Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-02-17
DOCUMENTS
DOCUMENTS
accompanying NE report Of the COMMISSIONER of
tie james and Jaeksoas Rirer Canal.

''ieco'"p@'.ytsS me report Of the Commissioner of
tie james and Jaeksons Hirer Canal.
10 RANDOLPH HARRISON Esa Co,,,,;c.;,,
TOR he James and Jackson,s Rirer Canal
oiR-l must preface this communication nv
stating that tho plan of the canal now MAKING bc
tween the city of Richmond, and the county If
Goochiand, was not advised by me- twas ,Jor,f
ed before was appointed the engineer of the lame
river company; and entering upon the duties nc
my oihce, was directed to carry it into execution
WY misrepresentation OF some of its promincn features
w. "'u' N'owh 10 'he directors on many occasions
verbally, as well as in written communications Il,
49, S"'h ooiy' ana 18th August, 1891, 28th March,
1872, and III remonstrance on file in TIN, ofrc. -,
The company, the date of which / have f,rgot,.,
Az various times, suggested alterations i'm some n,
e ue.diis OIL the plan, some of which vert, ftcoted
ana others rejected. These, however, were bv inc
deemed no more than palliativcs, and not calcula
tea 10 remove the chief objections
The plan adopted concentrated the copvor.;o,, =,
the channel of Tuckahoe creek from ;,s os,
'oa'l VI point III the eastern branch near Fergu-
% 1871 Poho, INTO canal: the water to betsun,Ii-
gu from inc river through the western and mijdts
mouths OF the creek, by the erection of dam across
tne river, about quarter of mile below the mid
uic mouth The river freihcts were to he cxc,ud.d
by guard locks, to be erected i'm rho vsst,r, ,
hiuole mouths OF the creek, and by cmbankments n,
Suo', low places along the margin of the river nc
would otherwise afford an inlet to the water.
Inns plan made no provision for the freshets n,
iuckahoe creek itself, although il sometimes b,s
ooo e'iuai 10 volume forty feet wide and ten fee,
deep If 1t were possible to build guard LOCK- in
tue western mouth, strong enough to withstand src
tresnet, tue water woull inevitably ha 20 o,arod
another channel for itself through some o,bcr nay,
OF Inc low grounds. In consequence of NV supaest
hs tiieSe inconvenlences, the plan was changed 81
as 10 locate the western guard lock- in the wcs,or,
end OF the eastern branch thereby plford;rg - m.
Portuty tor the creek to its waters tbrouob rho
a0estern branch. The eastern channel of the creek
nearly Tour miles in length was however still m no
converted INTO canal, by excavatiny lis he'd IN tho
1e'iui'nc aeptn, contract for that purpose, was
mace with William Hetherton, at rate so vcrv
low, that he has been una BILE to accomnI;h :, ~
u VIII cost 5 1000 more, to complete the excav,
ton.
"Mie 1t was contemplated to protect the propos
~ '''ai rom the river freshcts, i'll the lands of
nieSSfS, "ickham, Currie, and Amber, i, was not
"eehieu necessary 10 extend a similar nrotec,o,
"a me farm of MIR. Ferguson; although the late
heshets nave shown that the water can find y ~ int
only through the eastern MOUTH of the creek in
MS land, but also the river banks which for ,
considerable distance, are much lower than in tb.
o'ner Farms. protection in this quarter will re-
quire very expensive guard gate, and more ON.
bankTnent than in all the Other farms
ANY works which would serve TO exclude rho ,r
elS OF such reshet, rs was lately experienced
So't a very great sum of money. Wniic that fresh
continued, the low grounds were covered IN tho on,h
OF several tee and the site of Tuckahoe creek could
MOI De distinguished. Had the canal, as pronosed
oecn completed, its navigation must have been suc
pended; and for some days after the subsistence of
the wafer, the towing path would have been inc,n,
pie Oh use. In another part of this communication
VIII nave to remark, how such interrunt;ons in ,b
navigation will operate tax upon those who arc
dependent upon its use.
But object to the adoption Of Tuckahoe crcek
was rlver treshet the canal would soon ceoso IN
pe HaVigaole. Throughout its whole extent (about
4ouf hhles) the eastern branch of Tuckahoe is tho
necessary receptacle of all tn. alluyion frc.n Tho
tie 10" grounds on the south, and from the hills nm
the norm SIDE, as well of all the streams and u;
Vulets within that space For this ,obojn d;,,
tne land on both SIDES is cleared, and in state of
'nl'lNatioh' There Is possibility of passing anv
vi these streams under the creek by culvcrts. .n1
Tue inevitable resnlt must be, that in VERY sbor,
"e II WEI DC filled with bars of sand and other de-
post, so as TO impede the navigation
Upon every view of the subject I am decidedI,, of
opinion, that it is necessary to abandon en- ,,rI ~
me present plan contcnplatcs converting tho
eastern branch OF fuCk1hoe into a part of main
INC OF canal. That portion of il Iyiu con
ferguson hsh pond and the middle mouth, q. ould
use d: d lecdcr' and as All inlet for the coal and
u'Acf GOATS, tom Chesterfield and the lowe mart of
f""hatan. Inc erection of Il guard nate either \,
th' cast or the west eui of the fish nopd ,yiu 90,
cluic fcshetS fsom the canal east of such oato ,1
Al VIII be easy to raise the towing path in Ferg-
sons AMI ShaPardS farms, out Of the re,ci, of 1ho
inundatico. VI ''e
As nartgajle feeder, that portion of the o.s,o-.
Dranch proposed to be used will still bc 1;abl o., -
tcrruptons from frcShets, and to iInpedirnen,s Co.,
deposit OF sand, &c. These interruptions. hoyevcr
WIZ only be experienced by the boats from rho CIR,
sinc OF the river, which could in any even, en,c
me canal during fresh, and the sand bars bci,
IeweT' could the more readily he removed No in
terrupton upon the main line of the canal would he
experienced. ''' 0e
As a consequence Of the a1option of tbo ,,,,
now recommended, the two guard locks dcsigood .,
be buIlf, the completion Of the excavation of Tuct
noe creek, and all the entertainments ncrese,r,, .,
guard ag2ins; freshes, may be dispensed with. Tho
money thus saved, will more than dcffav the ov
pcnse ut an Independent canal from the Goocb1an "a
lIne' along higher level, TO Fcrguson's FISH nord
This Independent canal will be obnoxious 20
The objections urged against Tuckafoe crcct 81
verts for the passage of the several tcmporarv 90
wei as permanent streams under it, can casii, b
constructed. This is the original plan rceor,r;
ed by Messrs. Moore & Briggs, and denarteJ r..
without due reflection. -'V'''
The next subject to which would call ,,,,,r ..
tention, is the alteration in the ORIGINAL MA,
Sisssrs. Moore 81 Briggs, BY locking into tbe rive