New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-09-10
FORM SUGGESTED FOR A TRACK on PILES

NUMBER w.
FORM SUGGESTED FOR TRACK on PILES.
/. Let the piles be of red cypress good heart pine
fourteen by fourteen inches Let them BIO driven ten
feet in the ground u blue clay and this will their
full strength If the bottom be less firm than this clay,
greater depth may be requisite.
q Let there be two lines of piles called track support
es driven vertically five feet fropn centre to CENTRE
transverse the line and ten feet h centre to centre
in line.
Let there be two additional lines called bracers
driven on each side Of and tran sversey in line with
the track supporters Lot them incline nwardly ten Or
twelve degrees and at their upper ends be two and half
feet from the supporters.
t. Let the piles be cut half off at five feet above the
level Of the Lake, to form shoulder transverse to
the line for tho reception of the main ties which are in
like manner to be cut half in twain.
D. Let the main ties caps be ten by fourteen inches
pine lumber (ea of sap like all other timbers usedJ
axteon feet long projecting three feet from the outside of
the brace piles.
Let 10th the supporters and bracers be cut off at the
surface of the caps
T. LIT the spgers by ten by fourteen inches set on
side upon the supporters and spiked securely both cap
and pile by oblqua bolt passing through all three and
| cinching
Let the rails u Hat rail being preferable) be laid
the strngers without ties to their edge
and inside of them, at three inches distance six by six
~ 10 ACT
Tenders and prevent the possibility the ears running
eff the track
9. Let the Whole be perfectly doored with four inch
seantling, both inside and outside Of the track.
TO- Let there be wood railing four feet high on
| each outside of the plank road thus male,
IL Wherever the than fifteen feet deep let
the piles be braced each other their inside by scant
ling, such is used for flooring placed at extreme low
water mark Or let there be tie made Of two scaulings
bOlted Opposite sides of blocks
blocks placed at each end Of the scanng and the tie
thus made be dropped the line of piles
and sunk to the desired Depth upon elects fastened
piles before driving Let obque braces be set upon
at one bracer and reach to the base of the cap
opposite bracer Both these bracngs their equva-
Tents, may be necessary.
IL Let there be three draw bridges with proper etes
for the convenient admission and transit of vessels-one
placed near the middle and each side in
water ten feet deep Let each draw have forty span
Is. The commerce of the Lake has reference almost
wholly to New0rleans and therefore in lines par
ae to the proposed road and hence the Inconvenience
occasoned would be very slight Vessels either side of
the track would that deand therefore not se the
draw until reaching the opposite side sti draw and
railroad turnout would probably both be needed in the
centre for the convenience of any vessels bound from the
pass out to and for the passing of bound op
poste directions The central work would be somewhat
expensive; and have made estimate of $4,000 tor it
Each of the other draws have estma s25 OOO be-
ing constructed in shaower and without turn
out. or any expensive feature
II The distance Lake Pontehartran. from any
point its shore within the city limits twenty-five
miles, and the depth, shown in No T.. (August
25,) is sixteen feet.
Is have made estimate of the cost of constructing
mile Of railroad specified above based upon the best
data can obtain and at prices of materials and labor
such have been usual for several past years These
have been examined by several competent engineers and
contractors and submitted with confidence that
they not wide Of the truth
l6 The leading prices of material Piles sringers
and caps, ten cents per running foot pine canling ten
dollars thousand railroad iron including chains and
spikes five thousand dollars per mile driving piles three
dollars and fifty cents each eight thousand and ninety
two dollars per mile; laying woodwork of track two
thousand four hundred dollars iron rails five hundred
dollars per mile. The cost per mile by these estimates
is thrysx thousand six hundred and fifty -four dollars
and the whole cost including the draw bridges is one
million six thousand three hundred and fifty dollars
H. No estimates made for the railing becausait may
be made to cost much or little at pleasure wood rail
set On posts firmly screwed to the projecting ends of the
caps and braced to each other diagonaly with like rails
would suffice and cost very little. 1t would be erected
chiefly for the safety Of persons foot and give feel
ing of security to passengers the cars The plan of the
track and Tenders is such as to gire absolute sec,iy fran
running eff The track.
49, 1t would probably be cessaIy protect the piles
from rotting by coat of mineral paint down to elowest
water mark No estimate has been made for this These
Two expenditures If boh made would probably raise the
estimate mile to thirty-seven thousand five hundred
dollars and the whole estimated the road through
the Lake to one million twenty five thousand Eve hundred
dollars.
~ Should the railroad from NewOrleans to Jaclsso,
Mississippi be constructed this route its wod
be shortened by about tygnty miles and from all have
been able to learn the difficulties and the of
sructing and maintaining it would be diminished rather
than increased and this be true is manifest that in
very few years rival road would be built on the shorter
line and thus render almost worthless the investment of
million of dollars obtained by taxation upon CITY
ty 1t would be easy to make the experiment by borin
or driving few piles at intervals through the lake
whether my inference the soundneys of the botn
be correct. Without such test do not perceiye
how SO great deviation from the right line can be usti
fed The test might show that am wholly in errer and
II So no one Will more promptly abandon the scheme
1t will not be forgotten that twenty miles additional
length OF line, on such ground found around Lake
Pohtchartran involves the expenditure. in repairs wear
ana tear OF not less than sO0O0 the interest on $500
600, which might be wholly saved if the Lake line cost
no more per mile for repairs ETC. and believe it will
not The difference in distance viewed as time shall
not attempt to estimate in dollars
Without any other interest than that Of citizen nav
ing RS cheertuly do my share the contribution for
railroad purposes--wholly unprompted and unrcmuucr
ated by any person or association for interest have
taken in this investigation submit these suggestions IN
discriminating public; satisfied that if they are we'll
founded they will not be long neglected and content IL
not well founded, with having done what appeared
~ pe my uitS' CALEB e. FoRsHEy, G. Il