Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-12-17

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missioner OF the James and Jackson's River "a
n;d. RANDOLPH HARRISON.
December 18th, 1924.
To The General .4xscmbiy If Tirgiaia
In conformity with act, making more eff
fectual provision 10 carry into effect the act en-
titled, IAN act to amend the act entitled, act
for clearing and improving the navigation of
james river, and for uniting the eastern and
western waters by the James and kanawla III
vers, and for other purposes" the Commissioner
OF the james and Jackson's River most respect
fully reports:
That the portion Of the canal which is To re-
cefve It's supply of water from the river at the
upper mouth of Fuckal,oe creek is finished cx-
cept the dam; about one hundred feet of which
is yet to be made. This is principally TO be as
cribed to the unparalleled state of the river
which 1t IS believed has been above low water
mark for the last Twelve months, with the ex-
ceptIon OF between twenty and thirty DAYS i'm
the months of August and September. If this
state of things could have been anticipated. the
contractor might perhaps have prov dcd a larger
force at the only time which was allowed by the
t'de but, having an Improbable job, in coHse-
quence OF this evil, which has retarded his one
rations for two seasons, and having etu,,lov ed no
more hands than would work with advantage,
tins short period was lost without the work bcinc.
completed. The caoal Is, nevertheless filed
from Tuckahoe creek; and SO far appears to
stand well, and little no apprehension is ell
tertained oi It's giving - ay. There is vet some
fencing to be done in this portion, and some
money 10 be paid for condemnation OF land un.
der particular circumstances. The norton
from WckhamS bridge 10 AIaidon's Adventure
Is Tory far advanced towards completion The
eSCav alton NAV be said to be done, except some
small blocks of earth, left for the convenience
OF the farmers, where their bridges are not made
and except the bodies Of earth, which in some
places. frn,,, ii, ;
and lett assures in the earth above. The CON
tractors were allowed TO leave them last sririnp
when the earth was generally wet, in the belief
that it would cost less labor to take them out
when it should become dry. We are now en-
gagged III removing them; but, it is TO be feared
tiat they viii continue TO come down, till their
weight is SO reduced to allow them to rest up
on their foundations. The land wash from the
nils has been more considerable than was anti
cpated; insornuch, tiat, in some instances we
have resorted To the expedieiit OF excavatnc cir
cuiar basins. to be separated from the canal at
It's margin, by wafer-tight wall TO the surface
so that the sand NAV be precptated TO the bot
tenn of the basin, whilst the water will flow over
| the wall: this sand To- be occasionally thrown
over the wall INTO boats, and carried 10 the most
convenient place where IT can be gotten rid of
In some few places, where the valley through
Which the sand Is conducted is PERCEPTIONS As
TO leave no room for basins, we will make tho
iy opposite, at the bottom OF the Canal through,
which, by means of a gate which can be hoi,ted
1t Will, we expect TO get rid OF great norton
of 1t. This effect will be occasionally aided by
the use of broad hoes, after reducing the water
in the canal The cuvcrts and aoueducts are
all done except the parapet walls of the Tuck.
ahoe aqueduct, which have been arrested h,
frost, and cannot safely be laid till the next
spring. The Two last dry walls are. far advanced
and will be finished in the course of the winter
Considerable progress is made IN the guard
lock at hlaideD's Adventure; but little is done
to the waste at Beaverdam creek
The same evil which prevented the comrle
ton of the lower dam, viz The veryun,IsuaI con
tInuance of high w:.or, has also irupeded the
progress at the contractor for the dam at Mai
dem, Adventure. The abutmeuts and lock
are done, as we'll wall TO connect the north
abutnent with the guard lock: and the greater
part of the materials for the stone and timbor
part are prepa, ed; and a small portion of il put
up. Under these circumstances considering
that every thing else will be ready before this can
ne done. and that the Commissioner next season
Will have but few subj ects to OCCUPY his atten-
ton, your Commissioner has thought II unad-
vlsable 10 leave IT 10 the tarly operations of
contractor lie has, therefore, declared the
contract forfeited, settled for the work done ami
materials on hand ,iand taken it into the care ard
management of the James Eiver Company, to
be finished by public hands; by which means, a
large force may be PM upon it soon as the
state OF the river will admit of il, and the canal
put in operation rs it can ne finished.
The pavement of the banks above Pleasant
lslanl, reported last year to be necessary TO
prevent abrasion from frcsbcs, has rot been
commenced this yea, for the same reason that
Interrupted the bUug oftbe dams. VIZ the con |
tinual swelis in tie river, winch would have |
caused much more trouble ana difficulty in law
ing foundation in the margin of the river TO
rest the pavement upon, without which there
would be always danger OF undermining, which
would cause it to tumble down: aud indeed il |
was thought advisable. that the banks should
have time TO settle and become compact before |
this operation should be performed. II is also
perceived, that considerable portion of the |
bank IN DR.. Treups farm, where the river i'm |
piugcs on il, ought to be paved: and that the !
sum estimated for this object, IN Tie last report
was too small because it was only Intended 10 |
pave the slope next to the river, whereas IL is
now thought necessary to pave both inside and
ont, as well the tow path for reasons
which did not present themselves at that tiiue.
and which 1T Is thought proper now to comrnu-
nicate.
twas always an object of the utmost sOlicitudc
with tie commissioner, as IT must have been with
all who have reflected with sufficient interest on
the subject, that when the river navigation shall
bc abandoned, the canal shall be guarded with
all possible care against tie effect of frcshcs
II was This which prompted him TO draw the at
feution of General { ocltc TO their effect on The
New York canal, rs appears in the report of
iast year His reply had great weight in lulling
the fears of your Commissioner on this ir,por-
tant point. But, upon referring to note at lie