1823,] Mr. Hutchinson on the permanent Improvement of Roads. 501 
resulting from wheels of regular 
widths; and this in some degree ac- 
cords with my sentiments on diversity 
of widths, by which the same effects 
would be produced on all roads; be- 
sides, were the plan which I recom- 
mend generally adopted, the saving 
of money new expended on the turn- 
pike-roads would be immense, and 
consequently a serious diminution in 
the tol!s would follow. In many parts 
of the kingdom the public continue to 
be highly gratified with observing 
most extraordinary improvement in 
the system of road-making by different 
gentlemen, whose continued exertions 
claim every acknowledgment. Theirs 
is the credit of providing this great 
accommodation to the public; while, 
by the easy, safe, and economical, 
plan here recommended, I furnish the 
means of securing the continuance of 
that accommodation to all who use it. 
As the bhest-made road in a public 
situation will in a few months, and in 
some places in a few weeks, discover 
the regular slices I speak of, which 
appear as if set out by line and rule, is 
it not reasonable to expect that every 
traveller will ask himself, “ What is 
dhe principal cause of these obstruc- 
tions?” to which question reason will 
dictate a reply; namely, that itis the 
present regular width of wheels on 
the ground, nor can any other possible 
cause or occasion whatever be pro- 
duecd. Nor can any plea be fairly 
advanced, why well-made roads ought 
not to be preserved. It will be in 
vain to make roads, at an enormous 
expense, as is the practice now, unless 
they be afterwards kept in good order. 
On the present system not more than 
one-half of the breadth of any road is 
or can be worn out, while the other is 
cut up in half the time it ought to have 
lasted. I would further state, that, 
however good the materials of a road 
may be, however sound its foundation, 
and however beautifully formed as 
before mentioned, the slices in public 
situations will still be discovered in 
the course of a few weeks; and all 
careful surveyors now pay particular 
attention, on a newly-formed road, to 
check these regular slices in their 
first appearance, by adopting the fol- 
lowing as remedies :—There are some 
who fill up the gutters as soon as they 
are made; others introduce fresh ma- 
terials on the intermediate spaces, to 
divert the'track of the horses; while 
others pursue the plan of laying many 
rows of large stones in a morning, so 
as to prevent the horses from following 
the first-made track; these stones be- 
ing replaced and removed, morning 
and night, as often as may be thought 
useful. All these expedients are ‘at- 
tended with much expense, and none 
of them entirely remedy the evil. 
Now the regulation in wheels, which 
I propose, will not only save all the 
money thus expended on new and 
well-formed roads, but will be truly 
and permanently effective in their use, 
by preventing the recurrence of such 
mischief. 
I now proceed to detail the varia- 
tions which I propose in the distances 
of wheels on the ground. ‘These di- 
mensions are to the outside of each :— 
Wheel on the Ground as now used, Ft. In. Proposed Advances. Fl. In. 
Wheels ot the breadth of sixteen inches 5 9 ——Advancing-three inches, each carriage,to 6 9 
Nine inches breadth . - . - &d 4 Do. do. do. 5 eet)? | 
Six do. do. . 5 2 Do. two do . + 0 
Four inches in lieu of any three ‘inches 4 1 Do. do. do. 5 - 5d 8 
Stage-coaches two inches and a half 4 9 Do. do do. .«  « 5 7, 
Chaises two inches, asnow used ..4 9 Do. do. do, 5 eee) 
Gigs two inches ad libitum. . 4 9 
It will be observed by these calcu- 
1 ber from certain places on which it 
lations, that the outside of the widest 
wheels on the ground is six feet nine 
inches, and the inside of the narrowest 
four feet five inches, thus producing a 
difference in their width on the road 
of twenty-eight inches, where whecls 
sixteen inches wide are used; where 
nine inches are used, a difference of 
twenty-four inches; and where none 
wider than six inches are used, a dif- 
ference of twenty inches. 
[ propose that narrow or three-inch 
wheels be entirely done away. Far- 
mers’ carriages for particular situa- 
tions, and those for transporting tim- 
grew, must of course be allowed. ‘To 
a superficial observer it is obvious that, 
by these simple means, the evil com- 
plained of would be effectually re- 
moved. ‘This variety is found without 
having any wheels nearer together on 
the ground, to be more liable to over- 
turn, or any wider in the top, or more 
difficult to pass on the road, than they 
now are, except stage- coaches, and a 
few of these only are proposed to be 
one inch wider on each side, by which 
complete security will be given to 
passengers, without the least disad- 
vantage either to proprietors or horses, 
Whey 
