Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1850-05-15


tooether. end 10 end. thew are liable to sink unde
passing loads To prevent this, various means lid.
be employed. The broad sleepers, IL oy 8 una.
be sawn into two lenglhwise, so as to be each .,
g. and laid side by side as to "break Joln's' n
joints of one set being opposite the midde o' '''e az
Joining pieces which form the other sci!
PLANK-.Material-l Canada, pine, hemioeh
tamerack, oak and walnut, have been employed. II
this State, IN. Y hemlock alone has been usen, oe
ing the cheapest material to be obtained. us ue'eel'
are its perishabIe nature, and its numerous kno's
which soon make the road rough when The soi'ei
portions of the plank have worn away. @ r!he' oaA
maple or beach would be preferable In Wisconsin
&c. white and burr oak are abundant, and wouiu
therefore be advanageouslv used. Oak 'coufd make
The most permanent road, from its superior capaolll-
ties of resisting both wear and decay From us
greater weight it would cost little more Tor hauling
or handling. The spperiness OF hard wood mas
been made an objection to it, but the sand (or clay
with which the road should be covered, would obvl-
ate this. Whatever sort of timber is employed, 1t
should be sound and free from sap, knots, shapes,
wanes. or anv other imperections. The plank should
be full on the edges, and not less than nine, nor more
than sixteen inches wide, if Of solt wood, or not more
than twelve if Of hard wood.
TncKNEss.-The panks are usually ei'iIer lhree
or four inches thick but the builders ol lhe ia''er
roads prefer giving less strength TO the Pianh, anu
more to the sleepers, which are more durable anu
therefore recommend three-lnch plank, win sieePers
foot wide. With hemlock plank, any thickness
beyond three inches is wasted, for when TWO inches
have been worn down, the projecting knots VIII make
the road too rough 10 travel on, ana II VIII require
renewal. One inch more will be suthclenl 10 ho'e
the knots in so that we can get three inches as lhe
U.,l1 I,,ot titnbp
blank NAV be used, provided, there will be travel
enouob to wear out the whole thickness from above,
before it unproflaby ro,s ont from below. When
two tracks are .ad that which would be travelled on
by the loaded wagons going to market may be lad
with four inch plank, and the other track, Tor the
light wagons, with three inch plank.
LAYIyG.-The plank should be laid directly across
the road at right angles or square TO It's line. The
ends of The blanks are not laid evenly 10 llne but
project three or four inches each side alternately so
as to prevent rut being formed by the sides OF the
plank track and TO make it easier for loaded wagons
to get upon it; as the wheels instead oil scrapinlg
along the ends of the planks when coming towards
the track obquely after turning oil, will, on coming
square against the edge of one OF these proecllng
planks, rise directly upon it, On the Canada roads,
every three planks project three inches OH each side
of the road alternately.
CuvERIyG.-'The pIanks having been properly
laid. as has been directed, should be covered over
one inch in thickness with fine gravel clay or coarse
sand, from which all stones, or pebbles are 10 De
raked so as to leave nothing upon the surface o. 'i'e
road that could be forced into and nJure the hores
of the plank The grit Of the sand soon pcnetraies
into the grain of the wood and combines with the H.
bres and the droppings upon the road' TO form ala
and tough covering like felt which greatly protects
the wood from the wheels and the horses shoes
Saw-dust and tan-bark have also been usea. Inc
road is now ready for use.
Cosr-The chief items in the cost OF plank road
are the timber and the earth work. The price oil the
former will vary greatly in different localities and a:
different times. The cost of the latter, as we'll as OF
bridges, culvers, Sc, will generally be different on
every mile of road The cost of plank roads IN gem
era therefore can not be definitely stated. Ihe iol-
lowing estimate gives the extremes. =,
On the plan recommended, the planking will re-
ouire per mile Sx3x52S0-126,7 ,72O feet; and the
s1eepers )xlx3x52S0-3l, ,6SOleet and in all 1885,
4OO(e or say 100000 feet broad measure. Shaping
the road bed and laying the sleepers and planklng
cost from 81 Cts to 81 per rod, according as The line
is now. or on an old bed and the soil easy or hard to
work. The number of gate-houses will be govern
cd bv the opposing considerations Of making then,
MANI 60 that no one can travel far on the road with
out paving therefor; and few so that the expenses OF
collection may be small. BY the New York Plank
Road law toll gates are not 10 be within three miles
of each other The item Of contingencies will moi
bear any relation to the varying cost of the plank,
and therefore should not be estimated by per cen
tage. as is usually done. These points being prem
sed, we arrive at the following estimate OF cost pei
mile:
Plank 100 NJ. S4 to $40 per NJ. 500 to $1,000
Shaping s laying, 80 c. to 81 period 96 to 32l
C,,a 'houses ner mile soto l5(
T~~;reers and Superiutendence 100 10 10(
Contingencies lOo TO @o'
$3.50 $3.50