Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1847-04-22
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PLANK R0tnS

Tie subject Of making plank roads as pon. ,
roads, and IN some cases substitutes f 7 thu -, ,a
occupied the public attention in portion of tho ~ mas
States for some time past They have Teen used W ,eTn
ada Tor upwards 81 twelve years where their '"
discovered through accdent By an ovefsect and c was
tor Of common county roads o's'tuc-
Betwcen syracuse and Central Square in ,Lo <.
OF New ork, 4 plank read twelve and b3if ."''
length constructed at cost Of 81 600 comncncI IN
cratiens In July last. and In December "a lttlo oP'
six m0ns) declared dividend OK t0n0 nct man
80 per per annnm ''ulhg
contracts Tor constructing plank road offD mill.
length, from Rome to Oswego, in New Y rk, b,va :"
entered into within the last six weeks the road :, "'h
finished by November next. On this r, al r, 10
carriages drawn by horses arc expected L, UT
the 90 miles nsiX hours. From the actual nc,t lsn
ces on the Canada roads with relay horses eyery l
miles, no doubt IS entertained that twelve miles s"'
can be accomplished is found by actual e1no, .oul
on tile ~ racuse plank road. that the same SIM, "'
can carry 10 tnnrke ia less time. and rith gi,a,.,
to Hen'eires, loads from POO IL $50 per ccrt I "'
than they could heTctotofe draw over the same ,, '
the common earth road. The roads are made ~, ,, '
ding Ill light earth two INES Of slls formed Of ;nl
inch scanlling, upon which panks $ feet L,,,, ~
To inches thick are laid rausyersey precisaiy in n
position thai they occupy comnl N lrd.rrs .'
gulr to say, these pIanks not required 10 h. f
to the sIs ~ wooden pins or by spikes II l,s lu
a'c fiaii ed by experience thai if the air is allowed
circulate between the panks and the earth dr,. - 10
sues. II is therefore necessary thai the Inv, o' en-
Of the ranks, S'o ID hein actual contact with tL @
and, thus laid, il has been found TIM, the pines f
last years, being in constant Use during that n
VIII stale.ln this connection. that Prof ser Sill,
has commented ON the remarkable fart that inn ,;
ING over rlsnks thus laid. to hive great raaann,
IN preserving the slnndncss Of the timber NV
We have not tine for further remarks Tn tI, s,1
od'y, bui VII r6cnr II it hereafter. The tll,in,
IS from the New York Sun :--.NmfdH Bcqr7n
The subject Of plank rlads having been ,,r'nia.t
r. Ic L.. n,
Legislature. and the suggestion Ia soma OF the city .
nIIs 81 Their adapedncss 10 city use Induces rs IN NIB
our readers little letter acquainted with th,ir ns.
and structure than, We suspect, most of them are o,
indeed, than we Were ourselves, Till recently '
l. appears from this authority that the plank r,,5r
tenn ginated in Canada about , years since and ava,
lis existence 10 thedii. aliy experience BY tic c,,ni
sloners Of highways to better the condition Of few r.
OF quick sand After trying various expedienis within,
success. he finally conceived the idea of snkinc I
timber and planhing it. similar TO bridging cxcont h.
hed the vacancy between the sccpers. or slls viii,
stona and earth. lie watched the operation Off viii
interest, and found that he had overcome the quick sand
trouble ~ the end Of two years the plank still rem,iJ
SOLID. lie then tried the experiment over marsh, I
aud 1t worked II and from this he conceived If tb
efficacy Of a common road made Of plan1 Nilhin III.
two years t9IloWing flaak road CONSTRUCTED h,
company lrfm Toronto 10 the river Rouse which i,s
tay met the public expectation and then seyer,l
Others have been erected in Canada some f. and n
mile, in length. which have been sufficiently tested T.,
the fat Staetcn o. ri as being the be roads Tor ordinary
passage that 7r' nade aHi capable d being used uey f.
rail raeia 7r ct}9diiion Of lrayel.
iAtIe Il plank roads Was kngAn in the l'nitcd s,f,
oil within the lat tnree gears and bat one-l4, p.,
long between Sana AMI Brewertoa (Ononlaro conn
~ has yet been built, Two other charters lr tb.e
roads IN the western art If the state have leen GRANTED
and there arr now Il appcaons before the Legislature
for charters 10 build roads Of this experimentation
to lead from the city of Rochester The COST Of Living
sn2,' track Of plank road, feet wia, sat,u a. $50
Ter nlc