Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1851-06-12
Plank Road Correspondence of the Times.
BosroN, May Goth, 1851.

that should | become possessed oil any inlS'
nation, during my Eastern tour, that | sus
pected might be OF consequence TO our fel.
low citizens in the construction Of the plank
roads about TO be commenced in Howard
aud Randolph counties, such knowledge
should be communicated TO them through
your paper. now hasten to fulfil that
promise hoping that the length OF this letter
will deter no one from its careful perusal
under the assurance that have condensed,
as much as possible, all the main facts in the
case. Upon oil occasions during my trip
from Glasgow to this place | have conversed
freely with all such persons as | had any
reason to think could cnlghten me upon the
subject Of Plank>roads, eliciting from them
such Information as they possessed, regard
ing the most approved plan, Os indicated by
experience, for their construction in the
states Of New York, Ohio, Vermont, New
Hampshire end Massachusetts,, as well as in
the Canadian possessions Of her Majesty
Queen Victoria.
But the most detailed information upon
this subject obtained at Mortified, Yer
mont, during my laying over one day (Sun'
day. from Ex-Governor Charles Paine,
President OF the Vermont Central Railroad
Company, who kindly introduced me to II.
R. Campbell, Esq, chief Engineer Of the
Company, from whom derived many valua>
BILE facts, as well as from C. II. FinJley,
Esq, formerly Plankroad Contractor in
Canada, but at present employed by this
Railroad Company. am also much in
debted 10 Capt. Shortleigh and Capt. Lerr'
dy Of Cleveland Ohio, the former Of whom
took ne in his buggy over several sections
Of plank roads in this vicinity, as well as TO
Col Goodrich OF Buffalo and many others
whose names cannot now recollec, both OF
New Yo,k and Ohio. But to the facts.
lst. The first thing, Of course, to be
down is TO employ competent Surveyor to
run Of several routes (if practcable) upon
which the pank>road is 10 be constructed
due regard beng had to the distance, profile
Of the rise and fall OF location, cosL OF road
aud in the determination OF the Board OF Di.
rectors as to the route TO be fixed upon for
its pursuit.
End. The next thing 10 be done is the
grade or foundation for the road sixteen or
seventeen feet wide, with bitches upon each
side, six feet wide OF the top and from eigh>
teen inches to three feet in depth, according
to the ground, gradually lessening in width
or in the shape Of paren,hesis laid upon its
convex side, thus -. Now regarding the
grade we have both, hitherto, been mistaken.
Mr.. Findlcy (for whose reputation Gov Payne
vouches) informs me that he constructed the
first plank road that was ever bull, in Cana.
da, when he there resided in 1888, and that
lie has, since then, been contractor upon sev>
cral roads Of this kind upon many places Of
which the grade is one foot rise Tor lal) in
Siatccn, and that is, by no means, q heavy
grade; but that he had rather have one foot
in twenty. Mr.. F. farther informed me
that upon the heaves, grades 81 tons can
be easily hauled up, or kept back, in de-
scendng, by team OF two horses 10 wa.
gon, and that upon plank>road through the
mountainous country between Port Kent,
New York, through KeysvilIe to the river
Aux Sale distance Of seventeen and half
miles, and when he had 10 remove Gin the
various deep culs) from G,000 TO 81, 900 Gu
bic feet OF hard par composed Of hard clay
aud gravel, cemented together with such
fImness as to require blasting he made sew
erol heavy grades, Of the proportion hitherto
specified, and that one foot in twenty (as one
may see by observation upon raising one end
Of plank, 20 feet long, one fooD is by no
means heavy grade; as also, that wagoners
care not whether load is to go up or down,
as regards its firing the team, for they had as
soon haul up as keep back the same weight
The common plan Of wagoning upon these
roads is 10 run one wheel off, upon the sides
track, in descending grade for ease to the
team and to leave the road (plank) clear for
ascending wagons. Farther Mr.. F. says
that several OF his heaviest AIDES were not
less than one or two thousand fee. in length
and that in one instance he had graded as
heavy as l 10 l6 feet for the distance OF two
thousand and twelve feet. Respecting the
time required to construct plank roads, Mr.,
F. Laughed at the idea OF its being consider
ed tedious business, observing that he had,
upon the Aux Sale road averaged. with lao
Zone hundred and forly) hands Ia TO 2 Zone
and half to two) miles per week, grading