The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-08-15

Plank feetlong Dy 8 IN. ~
| thick, Sx3x52Su=l2o,72U
Number Of #. plank and sills in mile. l40,e0O =,
At IS per thousand feet, H. $704
Iavinp and grading (per mile.) 800
Add for engineering superintendonce, !o0
Add for gate houses, -. 49,. lOU
Cost per mile, .r.s. 1924
The following s the cost of Road running from
Lake Michigan to Fox River where hemlock timber is
used at Sc per NJ. 1t.: ~
Cost OF timber per me-l40,s00 # at $5. $84
Laying and and grading road do. $40
Sluici G, Bridging and contingencies, 100
FEngineering superintendence, &c, rf lou
Gates and gate houses, say, lOO
Cost per mile, $l464
The cost Of Road from here to Charlotte would
not, probably, be than 1880 per mile. and the
| drtancc was decided 10 be, when Rail Road was
under consideration, about rs miles. The country is
generally level and We learn that 1t is ascchained that
the plank can be procured of $5 per thousand feet
If So the whole Road would not cost more than Sl0O
O00--a scarcely sufficient TO construct miles of
a Rail Road. Surely that amount might be easily
rased. But 10 tho Report
"This Road Qhe Utica and Rome is not yet
complete--about one.third of its length remain
ing 10 be constructed. The estimated cost, in
cluding grading, snperstructrre, bridging, toll
houses, and everything complete is estimated
at $4,000 per mile. As near as could learn.
the average cost is about $500. The most
expensive road of which have any knowledge,
is that from Ion TO Cedarville, length 8 miles,
cost $4,000 per mile. his road is located
along the valley, and occasionally precipitous
slopes ola mountain stream, and sometimes il
was found necessary 10 divert the stream
from its bed into new channel, and or.
casionally also, 10 cross aud re cross il. he
dcscen, in the 8 miles of road is 700 feet. the
maximum however, being six inches and FIVE:
eights n rod, or sixteen and hall feet. ..s.
"This is much lower maximum. than is
common, or even desirable; as twelve inches
in sixteen and half feet makes a very good
road; and travelled upon Plank Roads with
incIinations of one foo, in ten--but it was the
intention ofthe companies on whose roads these
inclinations were found. to grade them to an
easier rates would suggest one loot IN lGl slx-
teen and half as proper medium between
too great outlay for grading on the one hand,
and too steep grades on the other. discover
cd no tendency or liability Of the horses to slip
on sleeper lnclinations, asthe plank being laid
cross. wise, afford perhaps, the very best loot
hold Of any road in use; but the connteraciIng
effect of gravity will be seriously felt ny adopt
ing much higher standard, or in other words
a much sleeper grade than one loot in sixteen
and hall.
",rhe preliminary steps having been taken as
before described. the clearing, grubbing, and lev.
elcd 20 feet in width. Preparation ior laying the
superstructure is then made, by blowing or pick.
ing up usually the formcr the surface, and
making i, mellow and convenient to be brought
into The precise shape required. On one side
ofthe centre of the graded track, two channels
arc then dug, being guided by line which is
stretched where one end of the panks Will come.
These channels are dug such distance apart
that the sringers when laid in them, Will be
seven feet apart from outside 10 outside. At
the first glance it might appear preferable to
have them nearer together; but it is understood
this would involve liability in the planks 10 tip
up when heavy loaded wagon drives upon the
road, having bearing at first on the extreme
ends of the planks.
"The mud sills or striugers having been pro
perly adjusted in the trenches, the earth having
been previously made mellow, is filled around
and between the strng"rs. and also for The
space of few inches on the outside OF them.
This filling is raised about one inch above the
stringers, and is now ready to receive the plank,
which are uniformly eight feet long, and of any
| width from ten 10 fifteen inches, and frequently
wider at one end than The other: which while
it effects G saving of timber. is at tho same an
advantage from the facility it affords in turning
curvesi by putting several wide ends or butts 10.
gethcr in succession. The thickness OF the
planks varies on different roads from three TO
four inches, though the former is much the most
common. The slringers 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 planks three inches thick and
twelve inches wide, have been recommended
and adopted, but the four inch slringeri is much
more common. and appears to answer the P'lr'
pose well, as little reliance is placed upon the
stringers for the bearing.
Two men place the plank in its place, and
a third standing upon it, with q heavy wooden
maui made of a sound piece Of timber two and
half feet long, and eight inches thick, with
pin through one end for handle, strikes The
plank blow upon its edge in the middle to
drive tup to its fellow. Then three or four
blows arc given upon the surface Of the plank
at different points, when it becomes firmly and
accurately settled down to the slrngers, carry.
ing with il the earth which had been filed a.
bove the strngers, and on which the plank now
mainly depends for its support. One more blow
on the edge of the plank finishes the
operation, by which time another plank is in
ready, and the process is rapidly repeated.
should remark, however, that each plank is al.
terna,ely laid in and out or iu,tng pas, each
other about three inches, for the purpose Of as.
sisting the wheels to rise upon the road in the