Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1849-01-04
PLANK ROADS.
Report on Plank Roads made by Mr..
Phiio While, February IL, l94S, in
The Legislative Council Of Wisconsin.
[coNcLupEp.
[coNcLUDED.
7rH.-TrMBER roR FLANK AND STILLS. ,

7TH.-TIMBER FOR FLANK AND SILLS.S
In Canada, tie kind of timber used for
strngers, is pine, or hemloct, or tamarack
while pine, or hemIock or oak, are the ma
terials used for planking. For the Salina
road, and we believe for that at Oswego al
so, hemlock is invariably used, for the rea-
son that it is more abundant and cheaper
than any other timber, although it is ac-
knowledged not to be as durable as pine
Oak is used to a considerable extent at and
near London, canada West, for panking
and Mr.. Gzowski, the engineer there, who
has probably constructed more plank roads
than any man in America, is of opinien
that oak plank will wear at least as well as
any other. ShpperinesS is the main objec-
ton urged against oak and other hard wood !;
but this objection can, i'll great measure,
be obviated by a thin coating of sand or
earth spread over the planking although a
slight additional expense for hauling and
handling the hard wood might be incurred,
because of its 18th greater specific gravity
than pine or dry hemIock A writer in the
Detroit Free Press, thinks that oak, from
" its superior capabilities to resist both wear
and decay, would make the most permanent
road !" and in support of this opinion, he
refers to the fact, that the oak plank cross
walks in that city, the plank being laid fiat
upon the ground, are found to last two or
three times longer than those laid with pine
plank. Mr.. Alvord also has a preference
for oak, as planking he says: Your oak
plank three inches thick, well laid, | have
no hesitation in saying, would last at least
twelve if not fifteen years.
Your committee view this as a consider
alton of much importance to large portion
of the most densely populated sections of
Wisconsin, as white and burr oak are the
principal kinds of local timber they will
have to depend upon for plank road struc-
lures although your committee are Of opn-
ion that hemlock might be delivered at ma
ny poipts in our territory at such cheap
rates, as to become the preferable timber for
planking.
i DURABILITY OF PLANK ROADS.
This is a question of no small magnitude,
determining the value of this class of road
improvements, and the expediency of adop-
ting it. OF course the durability of plank
roads is dependent, in very considerable
degree, upon the amount of travel upon
them, aud other contingent circumstances
One efficient means of protecting the plank
against wear by abrasion, is the covering
them with an inch or two of sand or earth
the grit of which, combined with the ex-
crement of the animals and the fibres ofthe
wood protects Ire plaSk rom the corks o
/; TIE horses shoes and the bruises of the
wheels, and forms a hard coating of grit, Fl.
bre, &c, of three-fourths of an inch to one
inch in thickness, which it is difficult for
either cork or w eel to disturb. Mr.. Grows.
XII calculates the wear by abrasion at the
rate of one-fourth of an inch in two years
and as planking will not break through I'M
, til one and half to two inches of the sur
f face is worn away, it follows from this that
the duration ofthe plank will be eight years
!, But this calculation is based upon the sup
position that the planking is of pine or 9TH
er soft wood oak will of course last from
twenty to fifty per cent longer. According
to the experience of the Salna company
plank from three to four inches in Thickness:
5 will wear from seven to twelve years al
/ though Mr.. Alvord, ofthat company, thinks
as above stated, that our Wisconsin oal
! might endure twelve or fifteen years. The
r wear and tear of the first year is said to be
= equal to that ofthe seven succeeding years
! and Mr.. Gzowski says the repairs of thu
! first year are double those of any succeed
! ing one, until the road comes to need re
4 plaLking.
: COST OF PLANK ROADS.
r This, too, is a consideration of no small
: moment, in deciding upon the adoption O
4, this species of road improvement. Thei
: cost will necessarily depend much on TIT
I,,l "A of 10
. the facilities of obtaining suitable timber
$ And much also depends upon economical
: management All the expenditures on tn
II Sallna road seem to have been husbande'
e to the best advantage. As Mr.. Alvord re
It marks, they built it themselves-that is, the
i superintendent it themselves, hired thel
If workmen by the day, bought their teams
s. tools, &c; and he feels satisfied that TIN
d is the true way" not only to save expense
" but to secure more substantial structur
d than could be expected through the agenc
e of contractors. The most expensive plan
= road of which we have any particulars,
lr that from Port Stanley to London Canad
y West, the average of which was "a ,OUO pc
d mile But they were unfortunate IN thei
e route, Having frequently 10 make heav
re excavations for distance often miles, wit
g a necessity of constructing seventeen bridg
is es on the entire line, and having to procur
re their plank from the State OF Michigan, ;
a cost of S24 per NJ +; their road, too, is {
n unnecessarily large dimensions, being si'
I'd teen feet at some points, and twelve feet
o. width at others, with A by 6-inch stuff i'
IL sils. The average cost ofdHthe Canada
m roads, however, is stated by Gzowski at
ne bout SO 500 per mile. But when it is re-
lg objected that these Canadian roads are ont
is third larger than the modern structures
I'll Western New York, and at least one-slx'
e. more expensive than those constructed
re accordance with American improvement
W and economy, Gas exempllhed by Messr
"a Geddes and Alvords management of Il
sf- Salina road J it is evident that the averas
i'll might be reduced to less than $4,000 p
U.s. mile.
1t, Although it is doubtless to be attribute
10 favoring circumstances that the Sall'
road was constructed so cheaply-the act
al expenditure being OH an average on
81 ,4S7 per mile--yet we perceive that I
estimate of the cost of the Rome aud [
bo wego road IS even less-only Sl,25O P
an mile the difference in their favor, howe
= err, consists in the low price OF their he
A havn hs