The weekly Placer herald., 1853-02-26
Plank Roads.

cle in relation to plank roads, which he
had preserved in one of his papers, and
has kindly forwarded to US for publica-
tion, which we do with great pleasure, as
the subject Of plank roads is attracting
universal attention at the present time
The article is taken from the report of O.
G. Gates, Secretary Of the Kentucky
Board of Improvement, and contains in
formation that will be fonnd valuable and
interesting
1. The system of plank roads which
originated in Russia, has since heen
adopted in Canada, and many of our
Northern States, entirely superseded the
McAdam and lelford rock or gravel
roads. The great success and value of
the plank road consists in the cheapness,
in the ease Of draft, in speed, and in COM
fort to passengers.
2. The approved mode Of construction
thereof is as follows: For single track
the pIanks (of pine, hemlock, oak, red
elm, black walnut or sweet gum,) should
he eight feet long, and from three to four
inches thick--they should he laid across
the road a: its line. These planks are to
rest on two longitudinal slls or sleepers,
each four inches square, bedded in the
earth to their full thickness. The earth
should be fully kept up to the pIanks at
every point. in order to prevent confined
air resting in any vacant space beneath
the planks--tin pin or spike is needed to
confine the plank to the sierpers, their
weight being sufficient to keep them firm
There should he placed on the upper sur
face u coating of sand All inch thick
There should be provided for singe
track turnout places-and to effect this,
an earthen road must be banked up ten
or twelve feet wide on one side, AMI two
or three on the other-each embankment
should be made flush with the ends Of the
plank, and then sloping out so as to carry
off the water, AS perfect drainage is the
great secret in constructing any kind Of a
road. The plank should be laid even,
with part thereof projecting two or three
inc hes heyond the general line Of the road,
in order to prevent ruts made by wheels
at the junction Of the plank and each
turnout. And if the bed on which the
plapks are to he laid, is new one, il
would he better to be travelled one season
before they are laid down. One track,
with the supplementary earth road thus
formed will be sufficient for all ordinary
travel. And, if the tonnage 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 all the
unloaded ones to do the turning out
s. TO make double track, all that is
&c ,rGo ai.vHf
feet wide, or one sixteen feet wide. The
former is preferred For the sixteen feet
track, three or five loDgitUlirm sills are
required, each 10 be four by six inches,
and laid ehge-wiSe and embedded in
trenches six inches deep. These tiInbcrs
should be from fifteen to twenty feet long.
Great advantage is obtained in the con-
structiOn Of the double track with long
plank, by giving the road bed slight con-
vexity Of two or three inches in the GEN.
ter, and springing the plank road to the
outside sills, and attaching them thereto
by half inch spikes or nails three feet long.
4. The duration Of plank roads is from
eight 10 tive We years; this matter, how
ever, depends entirely upon decay from
rot, and not by the surfare wear Of the
plank-,he sand which is spread upon the
track when finished, protects the wood
from the shoe sOles of the horses, (Which
cause most of the plank to wear,) and
soon penetrates the grain Of the plank
unit! with rhe wood fibres and the depos-
ties on the road, tough elastic covering
is formed whereby the plank is saved
from the further wear. Experience
teac hes that one-half the wear and tear of
seven years occnrs in the first year.
Therefore, it is matter Of great import
ance on these roads to have small tol age,
in order to invite such an anlOnnt Of trav-
el as will promote their wearing out in
stead Of rottng.
5. The cost of the plank road greatly
depends on its locality. But it will be
found the following estimate will approx
innate to an average valuation, to wit:
For one mile Of road with II single
track, made with plank eight feet wide
and three inches thick, will require 1885,.
500 feet board measute Of plank, and OF
silIs 4 by 4, IA. .OS0, making in all of lun-
ber 14O,O feet, and costing say five dol
lars per thousand, would equal the sun
Of 500. The laying and grading will
cost from thirty cents to dollar per rod
or from 500 to $500 per mile. The
earth work, sluices, bridges and contin
gencies, admit Of no average estimate
Therefore, without them, and one hun
dred dol ans per mi e for engineering su
pernt~ndence, and one hundred do lars
for gate houses, we have the tOtat cos