Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-09-03
From the Charleston Mercury.
Construction OF k'iank ROADS.

number OF extracts from rePoft VI
comb, Esl., very competent civil elel eer
embracing III most recent improvements oi''
ed at the North.
strh,s Road THE Utica and Rome) is not ye
con,ete-,bout one third Of Its lsugth remain
inc 70 b., constructed. The estimated Co.'S. Ill
cln ling grading, supersfucture. bridging, tol
houses, a I'd everything complete, is estlinateo
at So, 900 per mile. AS near as | could learn
the average cost is about $1,000. The mos
expensive road of which have any knowledge
is that from lion to Cedarvllle, length miles
cost So, 200 per mile. This road is located a
long the valley, and occasional precipitous siop
of mountain strean ami sometimes 1t was
fouad necessary to divert the stream from It's
bed into new channel and occasionally also
TO cross and re-cross it. The descent III NIL :
of the roal is 700 feet, the maximum, however
being six inch IS and five eighths i'll rod or Six
teen and a half feet
"This is much lower maximum than IS COM
mon or even desrable as have traVe llefl up
OH Plank Roads with inclinatlons OF one loot III
ten. | would suggest one foot Ill sixteen and
a half az a proper medium between too great
outlay for grading on the one hand, and too
steeso grades upon the other. discovered no
tendency or liability of the horses to slip on steep
er inclination, as the plank being laid cfoss.wls'
afford, perhaps, the very best toot Old OF any
road in use but the counteracting efec. OF CRAWL
ty will be seriously felt by adopting much
sleeper grade than one foot in sixteen and hall.
The read is cleared, grubbed, AMI leyelled 70
feet in width. Preparation for laying the super
structure is then made, by plowlns or picking
ND (usaally the former) the surface, and making
1t mellow and convenient TO be brought INTO tft
precise shape required. On one side OF the cen
ire of the graded track, two channels are then
dug. being guided by line which is stretched
where one end of the plank will come. THIS
channels are dug such distance apart that tn
stringers when laid in them, will be Sven feti
apart from outside to outside. At the 1rst glance
it might appear preterabl. to have th"m nearel
together; but it is understood this ouid 1nVoiVe
liability in the planks 10 tip up when heavy
loaded wagon drives upon the road, having a
bearing at first only on the extreme ends OF the
planks.
sThe mui-sills or stringers having been prop
arly adjust I'd in the trenches, the earth havln.
been previously made mellow, is filled III around
and between the stringers, and also tor the space
of a few inches on the outside OF them ms
filling is raised about one inch above the string
ers and is now ready to receive the plank, !" heh
are uniformly eight feet long, and OF any width
from 10 to Is inches, and frequently wider at
one end than the other which, while it effects
saving of timber, is at the same time an advan-
taee from the facility it Affords in turning curves
by putting several wide ends or butts together Ill
succession. The thickness Of the planks varies
on different roads from three to TOUR inches, tho
tn. former is much the most common. The
etringers are pretty uniformly four inches square
and any convenient length from sixteen to
twenty feet and simply laid end to end without
any splicing or fastening. In some instances
plank three inches thick and twelve inches wide
have been recommended and adopted, but tn
four inch stringers is much the most common.
and appears to answer the purpose we'll, as little
reliance is placed upon the strngers Tor the bear
ing; 49, n,..o II. n, NJ IN It. n,ace and
third standing upon it, with heavy wooden
maui made Of sound piece of timber two and
half feet long, and eight inches thick; with a
pin through ono end tor a handle, stlkes tn
plank blow upon its edge in the middle to drive
it up to its fellow. Then three our tour b lI
are given upon the surface Of the plank at differ
ent points when it becomes firmly and accurate
ly settled down to the strinoers carrying Whit
the earth which had been filled above the string
ers, and on which the plank now mainly de-
ponds for its support. One more blow on tn
edge of the plank finishes the operation, by
which time another plank is ready, and the pro-
cess is rapidly repeated. should, remark, how,
ever, that each plank is alternately land Ill and
out, or iutting past each other about three men
ea for The purpose of assisting the W heels to ris
upon the road in the event OF a rat being formed
at the ends of the planks. The planks, however,
arc all cut the same length, and are either dellv-
cred upon the ground eight feet long OF sixteel.
feet If the latter, they are piled up and sawed
in two with a cross-cut saw.
GIN order to facilitate the escape of the water
that falls upon the road, the planks are laid Wath
an inclination towards the ditch, on that SIDE OF
the graded road on which the planks are laid,
of two inches in six feet or say three inch' II.
- e, A. Ill that "a II 10 that
does not fall Immediately at the joi is, is con-
fneted of at the ends 10 effect this, a strait
edge with carpenters level properly adjusted
10 It, is used in laying down the stringeIs, he
ends of it resting upon either strlnger ana ihell
respective elevations arranged accordingly
aNow follows the filing in of earth at thf
sensls Of the planks necessary to keep them from
moving laterally, as they are not attached to tn
stringefs by any kind Of fasenings whatever
neither spikes, pins, or anything OF me kIia'
being necessary, and to facilitate driving upon
and off the road. This filling is commonl!
raised about three inches at first above IN
blanks, 50 that when it becomss thoroughly
.eettled and compacted by use, 1t will be at eas
as high as the ends Of the planks. II it shoule
settle below this, attention must Immediately
be given to restoring the proper elevation. 3,
the addition of more earth slope on the dltsi
ri lie should be given OF about three inch to Inc
foot. The earth when IS used la ililii'S,'h ma
be obtained from the bitches. The bitches are
of course, an essential part of the work, and al
the care and expense bestowed in first opening
them and afterwards keeping them clear and ii
order, will be amply repaid and on no account
must this be neglected. They should be two
feet wide on the bottom, and two feet below tn
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 lal,
with planE--aiteh and all. This of course, i
intended to apply wherea single. plank track i
used and it will be a matter of surprise Will
ALL | venture to predict, on first travelling ON ;
plank road as it was with me; how complete !.
and conveniently a single track accommodate
convenience in vehicles passing each other than
in the streets Of Macon. This had appeared II
me great difficulty and objection to singh
track and was surprised to find how little ioun