Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-03-06
FoR TIE ENQUIRER.
LlTERN:fL IMPROVEMENT.
mo. III


ing ne .Na'ayafi.n Of jaaes Rive'' from Aook
cts 10 MraFs HI.
lANswksED.l
2nily. In estimating the height Of the wall from
the Rnc', aning - R0cketts, At ten feet above ti.
water or fourteen feet below low water mark, i
was not snproaet tina, il wouli be above the rescl
OF extraordinary !restcs, bat rs the wall will extent
drgeuy -? and down the river, il never eau - pe
cencc nny severe pressure IRON Ice or sweiis o.
water, 'he wall be'ns capped w,.h large rocks o.,
tip, secured 20 enct Otcr with cr;l,r,'s ut iron
would be ia odssg+r ofrecsviag ,,u,a,. ii,p, the
water overtOwng the walls. Vessels enclosed
within TIC canal sn'l lower basin, would not he ia
the situation Of ho5e living at the sa oil the whrges
AZ itocketts, where they wolli tee The lu force Of
the current, and he in danger of T. ing l.ft on The
wharvss by high rcshes, hut SOulS hing so .iose TO
the bank, as hardly To Dc sensible ufa RS. of wats..
or, at any rate, - 6nd difficulty in ws1.ng uii
oes, or trees, il any should pass them whi,h is
hardy 10 be expected, rs ie val orc WGitlrck,.'y
and ether improvements dst may BE- exp c,cd t. be
made On the SANDY bar island would 10. ac an eddy
'rom the bead OF the lower basiu to almost th,.
wi"i distance ot the caial below. Tie basin he
low MIR. Whtocse 5, would afford perfect securi-
& "a g au + uuub-r OF vessels thsn has b.,
Naowr la lie at iincket,s at any or time. a wall
elevated two feet ab.ye what hs, been thought
sti'i nj. o. twelve feet above tie wat T. is b. !iey-
ed wcul'i isw'ra - u purpose, ai the extra two
feet ,oisht he med fnot AMI hll thick above the
caplnng stone on III 5 Mt eige, aul woIll serve
as rararet to br al, OF the wind AMI keen D.r-
sons from failing oy =.
Ia ras n, 'c wall f. ON tue low water. marx IN.
wards, 1t had been eslcusts ID ttat tst en- AID
ha feet a. the Inc OF low wsts Ia .rlI an c!ey.,
and hall teet at top. o. twelve feet rage tll
would be iu'y su!fci M i; shO ID noli ell tina,
th,s pare oil the wall hei,g placed thcr aNY y
lad wall ct feet ON tue Foundation ~ t.
low water linz, or on peas flied witt, roc eighteen
ieet wade, aud rs twere To tlie sl-s nj ,hk an
'eeing no stT'if or pre- sure ro'o wight OF wa
ercontahe'i wrlr, Ia canal whicl must in cours.
rest on the body o! elrth ! r1wn ag nst the vii
within, for the purpose of further support anil
which forms asope OF fur Ieet, in tire. OF per
pensuiar heisGt, cannot require the same sire, 9Th
or so,iity as i that weight pressing INN eate-
ly upon it A ID 81 lar from th wall quiring a,
adiit onal width, rs sJme persons have s,pDo-ei
It is believed " Ill coIstu ted as proDos-d OF
tareeieetles Ia thickness would we the par
pose equally well sny o.,ie thickness whatev-
err AID At any rate, what has been m ,ntioae is as
much rs would by any means be necessary.
lie height tn has hzen mentioned t,s- the wall
from the Roeeleniins 70 Rockets, Will requ.. u
fresh to overflow the wills, as high HI floor o.
Colonel Aiayo's bridge. w':icn does no. hsppea o.
teuer than once IN ten Years and the wall from he
upper side ri Co0nel MNvns bridge to the. arch
way ahnve Mr.. Hsxai 3 MAJ, (wheTe an arch gate
is 10 be erected,) will epth water on, uatil the
river rises over Colonel Mayo's bridge; and when
the water Is Away les, char, d WITH mui sad,
&c. than the lower pare Of the current, fam which
circumstance il would require year 20 fill up the
canal, from what might be- depnsitedf-om the over
no"iNS OF the walls; the greatest supply of sand
&c. would be from the wasiingsof the streets IN
heavy falls Of rain remedy this evil, it night be
found necessary TO keep machine t. BE- worked by
horses or steam, ior the porp o Ia Ving out the
mud, sand &c. during certain seasons Of the YEAR
VINE" The washngs from the streets ere the great
est, on alter al overflow Of the canallft was found
that the fresh had deposited any considerable ulaa-
uty OF sand, &c. (Which is done ia the seaport
towns to keep tt'eir locks from filling up the ex
pence would not exceed l,010 CT 800 dollars per
apnun.
SILLY. It may ie necessary TO premiee, that the
improvement OF the navigation from Colonel May
0s bricse to 10 :kstts, BY clearing out the creek
between the Island anti the Richmond shore as
some persons have sug 5ested, would admit tn the
RocS-iAndnS vessels drawing SIX or seven feet wa
ter, ard would answer all the purposes required at
atriiing expence. To this mode nj improving the
nafigatonit may be answesed, that the admission OF
yess. drawing SIX or seven feet water might in
deed tie Obtained the Roek-landiug in common
h'Sn tales, by remoying the sanl and loose stones
OF At any rate, by blowing the rock in the channel
one or twoieet below its present level; iwI ryes
might peraaps be extended few yards up the
crees, although at comfortable cxpence but
wheA this wss done, it woad rot only be fable to
be liz chonkiag up ~ Il sand SSe bat # ken;
open, 1t could only acsOmmoCatc five or sax vessels
OF tae sTnalirs size az time, ami even these AT
high water would be left TO rest on bed at sharp
rock, from which they wosd be so liable TO receive
damage, that IN al probability few woull run the
rlsp'e Tor any a'iya tage that they would derive
u'@tesy. y plan likely TO BE- attended with Good
zeal al uncertainty, with Comfortable expccc =.
anu the prospect at 50 liue benefit il NAV be pre-.
+hiied, viii never be Attempted for the a e1nnn.
dalton OF vesses--And ifan abundant supply OF W.
Dss ffr#r,y .H.,f
Canal co keep their locks a!wats supplied, ia. aj.
vantage IN that case would not be as great as might
De anticipated by those persons that have not taken
the subject into full consideration for the follow q
reasons list That batteaux Oats passing throj
their locks, would oientimes b. detained consi,i-
cradle Tune waiting for the It'd To take them ,hro
the creek, as there is not water enough to )at them
down more than eight hours in the twenty four
CIV The rIvcr b ing subject t. repeated sweIis
and whenever that happens, (Which is very often,
uemy o. time viii be unavoidable IN addition "a
which Il must be observed, that bpteaux or A It's
beng always low IN tht water, and ofon sunk win
lniolu or I'VE inches ofthe ggnnei, would nut oJy
be frequently impeded by windy weather for On.
ortwo, or even more, days at a time, but would b.
liable {" repeated accidents, and to the loss both o
"yes and eargoes, from every occaiUn. gust or flo
OF wind, which at some seasons of the yea- we are
particularly subject to- When II is wen known
that batteaux have been often compelled To chang.
their situation IN the basin of the James River Cum.
pany, aud either 10 get in the fats or to run hig
CT up the cana TO avoid being sunk by the VIVID
and wren 1t equally well knowa, that the Gus
torn OF conveying tobaeco, sc. to Rockets by
it's, which prevailed about 90 years ago eHt re
y csssd, (Untii luely when the streets u Re k "a
nave become impossible for rays and the h-ayia,
tAperce otdrayage 2nd carriage subIitted 20, W,
can enterta'o but very Indifferent opinion Of b
mode OF conveyance, which ater having been prac
uocd Tor so many years. aud found liable to 50 man,
danger aad difficulties, IS 10 discontinue the use
hereoi-lt rnag not be irrelevant 10 the subject tr