Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1850-06-15

Oh the first New York road. that from by
raciae to Central Square. III it's first two
wears, ending July, 1918, more THU 1G0,-
COZ teams passed over the first eight miles.
This travel wore It's hdmiDch p.ailk down
p1e tt1,rh, where they had not been auated
Another inch could be worn down. before
the projections of the knots Weitld mike 1t
necessary to relay the roaa, 70 that II
would have horne the passage OF 100000
teams. But this is an Under estimate, III.
astnlM.h ms the wear and tear OF the first
wear Ii iifore than that Of several following
! sitee tile first travel ,,t,ptl tile fuaa tears Off
| the outer .splintefs and fires cut cross by
the saw. while tile coutitl4 subsequently
formed protects the plank from wear. Up
o., d Canada pine road, travelled over by
nj least 100 t,to-liorse teams per day (5U.-
900 rer year,) the road had worn down i'll
two yeprs only one quarter OF M inch
and this too was attributed chiefly TO its
%espos,,re the first year without sanding
Il was ~estirnated that suitlina plank on
this road would wear at least ten years.
Oak would Of course WEIR longer,
DEcAy.-As to the natural decay, no
l,e,nIu,k road has been in use long enough
to determine how long the plank taii I've
preserved from rot. Seven years, perhaps
d fair average. Different species Of lleril-
lock vary greatly and upland timber is al
ways more durable than that from low and
wet lutalitiesi The pine ruads iii Gambia
generally last about eight years, varying
from seven to twelve. Tile original To.
ronto roal was used chiefly by eams haul
ing steamboat W-uvleEpld ut the elid of five
years began to- Trough IN places,
and hot being was principally
gone Mt the end ufadAi years. Having
been poorly built, badly drained, not sand
Ell aud no cure bestowed upon it, it ifldi-
Gates the milin11as of durability. Oak
plank cross plafN0esA Detroit, tile plank
being laid dnt OF, the ground, have lasted
two or three times as long as those of pine.
It is believed that oak plank, well laid,
would last fafn0nst twelve or thirteen
years. One set oFpleepers will o,tlast two
planLings. Several Canala roads have
been relaid upoii tile old sleepers, thus much
lessellinp the cost Of renewal.
A Canadian Engineer thinks that $40
per mile would he required the first year
to restore the grade where it had settled,
to iasten loose plank, Ne. For the next
year. $40 per mile, and tliel there would
be solne plaiks to be replaced. The re.
pairs would then increase SO as to amount
to h renewal Of the surface at the end Of
four years, making ten for the aye Of the
road.
ApvANrAGts.-Plank roads are the
TURNER'S Rail RnuRs. He profits most
by their construction, though all classes of
The community are benefited by ATTY sucl,
Improvement, as has been fully shown in
tlle " Introduction" to this volume. The
peculiar merit Of pink roads il, that the
great diminution Of friction upon them
makes them more akin to railroads than to
common roads, with the advantage over
railroads that every one can drive bis own
wagon upon them. Their advantages ma
turallv divide themselves into two Glasses;
their utility to the community at large,
and their profits to tile stock holders who
build them. "a
70 THB CoMMuNiry.-STaking Ms Our
standard Of comparison the load which n
horse cun draw on n gravel road, we find
that while lie can draw three times IA
much OH a broken-stoile or McAdamised
road, in the average condition, he can
draw stp times as mOch on a plank saaat
A great degree of speed can also be OBJ
tanned upon them, with less injury to the
vehicles and To the horses feet than on n
McAdamized road. The motion has been
compared to that On a road of well beaten
snow.
To TitE STockHoLpERs.-The annual
profits of a plank road will of course
be governed by the two elements Of its
first cost, and the amount of travel upon
IT. The latter should I've approximately
determined to advance. One important
point has. however, been determined with
considerable accuracy, viz how much u
road will enrn before IL II worn out. Upon
the first eight miles Of the Syracuse and
Central Square plank road, the tolls during
it's first two years, ending July, 1s4s,
amounted to S12, 800. and the expenses for
salaries and repairs to 81 800, leaving
81 ,dOO for dividends and rebuilding. This
amount of travel had . the plank down
one inch. Another inch could be worn
down before a renewal would be necessary
aud the road would then have earned $22,-
500 above all expenses, or $500 per mile.
This experience indicates that hen1lock
plank before being worl, out, will earn
three or four times their original cost. The
surplus above the cost of renewal will
therefore be payable in dividends, amount
ing in gross to between 100 and 200 per
upon the first cost of the plank THAT
of the whole road bearing no constant ra-
ito to this ,he amount Of each annual div
idend being Of course greater the more r-
pldly the wearing out, with It's coneomi-
tant and proportional cunning, takes place.