of this was given IL
the late progress Of Mr.. VAN buren, westward
along this road. In journeying over the western
portion of the roa in Indiana, which is in horrid
condition in bad weather, the Ex-President was
twice upset before getting TO Ierre haate, at the
Imminent risk of hi. neck, and the partial disloca-
ton OF his shoulder. Az he had ALWAYS, from
constitutional scruples, opposed the policy OF ap
preparations for the construction or Improvement
Of the road, these accidents were looked upon by
the worthy inhabitants Whereabouts, as little less
than judgements upon him for his cou,umacious
opposition Not that they wished him any per
soasi harm, but they could not somehow help as.
soe'asiag his mshaps and his hostility to their par
ticular interests.
The plan adopted in the construction Of the
Cumberland road, renders its cost much greater
than that of the common macadamized turn
pixies. The width OF IFS location Is eighty teet :
OF the graded road thirty feet; the track maeada-
mi2ed is twenty fee, wide, and covered With broken
limestone to the depth of nice inches lis long
and regular grades--of which the maximum incli-
nation is only TWO degrees, except in very billy
parts OF its route, where II rises four-haye also
been ocsaiaea VI enormous cost. In many ns,an-
encountered through which its path had 20 be cut
frceuea,iy by busting away the solid reek and