Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1850-05-09
OF PLANK ROADS.

liable and interesting at this time to
many of our readers 10 this and other
counties.
/. The system Of plank roads origi.
mated in Russia, has since been adop-
ted in Canada, and in many Of our
Northern States entirely superseded
the McAdam and Telford Rock, or
gravel roads. The great success and
value Of the plank roads consist, in the
cheapness, in ease of draft, in speed,
and in comfort TO passengers.
2. The approved mode of construc.
ton thereof, is as follows: For single
track the planks (of pine, hemlock, oak, ,
elm, black walnut, or sweet gum)
should be eight fee, long and from
three TO four inches thick-they should
be laid across the road at right angles
to its line. These planks are to rest
on two longitudinal siIls or sleepers,
each four inches square, bedded in the
earth 10 the full thickness. The earth
should be fully kept up to The planks q,
any point, in order to prevent confined
air resting in any vacant space beneath
the planks-no pin or spike is needed
to confne the s!eepers, their weight
being sufficient to keep them firm
There should be placed on the upper
surface coating Of sand an inch thick.
There should be provided for a single
track turn oul places--and TO effect this
an carthern road must be banked up
ten or twelve feet wide on one side
ard two or three on the o,her-each
em0ankment should be made flush with
the ends Of the plank, end, thence slo.
ping outward SO as TO carry off the wa.
ter, as perfect drainage is the grea, Sc.
cret in the construction Of any kind of
road. The plank should be laid even,
with part thereof projecting two OF
three inches beyond the general line of
the road, in order TO proven, ruis made
by wheels a, The junction of the plack
and each turnout. And if the bed on
which the planks are to be laid is q new
one, it would be better to be travelled
one season before they are laid down.
One track with the supplementary
earth thus formed. will be sufficient for
all ordinary travel. And, if the ton
mage transported on the road be chiefly
in one direction, the track should be
laid on that side of the road which
will enable the loaded teams TO keep it,
and thereby force the uni oaded ones 10
do all the turning out.
8. To make double track, all that
is needed will be TO make two tracks,
each eight feet wide. or one sixteen feet
wide. The former is preferred. For
the sixteen feet track three or five lon. |
giiudnal sills are required, each 10 be
four by six inches, and laid edge wise
and embedded in trenches six inches
deep. These timbers should be from
fifteen 10 twenty feet long. Great I'D.
vantage is obtained in the construction
of,he double track with long plank, by
giving the road a slight convexi,y Of
two or three inches in the centre. and
springing the plank down to the outside
stills. and attaching them thereto by halfI
inch spikes or nails three inches long.
1.-The duration of plank roads is from
eight TO twelve years; this matter, how
ever, depends entirely upon decay from
rot, and not by the surface wear of the
plank-ihe sand which is spread upon
The track when finished, protects the
wood from the shoe soles Of the horses,
(Which cause most Of the wear) and
soon penetrates the grain Of the plank
until with the woody fbers and the dc.
posts on the road, tough elastic GOV.
ering is formed, whereby the plank is
saved from further wear. Experience
teaches that one half the wear and tear
Of seven years occurs in the frs, year.
Therefore, it is matter ofgreat impor-
lance on these TO have a small Tonnage in
order TO invite such an amount of trav-
el as will promote their wearing out in
stead of roliing,
5. The cos, of the plank road greatly
depends on its locality. But il will be
found the following estimate will up.
proximate to an average valuation, to.
wit:
For one mile Of road with q single