The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1849-08-31

so that when il becomes thoroughly set.
tied and compacted by use, il will be at
least as high as the ends of the planks. IL
il should settle below this, attention must
Immediately be given TO restoring the pro-
per elevation by the addition Of more
earth. A slope on the ditch side should
be given Of about three inches TO the foot.
The earth which is used in the filling in
may be obtained from the bitches. The
bitches are, of course, an essential part of
the work, and oil the care and expense be-
slowed in first opening them, and after.
wards keeping them clear and in order.
will be amply repaid /; and on no account
must this be neglected. They should be
two feet wide on the bottom, and two fee,
below the top of The planks.
"On that side of the graded road not
occupied by the plank, a good earth road
must be made resembling in contour the
side Of the road laid with plauk-dilch
and all. This of course, is intended TO
apply where single plank track is used
and II will be matter Of surprise with all,
venture to predict, on first travelling on
a Plank Road, as it was with me, how
completely and conveniently single track
accommodates large business. ! could
discover no more Inconvenience in vehi-
cles passing each other than in the streets
Of Macon. This had appeared to me
great difficulty and objection to a single
track, and was surprised to find how III.
tie foundation i, had, in fact, and how well
a single track nsSered all demands upon
it. The great bulk Of travel being upon
the plank, and the earth road being only
used to turn out upon, It has little tenden-
cy to cut Up and become rutted, as 1t will
seldom happen that q vehicle in turning
out vii! take The exact track OF previous
one.
"Some OF the roads leading from the
principal mahs are laid with a double
track for a distance of three or four miles
but, even here, the second track might ap.
parently have been dispensed with without
much Inconvenience. When double, or
second track is laid down, it is simply
duplicate of the first, and has no direct
connection with ii; space of from two 10
four feet is left between the two, which is
filed with earth raised a little above either
track.
"This is obviously, as a general rule,
preferable 10 doubling the length OF the
pIanks and laying the two tracks IN con.
nectIon. There may be cases, however,
where this course might be expedIent.
81, Will be an easy task TO estimate the
cos, of Plank Roads, so far as the wood in
superstruclure is concerned. The grad
ing, &c. will of course depend entirely
upon circumstances; but ought not to ex.
coed to $500 per mile. There are, of
three inch plank and eight feet long, in
mile, 1876, 720 feet, board measure. and Of
scantlIng or strngers, four inches square
1880 feet. This, at seven dollars per
thousand W hich perhaps will be the cost
here, though in the State OF New York,
The price is, in some instances, as low as
FIVE dollars ard half per thousand, the
average being six dollars is 1892 CO.
5 Six men will lay one hundred and ten yard:
!, per day. One day, in which | observed
The operation, seven men laid twenty eight
rods. AT one dollar per day, per hand, IN.
GLIDING overseeing, tools, &C., this would
be SOC per mile for laying. If We estl-
mate the filing in, &c. Of half this sum
or : Is, we have Sll36 as the cost OF road
; independent of grading for ~hich no &C
g curaie estimate can be submitted, w,hou
1 knowledge Of the circumstances and tacu
II OF the case.
l. Little engineering IS required turtle
o than to trace the line upon the ground, AM
), at the mos, difficult points 10 indicate tn
l. cutting or filing necessary lo bfng III
F! road to proper grade.