The North-Carolina standard., 1849-01-17
: From the New York Tribune.
:. PLANK ROADS I - to =

Sheds not its happy rays . {. -. I.-s
7aay 5ties a.sub From the New York Tribune
ssR 7ir2 i' PLANK ROADS, $50 80 aFo
Plank road from Schenectady TO Saratoga Springs
Isl about to be built. A letter from Prof. Gillespie
(author of the ''sMdnual Of Road-naking') which
was read at recent public meeting In Schenectady,
and published in the Cabinet, contains much valua-
bic information on this important subject, and from
it We extract some passages of general interest in
lation to this improvement, the most valuable aid to
locomotion since the invention OF Railroads: T. -
=" To inland towns roads substitutes for navlga-
BILE rivers The more widely they radiate In every
direction and the better their condition. the greater
Will be the consequent prosperity. IheIr compare
tive value is determined by the different weights
which horse can draw upon them at any uniform
speed, or by the different speeds at which he can
draw the same load, OF all modes Of improving
their surface Plank Roads the most efeetual at
the smallest cost. If we take the load drawn on a
new gravel road as our standard of comparison, e1-
periments show that on good broken stone, or Md
cadam road, horse draw four times as much and
on smooth plank road eight times much, or f'oice
as much as on a good Macadam road.
Plank roads. therefore, enable horse to do more
than any other arrangement, except Railroads. But
Invaluable as the latter to the huryng traveller,
the ordinary roads on which every farmer can drive
his own team, when not needed for the farm labors,
are incomParably more useful to the community at
largeand Of all sueh plank roads the perfection
They are the Farmers Railroads.
MoDE OF CoNsrRUcTIoN. The best mode of con-
structng them is briefly Lay out the intended line
with great care to avoid steep inclnations,
cenaing more than foot in going thirty or forty
and winding many feet around rather than 60 up one
Grade the road bed wide enough for two wagon tracks,
but plank only one, and that the right hand side
coming towards city, for teams generally come In
heavy and 90 out light and this arrangement makes
the heavy keep the track, and the light ones do
all the turning out, Lay down fatwise two strin-
gers twelve by three, four feet apart, centre to cen
ire. Imbed them well in the earth across them, at
1arv III hon n1nOE
feet long. The lengthwise and skewing methods Of
: laying them are now abandoned. Pack the earth
well up to them slope the earth track towards the
bitches (which should be wide and deep,) and your
Plank road is made.
Many minor points must, however, be attended to,
to make your road as perfect as possible. The in
ner sringers should be higher than the outer ones,
so as to carry the water off freely. They should be
in two pieces, each 6 by 3, so as to break joints.
The ends of the planks should not be laid to line,
but project few inches on each side alternately,
as make it easy for wheels to get the track, and
70 avoid forming rut alongside They need not to
be fastened down, but would recommend spiking
sdow n say, every fifth or tenth plank the rest being
well driven home against these. The stringers are
made heavier than formerly and the plank light
or. When hemlock plank gets worn down two inch
es, the knots project to make the road rough
and to require renewal. Allow one inch more to
hold them In, and we have three inches thickness
Hemlock is generally used, cheapest but pine or
oak would be better.
"A single track will be sufficient for almost any
amount of travel. The turnings ont upon the earth
road BY the aide OF at such varied points, that
its surface, if made properly crowning, will always
remain in good condition. 100000 teams passed
over Syracuse road in two years, averaging more
than 29o day and for three days in succession 700
day passed over 1t; and all this was on single
track. =
CosT. The cost of the road will Of course vary
with the price of lumber. On the plan recommended
it will require $4,000 feet of plank, and $4,000 feet
ofstringers per mile: in all say 100000 feet board
measure. Other items of cost are the leveling the
road bed and laying the plank, which costs from SO
cents to 81 per rod. The excavations and embank-
mens necessary to give the roads proper grades, and
the bridges and sluices cannot be estimated without
the data of survey. Omitting these as also gate
houses, we will have the following rough estimate Of
cost per mile:
Lumber, 10000 feet, at 90 per M, sl,44o
Leyelling and laying, at S5c. per rod, $40
Englneefing and superlntendents, 100
In all sI,7so
Add Tor contingencies, 10 per cent, IT'S
segIsla,.s Total $I,95s
Or say $4,000 per mile, with lumber at So and omit
ting extra excavations and entertainments, and oate
houses. The difference of dollar per M. in the
price of lumber, makes difference of $3.50 per mile
DURATION As TO durability, seven wears for hem.
lock would be safe estimate, though our experience
is as yet very limited One set of strinpers will
outlast two three coverings Of plank. But to be
profitable, the plank must have much travel as to
them out before they rot ont. The wear and
tear Of the FIRST year equals that of the following six
as a. tough elastic coating of woody 6bres, &c. is
soon formed and protects the plank from wear. And
viii their cost be thus repaid. On one road, the
passage of 10000 teams wore the plank down but
one inch. tes : sszf.ss5.
Psoslrs. Before hemlock plank have been worn
cut they will at the rate of tolls established by
the general Plank Road law from $4,000 to $4,000
per mile above repairs and expenses, or double their