Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-12-28
VOL. XLIII, NO. 7.---wHOLE NO. 22o2.

IN the earth, their top surface barely IN
sight. and the earth iE which they are
embedded should be broken and pull
verified, so as to leave no stones or 9th.
or hard substances to obstruct their set
Ting evenly, and thus permitting the
plank to sink down firmly on the earth
as its main support. Two siringers on
ly are used on the Salna road, by 4
inches in size, and none less than | 3
feet in length they should be so laid as
to break joints, as in laying brick, or put
ting on siding-that is, the ends of the
stringers on enc side should not be laid
opposite the ends Of those on the other
side. About 6 feet inchesd the pro-
per width between the two lines of
stringers for an 8 feet single track road,
which will bring them under the wheels
Of most road vehicles, and thus give a
continuous bearing on them. One set
of sleepers of good timber and we'll bed
ded, will last as long as two or three
plankings.
All. The Bed or Foundation.
An important part of The whole struc-
ture, is the preparation of the bed of
earth, or foundation. This should be
graded about twenty-one feet wide,
measuring from the inside top lines of
the bitches on each side the earth on
the surface of The bed should be broken
and made fine and firm as practicable,
and graded smooth good bitches should
be dug in the beginning, say two feet
deep, and two and halt feet wide at
the bottom, slipping on the sides accnrd-
ing to the nature of the soil; sntii-
cient number of sluices or culverts
should be made under and across the
bed, TO pass all water that strikes the bed
rapidly off, and effect thorough drain
age. Z" cannot impress too strongly
upon you, (says Mr.. Alvord) the neces-
sity of building your roadway high, and
draining it well by side bitches and cross
cuverts." la grading crosswise of the
road, particularly on an old road way,
care should be taken not to break up
and puverize any greater depth of the
surface than is necessary for embedding
the slls, for it is important to preserve rs
solid foundation as practicable. The
plank tracks should be laid as far on one
side of the road bed as can be and leave
IA sufficient shoulder to keep the earth
on that side up to and even with the top
surface of the plank; one stringer should
then be lald by the eye, from four to six
inches inside of the intended outline OF
the plank then lay the other stringer
on parallel line with the first, and abou,
six feet eight inches from it, which can
be levelled by means Of common ma
sons level, having two legs the requisite
distance apart to reach and rest in the
two stringers, the leg on the ditch side
being two inches longer than the other
SO as TO give the proper inclination tt
the plank track ; the earth should thef
be packed close around the strngers, ano
brought up to level with the top sur.
face of them, great care being taken tc
have the surface of the bed even and
smooth under the plank, so that they
will rest at all points firmly on the dirt,
otherwise the plank are apt to spring and
wear; the plank should then be laid as
close and tight together as practicable
In making the side earth track, or turn
out path, which is twelve feet wide on
the Salina road, the earth should come
up even with the top surface of the
plank track, and slightly fall off towards
the ditch at depression of about four
inches in the twelve feet. A planked
way thus thoroughly and carefully built,
says MIR. Alvord, "s The ne plus ultra
OF road-making." Mr.. Geddes saw a
road in Canada which had been worn
out, and was being replanked: the stills
were still good, and the plank sound on
the underside, save where air had sup
piled the place of earth, and there they
were destroyed by rot"
9TH. SINGLE, OR DOUBLE TRACK.
In the opinion Of Messrs. Geddes and
Alvord, it is seldom necessary to build
more than one plank track eight feet
wide on the same road, except in and
near towns and villages, or other pecul-
lar localities where very large amount
of travel is expected to pass over it. Mr.
VI. says - IL Is OilllCuit W ljCisuuuC q Iiut
who has not seen the thing tried, tina,
one track is entirely sufficient, except il
cases of an extraordinary amount o
travel but it is So" Mr.. A. remarks,
that "great speculative objection was
made in the start to bu, one plank track
but we have now the entire commu-
nifty with US ia deciding that, on all or
binary roads, one track is fully sufficient,
The reason is this; the travel in wet
weather is entirely on the plank, except
the turning out of the light team; bu
they seek the plank again as soon az they
can get around the team met or overta-
ken, so that the turnout track is moi
cut with any continuous lengthwlse ruts
and perhaps the wheels of not one team
in hundred turn outs will strike the
exact curve of another; consequently
in our experience, our turnout track
being well graded and passing the water
easily and rapidly from its surface, re-
mains perfectly hard and smooth" And
during thaw about the beginning o.
January, when the frost was out of the
ground, their turnout track, which il
=