Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1849-03-23
1DlanEl Ro00s.
Letter from Thomas G. AIvOrd, Esq.

SALINA, N. y, Dec. 7, 1886.
Dear Sir: In compliance with the promise
made you, when here few days since, pro-
pose giving you description Of the Plank Road
between this place and Beaverton.
In conjunction with myself, Geo. Geddes,
Esq. who had previously visited Canada on
the same errand, was depuIed 10 go to Toronto
last fall, and examine their roads in Canada, for
the purpose Of adopting somepIan for the build.
ing of our own. had the honor Of submit
ting, with the concurrence of Mr.. Geddes, a
plan which was adopted, and on which we pro.
gressed. We came TO The conclusions mention.
ed in that report, after mature deliberalion and
examination, and have seen no occasion to al.
ter our then plan, except in two particulars,
which will be mentioned In the first place,
we adopted hemock lumber, chiefly in conso'
quencc Of its comparative cost; but | also 0m
of the opinion that il will oulwear pine, (the
lumber Of the Canada roads,) | understand you
have oak in abundance, and as easily to be OBJ
famed as any oIhcr timber. Use it by all means,
for no fear need be entertained Of the decay of
your road by rot. Il will wcar out first. We
determined, after examining all widths, in favor
of an eight fee rack for Two reasons; one, be-
cause The tendency Of all travel is TO the cen.
tire, and The result, as shown by experience in
Canada, is, that while the centre of an eight
feet road is entirely worn through, The remain. /
ing timber on each side, when taken up, is us
thick and good as when laid down, thus inyolv.
ing, practically, the entire loss, without any
gain OF the excess over eight feet timber. A.
nolher reason is, that in sixteen feet road, the
travel being in the centre as before promised,
the centre sinks, the ends Of the plank are lifted
up, more motion is given to the road bed, thus
increasing the rnpidily Of the wear. and, by
the admission Of The air, dry'rotting it-where-
as in an eight feet track, the wheels and horses
bearing over the plank equally, keep them down
solid to their places, causing no unnecessary
spring, and leaving no opportunity for any ex.
pOsure Of tho under side Of the road bed. Our
stringers NE 4 by inches, laid Iengthwise of
the road 6 8 l2 feet from inside TO inside. You
suggested, when here, that you could obtain, as
cheaply as any olher, long strngers made from
trees hewn on one side. would adopt that
plan in preference to ours, provided the expense
did not make too much difference. Our plank
are four inches thick, and laid directly upon our
sIoepcrs without pinnng. Their weight at
that thickness, keeps them in their place; where
as, in the Canada pine road Of three inch plank,
they think they are compelled 10 pintheir plank,
in our case, the saving of considerable and
needless expense. Another advantage OF this
thickness, is the greater strength given to the
road, and durability to the plank, the strain of
the plank having as much to do with the wear,
as tho actual pecking or wearing Of the horses
feet and the wheels.
Our road bed was prepared by blowing beam
deep. Our road, running over u comparatively
level country, we paid no attention to length
ways grading, except to fill up short holows,
aud cut down quick rises. We laid our road
level crosswse. | would suggest, as an i'm
provement, the laying it on a plane, falling
from the centre to The end of the plank at least
two inches, TO facilitate the drainage of the
road. We, after preparing the road bed, plowed
out n strnger lurrow, and LAID in the slrnger by
the eye, taking good care TO have it. we'll bedded,
and then, by means of level, laid the other
sringer to compare with it. We then leveed
the earth between the strngers, even with their
top, so that when the planks were laid on, they
would touch their entire undersurlace upon the
dirI aud sIringers. would suggest, as furlh.
er Improvement, the passing of heavy roller
over the road, so as TO make the plank strlngers
and dirt settle firmly together. We find, by
experience, that in some cases the water finds
its way under our plank, and being unable to
get out it renders the ground so soft that some.
times isolated plank drop below the general
road. think that difficulty is almost entirely,
it not quito, obvated, on portion of our road,
which we have laid with the two inch declna-
ton spoken Of and il seems 10 me il would be
completely removed by the rolling operaton.-
Your eight feet being one side of your road, the
dirt on the dtch side should come up to the ends
(not above) of your plank, and fall off rapidly
into your ditch. On the other, or dirt track
side, il should also come up 10 the ends of your
plank, and fall or roll gradually 10 the ditch lea.
wing as in our road Twelve foot side track
| The dea wish to convey is, that there should
be no hindrance to n quick and efficient drai-
mage from the plank Of all surface or falling
water. And wish here TO especially impress
upon you the necessity Of good thorough side
bitches, and as often as possible under.road cul.
vers, for the durability and efficiency of plank
road will be very much bone6ued by keeping it
we'll drained.
One track is all that is necessary. Ours is
laid on the side taken by the teams coming into
market, thus throwing the necessity of turning
out, as general thing, upon teams with no
load. The turning out is so little, even in a
great thoroughlarc like ours, that hardly any
impression is made upon the dirt road; and you
can easily see, by observation, that the circular
track made by one team running round another,
will no. be followed, at all points, by any other