REGISTER OF PENNSYLVANIA. DEVOTED TO THE PRESERVATION OF EVERY KIND OF USEFUL INFORMATION RESPECTING THE STATE. VOL. II.-NO. 19. REPORT EDITED BY SAMUEL HAZARD. NO. 47. the amount of subscriptions to the capital stock made On Roads, Bridges & Carals, read in the Senate, March by individuals; and by the commonwealth, the cost of 23, 1822, Mr. Raguet. Chairman. The committee on Roads, Bridges and Inland Navigation, in obedience to the instructions of the Senate, as contained in two resolutions passed on the 4th of January last, submit the following report: the road per mile including bridges, toll houses and gates, subscription price of the shares, the amount of the existing debts of each company, width of the roads, materials of which composed, with the depth of the same at the centre and at the sides respectively. Table No. V. presents a list of the bridges which Upon examining the numerous volumes of the acts of have been sanctioned by letters patent, showing the assembly from the earliest period, to the present day, it rivers and streams over which they pass, the years in appears that 146 turnpike road companies have been, which they were severally commenced and completed, prior to the present session, authorized by law, of which their length and width, elevation above the usual level 84 have received letters patent from the department of of the water and whether roofed or not, the number of state. Many of those which were authorized, have fail-arches by which supported, the materials of which the ed in their endeavours to procure subscriptions to the amount required by their acts of incorporation before they could be entitled to charters, whilst others were rendered unnecessary, in consequence of subsequent acts authorizing the incorporation of other companies for smaller sections of the same route. Table No. I, amongst the documents accompanying this report exhibits a list of the corporate titles of all these companies placed in the order in which the acts were respectively passed, together with the dates of the acts, the date at which letters patent were granted to those which received them, and the counties in which the roads are located. The number of bridges without taking into the account those which individuals were permitted to erect, authorized to be constructed by companies is 49-of which 30 only have been confirmed by letters patent. A similar list of these will be found in Table No. II. The number of canal and lock navigation companies authorized is 18, of which 9 have made progress in their works. A similar list of these also, will appear on table No. III. Your committee after considerable labor, having completed the lists above referred to, and ascertained as far as was practicable, the probable residence of the officers of the respective companies, addressed a circular letter to the President and managers of each, submitting to them certain questions embracing as they conceived, all the points of information contemplated by the resolutions under which they acted. piers are composed, as also the amount of individual and state subscriptions to the capital stock, the subscrip tion price of the shares, and the amount of the debts of the companies. Table No. VI. exhibits a list of the lock and canal navigation companies, which have received corporate powers, whether by letters patent or by their acts of incorporation, showing the period at which the works were commenced, and at which they will probably be completed, the extent of the improvements contemplated, the proportion which it is expected will be of canals, the amount of individual and state subscriptions, original price of the shares, the number of feet of falls to be overcome, the expected cost of the whole improvements, and the progress which has been made in the works. The preceding tables, it will be observed, contain only that portion of the information derived from the letters addressed to your committee, which would admit of a tabular form. A great mass of valuable knowledge of a statistical, geographical and commercial nature not susceptible of condensation, and which to be interesting must be read in detail, is to be gathered from the documents, but the session is too far advanced to warrant the expectation on the part of your committee, that so voluminous a collection could be printed in time for distribution at the present session, even if the labor of preparing for publication such a body of scattered materials, were not of itself at this period of pressing duties an insurmountable obstacle to the undertaking. From the incomplete replies to some of the questions To most of these circulars, satisfactory answers were proposed by your committee, and from the entire failure returned, with a promptitude which merits the approba- of answers in a number of cases, it is evident that the tion of the Senate, and which indicated on the part of preceding tables must in the nature of things be imperthe companies a desire to promote the views of that bo- fect. In order however, that as much information as dy, by contributing their respective shares to the com- was attainable, should be therein embodied, the common stock of information. Some answers however, mittee have in a few instances filled up blanks from oth your committee regret to say, were not as full as could er sources of intelligence, believed to be correct, desighave been desired, but deficient as is the information nating by a mark (4) the figures which have been thus contained in them, they were far more acceptable than unofficially introduced, and in those cases where no anthe total silence of a few of the companies which did swers have been received from companies, the blanks not think proper to acknowledge the receipt of the let-have been principally filled from personal knowledge or ters addressed to them, or who perhaps from a mistake in their direction, did not receive them by the course of mail. from that of some of the members of the legislature, or from public documents, Where blanks are left in the statements of those companies from which answers have Table No. IV. exhibits an alphabetical list of the turn- been received, it is because no answers were returned pike road companies, which have received letters pa- upon those points. Some errors will undoubtedly be tent, showing the years in which the roads were seve-discovered, but, it is confidently believed by your comrally commenced and completed, the length of each mittee, that they will not be numerous. In the length contemplated by its charter, the number of miles com- of the roads all fractions less than one quarter of a mile pleted prior to the commencement of the present year, have been rejected. VOL. II. 37 From a view of the foregoing documents, it will be perceived, that the number of miles of Turnpike roads contemplated by the various charters of the companies which have received letters patent is 2521 Of which there have been completed 1807 Of these roads about 1250 miles are of solid stone, having on their surface no angle greater than 44 or 5° even in crossing the highest mountains. The amount of Capital subscribed towards these improvements by individuals (including the subscriptions of a few banks,) and which has been paid, or is expected to be paid, is $4,158,347 The amount subscribed by the commonwealth to the same is 1,861,542 To these sums if there be added one half the amount of the existing debts of the companies, which it is probable the roads have cost more than the am't. subscribed by the state and by solvent individuals, say It will appear that to turnpike roads there has been subscribed and appropriated, in Pennsylvania, the sum of Towards the construction of Bridges, also, it will appear that a great appropriation has been made. The stock subscribed by individuals, amount to That subscribed by the commonwealth to And if half the amount of debts be added, as in the former case The amount contributed towards the construction of Bridges, will have been 381,585 1,629,200 382 000 40,595 $6,401,474 2,051,795 1,916,510 $10,369,779 Without a map of the state upon which the routes of the various turnpikes are traced, it is almost impossible to form a correct idea of their localities and ramifications. Suffice it for the present to say, that when the works now in progress shall be completed, there will be. Two complete stone roads, running from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, 3000 miles each in length, one of which is already finished. One continued road from Philadelphia to the town of Erie, on the lake of that name, passing through Sunbury, Bellefonte, Phillipsburg, Franklin and Meadville. Two roads, having but a few miles of turnpike deficient, from Philadelphia: one to the New York state line, in Bradford county, passing through Berwick, an one to the northern part of the state, in Susquehanna county, passing through Bethlehem. And One continued road from Pittsburg to Erie, passing through Butler, Mercer, Meadville and Waterford. The Northern, north western and western sections of the State will then be connected with the Metropolis, and afford facilities for travelling and transportation, unequalled as to extent in the United States. Your committee having considered the resolutions under which this report has been prepared as a simple call for statistical details will forbear to enlarge. From the tables herewith submitted, many important principles might be deduced and conclusions drawn. The simple facts as to whether our internal improvements have all been made with a proper regard to that prudence which should regulate the expenditure of private capital, or public money, whether in the appropriations made by the commonwealth a due regard has been had to equality of distribution and whether some general rules for the construction and regulation of turnpike roads, might not be made, which would abridge legislation, and establish a system of uniformity, are subjects which merit the attention of the legislature. Skill and a judicious economy in the construction of turnpike roads is of vital importance. The art of making artificial roads is in its infancy in our country, and it behoves us as we value our prosperity, to use every means within our reach to profit by the lights and experience of those who understand the subject better than ourselves. The construction of stone and other artificial roads is a science which few men understand, and yet which few men hesitate to undertake, and it is no doubt from want of ordinary skill in preparing and applying the materials of which our roads are composed, and in shaping their surface, and of ordinary judgment in the application of labour, that most of our roads have been constructed so expensively, and some of them so badly. The attention of your committee has been drawn to a small English publication re-printed in Baltimore during the last year, and which is to be procured in that City or in Philadelphia, entitled "M'Adam on roads." It comprises besides an essay upon road making by John Loudon M'Adam, Esquire, the author, the minutes of an examination of witnesses before a committee of the House of Commons, appointed to enquire into the state of the roads and particularly into a new system of turnpike road making introduced by Mr. M'Adam. As this work is well worth the perusal of all who have any desire to understand the principles upon which the British turnpike roads are constructed and repaired, so that not a rut is ever to be seen on their surface, your committee have deemed it worth their while to bring it thus into the notice of the Legislature. From this book it ap pears, that according to the most approved system at present in use in England, The stones are broken so fine as that none of them exceeded six ounces in weight in order that a more spee dy consolidation may be produced. The depth of the materials is about ten inches, which is probably one fourth less than the average depth of our stone roads. The surface of the road is as nearly flat as is sufficient to carry off the water, being only three inches higher in the centre, than at the sides, where the width is eighteen feet. The convexity of our roads generally varies so as to make them from 6 to 15 inches higher in the centre than at the sides, which occasions their being cut up, inasmuch as the weight of a loaded wagon is principally thrown upon the wheels which are on the lowest side. A few of them are as low as 1 to 4 inches, and a small number are entirely flat, which is probably detrimental to their duration, by permitting the water to soak down, destroy the foundation, and injure the materials. It is worthy of remark, that stone roads e said in the work under consideration, to have been structed with great permanency, over wet and marground the materials having been so amalgamated s to lie like a board upon the soft earth. The foregoing investigation, the Senate will perceive, as been accompanied with considerable labor. The lateness of the period at which most of the answers were received, prevented an early report, and if the information obtained, is not as full as was expected of your committee, the defalcation is chargeable neither to want of zeal nor industry. 'Table, No. I. TURNPIKE ROADS. LIST of the corporate titles of all the Turnpike Road Companies, authorised by the Legislature of Pennsylvania, in the order in which the Acts were passed. List of the Bridges, authorised by the Legislature of Pennsylvania, to be erected by companies in the order in which the several acts of incorporation were passed. Lehigh, near town Northampton, (1806, March 28) Delaware, near town of Milford, (1814, March 28) Susquehanna, N. E. branch, near town Northumb'd. Schuylkill, near Pawling's Ford, Susquehanna, at Harrisburg, (1812, Jan. 17,) Monongahela, at Pitttsburg, (1816, Feb. 17,) Big Beaver Creek, opposite the town of Brighton, Schuylkill, at the Falls above Philad. (1817, Jan. 9) Tioga, at Tioga Point, or Athens, Delaware, at New Hope, incorporated by law, Susquehanna. at Marietta, Susquehanna, W. B. at Lewisburg, (1816, Mar. 15) 1816 do 1 Juniata, near Millerstown, Susquehanna at Sunbury Schuylkill at Pottstown do 28 1815 March 11 do 11 do 1816 Feb. 28 March 13 do 15 do 18 Schuylkill, at Lewis' Ferry Philadelphia. Susquehanna. Bradford. Bucks. Lancaster. Union, Columbia. |