Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-10-23

PLANK RoABS-pRoF. CARLAND'5 REPORT.
We publish below an exirail IRON the able re-
pou OF Prot. Garland, submitted to, aLa adopted
! by, public meeting recently held in Tuscaloosa
The report is loo lengthy to be re-pubished en>
| tire in cur columns.
|. It's Cosr-TLe cost OF such road is made
| up Of these several items |. The light OF way;
z. The grazing; 81. The lumber for covering il;
4. The laying vi The timber aud filling in OF lis
| EMS; S. The bridging.
|. The RIGHT OF HlY-For The better Develop
ment oI The coal field, as well as Tor reaching the
iron beds al their nearest AMI richest points, the
committee are unanimously OF ne opinion that
The ioule Of The Flank road should follow The
present Dukes Valley road as near as Inc nature
OF the ground will allow. And they believe that
il is The only route marked out by line geographic
cal system OF The intermediate country. II this
be so, along This line, much oi The land belongs
10 he government and is deuseiy covered with 4
forest Of the iong-eaved pine. Ii is The opinion
OF The undersigned, that upon application TO Con
gress, through our Slaie Legislature, gran! will
De made 20 lie road, OF the vacant lands through
which it may pass, lcr Tho purpose OF original
construction and subsequent repairs. They
moreover believe that where The road may pass
eager 10 draw ii so near them, BY granting rish
vi way Tree rom all cost 10 The company. The
couulGy is So spETsely settled and the soil ex-
ireme,y barren, and the proximity OF the road OF
such immense benefit 10 such as may &c &C iurlu.
nae as TO have il near them, that we feel vur-.
selves FULLY warranted in leaving out Of our esl-
mate any cost Tor the right Of way.
2. The GRADING -TEis consists in clearing
of The ground; cutting down The hills and filing
up Tue Intermediate valleys Sc gs 10 redIce the
yer cle inclination OF The road 10 that limit which
may be ADOPTED as The maximum. Upon lhi.
maximum, the ntiii'y 81 The road materially de.
pends-bcns greater, as this maximum is
smaller. Upon some OF the plank roads in New
York maximum as high oae foot in sixteen
and a halt is allowed. This is greater than that
on The National Turnpike, and seems 10 your
con mittec much greater than should be ado pied,
where iekS can be obtained without much in
crease OF expense 4 rise OF one foot in sixteen
and hall is equal IL so iest il The mile Now,
Prot. Tuomey IeporIs, that from The CITY Of Tgs-
calousa 10 The head waters II ihe Hurricane
which is point on The Dukes Valley read, le
or 20 miles distant tom the civ, the Use is ssout
500 Lee. And alb ).gh The iuteImediare coun-
Try is broken, yet i; would seem from The iaci, al
together praclIcabie 10 iocs;e road with much
lower maximum. From actual observation, The
undersigned believe that The route il favorable
one for the location OF road wi an eleyaioa
al ,he maximum of not more than one loot in
Thirty, or lie fee, n The mile. This is an eleva-
ton Of about degrees. Aai upon this assnmp.
lion we will base cur estimates C. The cost and
capacity OF the road
Prof. Gil!espie, OF New York, in a recent WORK,
entitled "A maLua! Of The Principles aud Prac-
lice of Road making" states ,he cost Of both laying
and grading plank road, slaices. bridges, etc.,
exclusive, al Sl00 10 1920 per mile. Mr Z P
Ho!combe OF Georgia, who visited the North for
The purpose Of making observations upon plank
roads reports as follows:
The grading, Sc, will Of course derend en-.
Iireiy upon circumstances; tui ought mol 10 e1.
coed 500 or $500 per mile" With these data
before them, aud with personal knowledge OF
The route OF the proposed road, your committee