Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-11-07

som-tinrs even the boat which brouch, il down can
not hr iioa'ed hacR emlry Ia is surely to he L.
meHtr- That wreiche, 49, Is this NAV sation il i tn
sole dependence OF couu,r, which IN spite Of
ms l"fulry, anT the value al its inexl,nus,he mine
rails "i the most uSeiol kind, evidently druor-
lns and suffering tor of ~ ready marker Inr lis
productions; without which stimulus il is impossible
'" as agriculture 10 flourish OF its natural sources
IL he developed
i''d indeed, MS is the navigation above described,
s" ihs conveyance l. preferred by all who can ava,
the"i IS OF u, 10 lau cayr,ige. With all us uncer
iantN iri risks ~ Is founu cheaper by all the f,i-
mr' -"u m'lcrs, than maintaining supernumrrary
MORSE throughout the year. for the purpose Of carry
ing produce TO market ID additional reasons WIRE
required, stronger cannot he atlduced Than this
W'! circumstance oil the immense superiority Of ma
ugaiIoo, over Land carriage. II navigation encum-
heteu WIN 50 many RISKS aud uncertainties and un-
""u"hic expenses, is still preferred by MI who can
AVA" themselves oil u, To the usual land carriage,
ss'eu ny improved roads To all the ports and IL
nus, Tue worst anu dearest OF all kinds of CATION
unes YET give ap increased value the lands cnnticu
Gus 10 u, over those whose sole reliance is the irn
pixies, what may we not reasonably calculate will he
me su iurther increasosl value Of the lands afford
Gu ny sale aud cunstau, still water navigation
SLUlCE NAVIGATION.
as what has been called siuice navigation, has
heen the Kind adopted 10y the Potomac company, and
the one on which so large part of their funds has
"een expended, u may lie necessary to give an ex-
PLANTATION drawn from actual observation, OF what has
neen done and tried for many years OF this kind OF
work on the Potomac.
The sluices this river are three kinds The
hrs', whch are chiefly found in tho upper part of The
rifer are channels formed BY low walls. The sec nd
are chdnneis formed 10y excavang the rocky bottom
oil the river The third kind, which yet used and
have been OF service To The navigation ia igl, water
are Channels opened the han of the river around
me r'pms' small falls IN the current, Harper's
Ferry, r"yrus iails &c. 10 avoid the great force of
the torrent IN mid stream in such situations and with
view OF giving the boa:men land path ON the hank
on winch NY rope they drag tho boat up the stream
when the violence of the current is too great 10 Le
overcome lay settling poles. These channels thouoh
used, are OF very imperfect, and temporary construc
non, me bottoms OF no Of them being rraJnateJ
lhey are certainly too imperfect 10 I've called canals
a''nonsh such is their common appeaiion. Thr
iwo FIRST OF these kinds of suiccs are Turned nm
erroneous principles, and have failed ia render ,nv
service To The navigation of the river Tho crrors IN
me trs requiring detail will be presently explained
Inc ettors IN the second kind, or IN NAVIGATING
chnnncls IN The bouam Of the stream consist in al
tempting on long line of stream, ncIining all the
WY IN us whole length, TO regulate the tenih by
partial eating or deepening tho bottom Unless von
hr'ns water 10 level the whole length of the line
OF Us stream, any partial cutting or deepening IN
lug rue me isciincd, only serves ranspose
swallow ue further up the line, or TO make hol-
INV basins 81 no service and in a river where the
CUT, i'"re IN ITS navigation arises FROM the too long
anu 20" 'eIue M deficiency of depth of water necrs-
snry Tor boa'ing owing the great inclination of Tho
pane oi ITS stream, and IN It's consequent rand Ills
charGe Of water, II you smooth The plane bv re-
moving All distractions, The rapidly will of course Inc
Increased, and the sooner will the deficiency in the
depth he left ' " wy
Inc low dam or walng plan Of improvements
'o"s" NV opposite III lis effects To the descIbe
SUI "o radically erroneous on general principles, is
"" 'esS SO IN us application ~ snch river ms The
To'omac 10 make this manifest some de,aiI of the
circumstance "a which they used and placed IS
necessary lhe rams OF this k,sd of works, are 10
nc seen some distance above Cumberland bui do moi,
however, reach 10 Savage river and extend ,i
greater or less intervals where the general depti
OF water IS considerably increased, becoming more
ana more rare as The water rs more abundant They
shore, elevated about Is inches or two feet from The
uoon; ana mHue oil rounded stones picked up out Of
.le peu OF Tue river, of The size that can con-
'ehiehuy nanuIe, the greater part not larger than a
man 5 head, and raised broad basis of from ten
10 twenty ieet III width. This transverse low wall or
unm is usually connected with Two walls about the
same heiehi hnI buili narrower bosis o( from,
lonr SIX To eght fee. placed parallel to each otber and
10 me shoIst III the distance Of twenty feet from each
o'hef through which passage by gap in the trans
verse dam Is intended to force the current of the
river, and 10 deepen The water by collecting il n,o
This artificial channel ~
The number of these transverse walls connected.
as stated with 70 feet sluices on the river is very
great, but II was not thought necessary 10 correct
them Indeed, in such state of ruin we're The
greater part Of them found, that ihey were difcu IN
be distinguished from the numerous fish dams found
along the whole course Of the river A few Inn
enough OF them, were in sufficient state OF nreser.
walton, 10 he examined and afford the means of as
cerianing how far they were calculated IN anvwor
the ends intended.
The commissioners are not prepared 10 saw. what
might he the effect Of this kind of wang on other
rivers hut they are we'll assured that the river
Potomac cannot he usefuy confined, by such con.
irvances, even II they were made in the hest manner
of which that kind Of wang is susceDlibIe The
bottom Of this river, which forms the drain of
mountainous region OF such wide extent, is very
unequal IN IFS level, and bounds in shadows and
basins according TO its obduracy or softness and 10
the increased or diminished force of the current,
sometimes weakened by expanding in widening
plains or IN tho formation OF islands sometimes in
creased contraction bpfVCppn a
rocky banks, and above ALL by its flowing So raudly
in consequence of the greatness offs Gsph compared
10 MS length. The result, from such circumstances
on tins KIND oil work, situated in the bed Of snch n
river, is, that these walls cannot be made suc;prdIv
permanent and If they could so very MANY of then,
would he required, 10 attain trhnp depth, thai
The benefit would be infinitely too dear or an alb
soloe waste olmoney. These walls from their nature
cannot he tight hut If they conld he made So and
the whole body of the water in such river could he
confined 10 n channel o. 20 feet the yeoc;tv oC ,o
current rushing through these shor1 channels. with
full room To spread after has passed, would he in
creased IN proportion TO s confinement And fbe
whole volume OF wafer in the river, in the summer
ana ury seAsons especially above The south branch
would not he Sufficient give the hepth reuured NV
boats OF sufficient size TO he useful in transformation
where the quantity OF wafer in this river Is much in
creased by the large tributaries in order 10 rive .
inches deph and less would be Of mn use IL would
be necessary 10 continue the parallel walls much
further than they have yet been aucmped so as
TO give them length sufficient TO reach over the
whole extent OF continued shadows, which were |
found in places 10 cover or miles The effect oCI
lengtieniug the sluice walls, would be IN some n,eo
sure 10 lessen lie velocity, and OF course 10 increase
the depth Of the current bot the evils are ouc too
great Ia he useiully remcdied nv The small effects
which could be produced 10y these means If il were
O give duration walls so buil and an
placed Wa'is oi this Kind, when drawn long, and
wIndng and bending ns would be necessary to follow
the course oil the curreni would be objectionable for
other reasons independent Of the increaeed tahiti;
y 10 destruction! such as The extreme difficulty OF
MI Ns.gaF "A.