Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1851-01-02
PLANK ROADS.

TO Glasgow has excited much interest
in the community; and a wish TO be
informed as 10 the character and ad-
vanagcs of such an improvement.
desire through your columns TO pre-.
sent such information as | have been
able to obtain on the subject, and some
considerations as 10 the advantages
likely TO result from it,
The most approved plan of consiruc.
ting these roads at present seems to be,
TO lay single track eight feet wide
with plank three inches thick. These
plank rest upon two rows of sIls about
four feet apart, and the earth filed up
10 level with the tops of Inc slls; over
the plank is thrown layer of sand or
dirt, which by the travel becomes inns
bedded into the plank, forming rough
surface protecting the plank and pre-,
venting animals from slipping. ln adj
dilion o this the following plans have
been adopted to enable wagons TO pass
each other. One is TO have a dirt road
IL feet wide along side the plank road.
on which wagons returning from mar
ket and not heavily loaded can travel
Another is a track on each side of the
plank road extending form the ends of
the plank four feet: This narrow track
should rise a little from the ends Of the
plank, so that when wagons pass, The
outside wheels of each wagon running
on the narrow track will be a little
higher than the inside wheels resting on
the plank road; the weight and draft
will in this way be thrown on the plank
These four feet tracks may be of mac
adamised rock, which will never need
repairs, or Of shor, pieces of plank.
The Grade on these roads should moi
exceed rise of one foot in twenty;
though for very short distances where
team may lay out its whole strength
without exhausling it, grade of one
foot in sixteen is sometimes admitted.
On road of this kind 5000 lbs. is
estimated TO be a load for four good
horses, and 5000 lbs. for Two good
horses.
The cost Of such roads varies from
$1,000, TO $4,000, per mile varying with
the cost OF materials and expense OF
grading.
The tolls are at the rate of from Gets
to Gets. per mile for four horse wa
gon varying with the amount of ira,
vel.
My conclusion from conversations
with men of experience, and from ex-
aminations of reports Of the cost oi
these roads in other States, is tha
$4,000 per mile is high estimate fol
the cost of the road from Huntsville tC
. Glasgow and that $4,000 will covel
every expense.
n Assuming that 25 miles will be the
= distance by the plank road from Hunts
It vile to Glasgow; and that 1000 lbs. vii
be load for four horses, and that ihi
!, road charges the highest rate of toll
:. sets. per mile; will now make com
- parison Of the cost of trarsportatio
y on this road and our present road. o.
5 our present road taking the year roun
q 1000 lbs. is a fair load for four horse.
and three days the average length q
the trip.
The use of four horses, wagon an
2, driver is worth $3.50 per day.
To haul 1000 lbs from Huntsville I
Glasgow is therefore worth the use G
four horse wagon 3 days at S2,5
t, per day s75i
To haul 1000 lbs at the same
t, rate would be l'2 times
10 $3.50 s262'
le On the plank road The same
team will haul 1000 lbs. in two
r. days which at $3.50 per day
I'd is $500.
70 Add toll al Gets per
IN mile going andreturning
= so miles $500 $500
. On the plank road TO haul 1000 10
a will cost SS,O0-on the common roa
in S2625, iha, is the cost on the plan
road will be less than one third what
now is. -.. ..,