Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-03-12
plank Roads.


from no other consideration, than that it will
show how our neighbors are going ahead:
From the State Rights Republican.
FAYETTEVILLE, March 8, 1852.
Dear Sir Yours of the 9th ult., came
to hand and shall proceed to make such replies
to your questions as l can, remarking that II
ANYTHING 1 may do or say will aid in the begin
ming and prosecution of system Of plank roads
in any section of the country, shall be repaid
for any labor may have taken. They form ex-
actlv the mode of internal communication adap-
ted to the wants of our part of the country, bet
tor calculated to be useful more certainly profit
able. than lines of railroad, except, it may be,
ON the main routes for the mail and travel. hail
roads NAV be the back bones, plank roads the
ligaments and ribs of any State system OF COM
munication.
Plank roads are the roads for the planters and
farmers, because simple in their mode OF con, n.
structiou, cheap, in our wooden country, and II
the routes are judlcously selected, and the lines
well built certainly profitable, and as far as my
observation and experience 60, uery popular.
The wonder to me has boen, that, being in the
habit of making roads by laying pine poles, no
one had thought of trying planking road, and
Il us introduced the system years ago. We are
far behind, in our part of the world, in the race
of internal improvement, and | fear we shall nev-
or overtake our new sisters of the confederacy.
I shall now proceed to answer the questions
referred to.
The proposed length Of the Fayetteville and
Western Plank Road, for the present is one hun
Col re farr,
is on the Virginia line.
Ninety miles are completed and under toll.
The means are ready to build thirty miles more,
and the work is going on as rapidly as possible.
The first plank was laid November ls4s, and
the Lightweight miles was put under toll about
three or four weeks since.
The progress in building will depend on the
facilities with which you obtain plank, mainl y
$4,000 feet Of plank, and $4,000 Of stringers
being required for each mile, besides timber for
culyerts and bridges. We had to resort to the
use of steam saw mills, without which, after the
first twelve miles, we could not have built the
road. Then the progress Of construction will
depend on the face Of the country over which
your line passes, and the force you employ.
Lately, on an inspection Of the work on our
road, fourteen hands, over good line, well clear
ed and ready, laid, in day, us yards of plank
900 to 800 #. being very good days work
in long days.
The lumber on our road. for the lightweight
miles, cost about six dollars per thousand feet
On forty-four miles, the cost of clearing, grub
bine, grading, laying plank, putting in small
bridges and culverts and finishing, was four hun
dred and twenty-five dollars per mile. On sew
en- miles, now under contract this work is done
for four hundred and thirtyseven dollars and fifty
cents per mile On another road running out of
this place eleven miles, the above work has been
taken at $40 per mile. Much, You must remark,
will depend on the character of the country.
From three hundred to four hundred dollars may
be said to be fair average cost per mile for the
above work.
Plank, eight feet long, three inches thick, and
not less than eight inches wide. See Spec.fea-
tons.
Stringers-for this see Specifications.
We have single track, and as yet have not
found double track necessary.
Our road, when one hundred and twenty
miles are completed, all charges, engineering sal
aries, contingent expenses, toll houses, DC, DC,
as far as can now Judge, will be about eighteen
hundred and fifty dollars per mile.
We have eight toll houses in the eighty miles,
which cost, with two to four acres of land to
each, about three hundred to three hundred and
twenty-five dollars on an average.
The amount of grading done on our road is
perhaps less than some persons think ought to
have been DONE We set out to build the road
with grade of not more than one foot rise in
twenty four feet horizontal, except certain part
when the exception was made, to one foot in six
teen.
The grade Of one in twenty-four, it may be,
has not been strictly observed. The road is such
an one as that two horses will do the work Of
four easily, and is an excellent road parts Of it
cannot be surpassed by any plank road in the
country.
The amount Of grading, therefore, will de-
pend on the elevation and depression in the line,
streams to cross and the grade you adopt.
Except the first twelve miles, the road has
been built by contract. l have thought that if
the Company did the work under the inspection
of their own officers, the road would be better
built, and cheaper. I differ with many in this
opinion. think the engineer Of this Company
agrees with mine.
This road will undoubtedly pay. What, l
cannot say. think eight to ten per cent, and
lay up fund to rebuild in ten years. Be this
as it may, the improvement and rise in the land
on the line of the first forty-two miles of road
would more than pay the cost Of the road.
.