The Old Pike Part 10

"You will observe the form of the contract provides for work that may not occur in your division. You will, in preparing the form to be printed, be cautious to suit the same to your particular division, as to distance, &c., &c. Mile sections are desirable for subdividing the road, and as the portion to be given under contract to an individual: on your division other subdivisions will be found more convenient, and your attention must, in consequence, be given to make the phraseology of the instrument conform with the facts of the case.

"Hereafter, you will commence and continue your weekly reports to me.

Apprise me of the date you limit the reception of proposals, that I may be with you at the time.

"RICH'D DELAFIELD, Captain of Engineers."

The instructions to the officer of the third division required him to provide for the work to be done on his division not exceeding three and a half perches of stone to a rod on the surface of the road as metal, reducing the quant.i.ty to two or one perch, as might be requisite to keep the whole in repair until finally completed.

For a copy of the form of contract forwarded to the officers of the several divisions, see the contracts on file in your office, for the _fourth_ division of the road.

I enclose the statement called for by the letter of your department of the 9th instant.

Respectfully, your obedient servant, RICH'D DELAFIELD, Captain of Engineers.

Brig. Gen. Charles Gratiot, Chief Engineer.

REPORT AND ESTIMATE FOR THE c.u.mBERLAND ROAD EAST OF THE OHIO, UNDER A RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, CALLING FOR THE CONDITION OF THE MASONRY, THE THICKNESS OF METAL ON VARIOUS PARTS, &c., &c., DECEMBER, 1834.

The plan of repair adopted and continued for this road to July, 1834, was that of Macadam, with nine inches of metal in three strata.

The provisions of the act of Congress of the last session made a change in the plan of operation necessary. The sum of $300,000 was appropriated to finish the repairs of the road from c.u.mberland to Wheeling, a distance of one hundred and thirty-two miles, of which fifty-four miles had not been commenced.

To conform with the provisions of the law, it became necessary to confine the expenditure of this sum to the most indispensable parts of the system, and adopt a less expensive and less permanent repair; abandoning the plan of finishing the mountain division with limestone throughout, and to a width of twenty feet; confining the metal on the more expensive parts of these divisions to a width of from twelve to fifteen feet, instead of twenty; abandoning further repairs to the masonry of the parapets of the bridges; depositing the stone that had been prepared for this purpose on the side roads, and leaving the side walls on Wheeling Hill in their unfinished state; limiting the stratum of metal to be put on this season to three perches and a half, on an average, per rod, on the whole line of the road; transporting the stone that had previously been collected for an additional thickness of metal to parts that had not been supplied with any; subst.i.tuting wooden bridges for stone over Wills creek and Braddock's run, and abandoning altogether the construction of any bridge over Dunlap's creek. The repairs thus modified are fast drawing to a close, when the road will present parts covered with thicknesses of metal varying from three to nine inches, as follows:

First division, in Maryland, sixteen miles, one hundred and sixty rods, including new location, is covered with three inches of metal.

Second division, in Maryland, sixteen miles, one hundred and ninety-four rods, is covered with six inches of metal.

Third division, in Pennsylvania, two hundred rods, is covered with four inches and a half of metal.

Third division, in Pennsylvania, twenty-five miles, one hundred rods, to a width of from twelve to fifteen feet, is covered with nine inches of metal.

Fourth division, in Pennsylvania, one mile, seven rods, is covered with three inches of metal.

Fourth division, in Pennsylvania, fourteen miles, one hundred and twenty-three rods, to a width of from twelve to fifteen feet, is covered with six inches of metal.

Fifth division, in Pennsylvania, eighteen miles, nine rods, is covered with three inches of metal.

Sixth division, in Pennsylvania, twenty-one miles, two hundred and seventy-three rods, is covered with three inches of metal.

Seventh division, in Virginia, five miles, is covered with three inches of metal.

Seventh division, in Virginia, nine miles, two hundred and sixteen rods, is covered with six inches of metal.

The number of inches of metal put on that part which has been located anew, the first six miles of the first division, being three inches, and the number of inches of metal put upon that part of the road which lies between the Monongahela and the Ohio, the fifth, sixth, and seventh divisions, being three inches of metal on forty-four miles and two hundred and eighty-two rods, and six inches of metal on nine miles and two hundred and sixteen rods.

To make this a permanent and substantial road, such that the heavy transportation wagons shall not force their wheels through the metal into the bed, not less than the original contemplated thickness of three strata of three inches each, or the same number of strata of three perches and a half of stone each, appears sufficient. That three inches of metal will not suffice to bear up the travel pa.s.sing over this road, is proved by the experience of the last two years. Nor will six inches answer the purpose on all parts of the road, during a long or continued wet spell of weather, when, from absorption alone, the solidity and contiguity of the metal has become weakened and lessened. On the crests of the hills it will be solid, with a thickness of six inches, when, in the valley and grades under one degree, the evidence of its insufficiency are apparent. Nothing less than the three strata of three inches each has been found sufficient; the last stratum being unequally applied according to the firmness and dryness, and the slope or grade of the bed. Such was judged necessary for a Macadam road from c.u.mberland to Wheeling, and the results tend to confirm the necessity of a thickness of nine inches on an average, to secure the object contemplated by the instructions of the Chief Engineer.

The condition of the masonry on the whole line of the road is in an unfinished state, so far as regards many of the parts upon which repairs have been commenced; and where nothing had been done toward repairing the bridges, many of their side-walls or parapets are in a dilapidated state, or torn down to the level of the roadway. In repairing the road under the last act of Congress, no more masonry was undertaken than the construction of culverts to drain the road, and repairing such parts as were necessary to perfect the roadway twenty feet in width; all other parts were left in the unfinished and decayed state in which they were when the appropriation of the year caused an abandonment of further repairs to this part of the work.

To carry into effect the repairs originally contemplated, and to secure the uniform strength throughout the whole line of the road equivalent to nine inches of metal, the following sums will be necessary, after applying the means now on hand, and which are pledged for the work commenced and contracted for in July last.

By reference to the annexed statement, it will be perceived the price per perch for delivered stone prepared as metal on the road varies from ninety-three cents to $2.50, and is stated for each section throughout the whole line of the road. Three quarries supply upward of twenty miles of the road, there being none nearer or accessible. Quarries of the best limestone are numerous and not remote from the road between Wheeling and the eastern base of Laurel hill; from thence to Frostburg they are few in number, situated in deep ravines, and remote from the road; from Frostburg to c.u.mberland they are comparatively numerous and of easy access. It will be seen that the price agrees with the difficulty of procuring the stone, and in the ratio above stated, from ninety-three cents to $2.50 per perch.

CHAPTER XII.

_Gen. Lewis Ca.s.s, Secretary of War, transmits a Report--More about the Wooden Bridges for the New Location near c.u.mberland--The War department thinks they will do--John Hoye stoutly Objects--The Governor of Maryland takes a hand against Wooden Bridges--John Hoye to the Front Again--The Pennsylvania Commissioners make another demand that the Road be put in Repair._

WAR DEPARTMENT, January 3, 1835.

_Sir_: Herewith I have the honor to transmit a report from the Chief Engineer, which furnishes the information called for by the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 12th ultimo, respecting the c.u.mberland Road east of the Ohio.

Very respectfully, your most obedient servant, LEW. Ca.s.s.

Hon. John Bell, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

ENGINEER DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, January 3, 1835.

_Sir_: I have the honor to hand you the information called for by the House of Representatives on the 12th ultimo, relating to the c.u.mberland Road east of the Ohio,

And remain, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, C. GRATIOT, Chief Engineer.

The Hon. Lewis Ca.s.s, Secretary of War.

ENGINEER DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, July 28, 1834.

_Sir_: In making the repairs of the c.u.mberland Road east of the Ohio river, it was deemed expedient, in the fall of 1832, to change that part of the old location which is immediately west of c.u.mberland, in the State of Maryland, for the purpose of turning Wills hill. By this an abrupt rise of several hundred feet would be avoided. A survey, preparatory to this change, was made, and the result submitted to Congress, in the session of 1832-'33; the proposed change was authorized, and the location, as exhibited on the drawing of the survey, adopted. This change of location involved the construction of a bridge over the mill-race in the town of c.u.mberland, and another over Wills creek, as well as other bridges of minor importance, with several culverts. The Legislature of the State of Maryland pa.s.sed an act giving a.s.sent to the change in question, with the proviso, however, "that the part of the road embraced in this change should be made of the best material, upon the Macadam plan, and that a good, substantial stone bridge should be made over the mill-race, in the town of c.u.mberland, and over Wills creek at the place of crossing, and that substantial stone bridges and culverts should be made wherever the same may respectively be necessary along the line of said road."

In the estimates which were prepared, and submitted at the commencement of the last session of Congress for its action, the sum proposed for the completion of the repairs of the entire road from c.u.mberland to the Ohio river, contemplated the erection of the bridges on the new location, in conformity to the requirements of the law of Maryland just referred to.

But, as is known to you, more than one-half of this sum was stricken from the bill, which embodied the whole amount of the estimate. The act appropriating the remainder requires that the whole of the repairs shall be completed for this diminished sum. Under these circ.u.mstances, it becomes necessary to change the plan upon which it was proposed to execute the work, and the object of this communication is to ascertain the extent to which the department may be allowed to carry this change on the new part of the road embraced by the law of Maryland. If the bridges alluded to be built of stone, the expense will be much greater than the sum allotted to that section would bear: whereas, if the abutments be built of stone, and the superstructure of wood, the same ends would be attained as would result from bridges built entirely of stone, but the letter of the Maryland law would be departed from. Good wooden superstructures, well covered and painted, would last, with a little care, at least forty years, and perhaps longer. To abandon this new location, and return to the old road, would be to sacrifice a large amount of money already expended on the former, which is now in a state of forwardness, and would soon be finished. Besides, a bridge must, in any event, be constructed over Wills creek, and every consideration of convenient and easy traveling conspires to render its location on the new line of the road desirable.

The officer charged with the repairs of the road is now engaged in giving out the work to contract, and making other arrangements necessary to a speedy application of the funds. It is, therefore, very desirable that an early decision may be had of this question, and it is accordingly respectfully requested.

I have the honor to be, &c., C. GRATIOT, Brig. Gen.

Hon. Secretary of War.

I approve of the course recommended by General Gratiot with regard to the bridges--the abutments to be of stone, and the superstructure of wood--believing that such a course would be deemed by Maryland a substantial compliance with the law, under the circ.u.mstances of the case.

JOHN FORSYTH, Act. Sec'y of War.