Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1849-01-25
PLANK ROADS.

PLANK ROADS.
The Ogdensburgh papers are full of notices
: of plank roads going ahead in that vicinity.
company has also been organized fora road from
Platlsburgh TO the forks of the SarOnac. In fact,
the whole distance between the Ogdensburgh
and Albany and Buffalo railroads is TO be travers.
ed by plank roads. The New Workers know
what plank roads cost, how they operate, and
how they pay ard they are constructing them in
all directions. Is not this the best evidence Of
the feasibility and profit OF the thing? Calcu-
late and guess upon it, yankees.
Construction Of Plank Roads.
We copy from a late number Of the Schenec.
tady N. Y. Cabinet the following views submit
ted by Prof Gillispie, of Union College, to
meeting of citizens of Schenectady, called for
The pun pose o considering the proprely OF build
ing IL Plank Road FROM that city to Saratoga,
, Springs Prof G. is practical Engineer, who
has devoted much tire to the subject, and his
suggestions will no Goubt be read wth profit by
: all who take any interest in these enterprises:
r "For an inland town like ours, roads are sub
, stjtules for navIgablu rivers The more widely
, they radlate III every direction, and the better
their condition, the greater will be our prosperi-
t.. Their comparative value Is detcrGnad by
the different weights which horse can draw up.
on them at any uniform speed, or by the differ
ent speeds at which he can druw the same load.
Of all modes Of luprnving their surface, plank
roads are the most ciectual at The smallest cost.
If " take the load drawn on new gravel road
as our standard OF comparison, experiments
show that on u good broken stone, or Macadam
road, horse can draw Jour tunes Us much, aud
on u smooth plank road eight times as much, or
t,ri'e MUCH as Oh good Macaddn road.
Plank roads, therefore, eOable II horse to do
more inan any other arrangement except rail
roads, But invaluable as The latter are to the
: hurrving traveller, the ordinary roads On which
every farmcr can drive his own team, when not
needed for tie farm aburs, are inco parably
E more useful 10 the community al large-and OF
all such, Plank roads are The perfection They
are the Farmers railroads.
, Mode Of Construction.
@ The hest method OF constructing them Is
3 briefly this: Lay out the intended line with great
t. care to avoid steep iucinatlons, never ascending
q more than one foot in going ~ or 40; aud wilma.
. ING 30 feet around rather than TO 90 up one
k trade the road bed wide enough for two wagon
l., tracks, but plank only one; aud tina, on the right
IS hand side coming towards city, for teans gen
orally come in heavy and go out light, aud this
= arrangement makes the heavy ones keep the
e track, and the light ones do all the turning out
IS Lay down tiatwlse two strlngers, IL by 8, tou
feet apart, centre to centre. lmbed them wei
a in the earth. Across them, at right angles, lay
is 3inch hemlock plank, 8 feet long. The length
At wise and skewng methods of laying them are
RS now abandoned. Pack the earth well urto them
Slope the earth track towards the bitches, whicl
= should be wide and deep, and your Plank road Is
O. made.
J. Many minor points must, however, be a'tende,
re to, to make your road per ect as possible. Th,
of inner strngers should be higher than the QUITE
o. ones, so to carry the water off freely. The!
at should be i'll two pieces, each 8 by 3, so as l.
break joints. The ends OF the panks should no
as be laid 10 lire, but project few inches, o.
each side alternately, SO as to make 1t easy 10
be wheels to get the track, and to avoid iorinln4
Il rut along side. They need not be tasteue
ce down. but would recommend spkng dcwn, say
every 5h or 10Th plank, the rest being well driv
s. en- home against these. The slrngcrs are no
r made heavier than formerly, and the plank light
er. When hemlock plank get worn down TIVE
IT. nches, the knots project 50 as to make the rol'
he too rough and to require renewal. Allow on
10, inch more 10 hold them in, and we have three
inches thickness. Hcmock IS generally used
he as cheapest, but pine or onk would be better.
ch A single track will be sufficient for almost an
amount Of travel. The iurnings out upon til
I'm earth road Jy the side Of it at such varle
&C. points, that lis surface il made properly crown
ing, will always remain in good condition. lOO
600 teams passed over Syracuse road in NV
ns, years, averaging more than go day; and &c
ty three days in succession 700 passed over II; an
e- all this was upon single lack.
he Cost.
10, The cost Of the road will Of course vary wit
'at the price Of lumber. Or the plan recommends
%; II will require l27 coo feet OF plank, and 2,OC
lid feet OF s,ringcrs, per mile in all say 5000
IN. feet board measure. Other items Of cost are II
eveiling the road bed, aud laying the plan
l.sht Il, n, q
ng vatlons and embankneuts necessary 10 give III
he roads proper grades, and the bridges aud suc,
Of cannot he estimated without the data Of a surve
Onittng these, us also cute houses, we will ha,
he the following rough estimate OF cost per mile
Lumber, 100000 feet at 50 per NJ. $I,44
ky l.evcIng and laying, at Use. per rod q
IL Engineering and superintendent, Il
La
iih Add for contingencies, 10 per cent /;
iso Total, 10;
on Or say $4,000 per mile, with lumber at 50 ~
iii ouiitlng extra excavations und emoankneut
and gate houses. The difference OF u dollar D
fo7 NJ. in The price of lumber makes difference
be l60 per mile.
my Duration.
es; AS 10 durability, seven years for hemoC
would be safe estimate, though our eXpefient
The is as ye, very limited, One sci of siriugers
ad, Outlast Two or three coverings Of plank. But
Ter, be Probable the plank must have so much ira
II. ell as to icedr them out before they rot out. IT
nh wear and lear If The first year equals that OF Il
ad. following SIX as tough elastic coating Of woot
50 ibres, &c. Is soon formed, and protects the pBI
from wear. And the sooner they wear out, Il
,lu- better; for the sooner will their cost be thus
uld paid. On road, the passage of 100000 teul
SSH wore the plank down but one inch.
yer Profits