Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-12-16

head oil the fas,) To MaideB's Adventure o. miles mo
ah IS 'ooi inches per mile average and for the next
." HiieS To New Canton, foot II inches per mile
Alter that, Vt gradually increases till i'm the mountains
amounts IN some whole sections, an average of II
feet per mile tic whole distance ON the old ocks t
Duhior creek beng 2Ij miles. Beyond this The sour
ces OF the river extend in directions to great die
lance IN mountainous COUNTRY Thus in great and o..
eiSNe rains, and melting while the water is ,noy
ing with comparatively slow race in the fin 81 section
ana Tor tty eight miles above, lis velocity beyond that
INCREASES more and more approach the mountains
"hs tac dilatory motion below gives time for The in
crehs'nS accumulation from above ovcriakc it, and
10 pr" ucc torrent which mandates the valley from
~ % nun ana sweeps every thing before il that is not
hrmiS liked, wherever the currcut ,,rova;Ie
his VIII enable account for Tho q x,roordi,or,.
fresh OF l77l which rose 30 feet above con,mon tic
and IN l795 10 90 feet This last is marked mon the
door oil The terry Keepers house at Carersyc: that or
90 IS sand by all who were old enough notice it. TO
nave been l2 feet higher than that Of 1895.
"Ihosc which have occurred since this have v,r;,
from common high water mark to % feet above ortna
ry tile.'
tapPears here that il is not coutcn .cd by the rom
missioner that all parts of the canal which are covered
with water will be DESTROYED bu; .yherever the cur
rent prevails" great portion of it may be located
along the foot of the hills, where il NAV he ont of thc
way OF tie curren which altluurh the trash and jo!
'it wood may float into will be secure against abra
SION" But where is located along the raron of tho
river ana exposed to the current il the river rise over
81 is 10 Producea current within the canal the lining
q "A bnt
ION proportional to e slope and teDtb whore &c vol
ed with sone must give way and the wall Itself r,uct
be endangered. And where current prevails arap,t
an c'oa"hhen OF earth either upon the margin of the
river or elsewhere the whole must 20 unless Hreven,o
by pavement, which will be great addition to the ex
pense W
W i'hout going back to the rcsliets of III and 1795
the circumstances of which cannot nerl,as bc so vol,
reco!ecled; although am ted in saving that OF
lT'l rose at the of feet per hour will relate ,e
particulars OF one which occurred in 1914 because
these particulars can be established by hundreds of y
ing Witnesses
YIN Inc - day OF August, al 10 or II o'clock in
The morning, the river at Gainesville was unnsualI,
low and so clear that dollar might be distinctly seen
al Tic bottom AT about that period of the day il hegan
TO rise and before the sun set it reached its b;ohesf
elevation which % feet above common tide Not
cloud had been seen there for several DAYS have
been told from good authority, that it did not attain to
as great height in any OF The upper sections of the
rver although II was there that the rain fell All the
wheat left on the low grounds from CaItersyIc dovn
TO the great falls carried way Indeed there was
Scarceiy spot OF land TO he seen in the whole valley
Whie ociieVe The losses sustained above were more
ihconsderaeic and diminished advance UP the ri.
yer. Tins cannot bat be admitted TO be an incootrn-
vertahe illustration of the principle laid down in the
commissioners report
Since this report made, have looked into tbe
European works e if they can furnish anv cxperi
enCe on this subject.
The canals in England offer parallel case because
inc Island Is but 800 miles broad from one sea TO the
consequently the distance from tie head of tide
wafer TO the dividing ridge comparatively short anil
the ridge itself only about 800 feet high and there
ore they torrents the experience be nothing like
equal TO those which are known here. The canal of
Languedoc bears strong resemblance and may be
said to be case in point
The object of this was to connect bv canal the
ederranean sea al the port OF Cette, with the bay of
Biscay at Bordeaux. From the Cettc along the valley
O the river Au1e 10 the summit level on the Blacic
mountain is 40 miles. and the fall about 600 feet
FROM thence down TO Toulouse the other side of the
mountain. where the canal enters the river Garonnc is
80 miles, and the tall 207 feet. From thence TO Bor-
deauX along the GaTOnne the distance is 1876 miles and
the tau OF 408 feet 1t was begun in the year 1865
and finished from Cettc TO Toulouse in 1855 1t was
then located and sakel off from Toulouse to Bordeaux
But such the apprehension of injury from frcshes
on The Garonne derived in great measure from the
experience OF their effects the valley of the river
Audc, along which the canal passes that was aban
dJned, and has been extended any farther bpt
the bel OF the river used ever since
In work publlshedby Del,aande in 1878, page l51
is The following passage: t has been proposed TO ey.
tend the ROYAL canal as far the mouth of the Tarn
FOR even 10 the AOissac the navigation of the CaroDne
'being so far very difficult This proIonration Of The
canai OF Languedoc had been formerly projected On
1.-THE highest plain TO the west and sonth of the Garonne
bni Tor some years they have thought of placing on
'hc lower plain 1t even slalsed out tlrcuri IFS
"whole length but in memoir printed at NToniaubao
ut was supported that the canal could not succeed on
"ts side, when the inundatoa Of the Garonne would
''iniailiby destroy 81"
1t will be observed That the distance AMI fall from
Toulouse to + rdeauX, is about the same with the dis
lance and fall from Iynchburg the head of the falls
above Richmond. The one being about 15e miles
with 400ieet fall the other about 80 miles wth O8 feet
fall 1t will be observed too that aUo' this is stated
TO be case in point yet is in mach stronger
case than theirs because James & Jacson's river 10
ITS source, Is more than twice long either the Aude
or the Garonne, and descenG5 from mountains vast
deal more lofty than the Black rDountain consequenv
The torrents from our mountain sides and more rand
streams viii expose to heavier nunda Sens than thew
can be subject TO.
In the same page of De Lalande, 1871 speaking of
taking IN water from the hudc they say 'tIcy believe
themselves obliged in the of the pubic interest
to reject these waters of which ancient tradition ard re-
cent effects occasion equal apprehension. They main
tam that no Engineer establish theory on torrents
that experience alone will enable us to appreciate
ther dangers and their Inconvenience; and that canal
whose navigation IT is desirable should be secure and
CONSTANT ought to receive only clear and tranquil wa
iers: That such has been the object fifty four aeuc-
ducts constructed at great expense to reject dangerous