Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1825-12-15

Easter side OF the mountain has fall of e5 feet
to the mile One mile aud third of the summit
level will be tunnel, and about 10 mile. will be
deep uting, increasing in depth from its extreme
end on each side of the mountain to il. entrance
into the tunnel! at which place it will be SIS feet
deep; and TO give 1t proper slope, it will no, be
less than 100 feet wide at top, unless the excava-
ton should be OF rock, In which case it will be
much more expensive.
From the western end of the summit level to the
mouth OF Belr creek Ii al miles, the fall is o.
feet to the mile la order to raise the water in the
streams the side of the mountain so as to give
six feet depth OF water in the summit level il is
proposed erect several dams Of various heights,
the highest oil which is to be 81 feet The whole
amour; Of rise and fail being 1897 feet, the num-
Der oil locks, supposing them 10 be feet Lift each
Oh an average which, believe, will be thought by
most Engineers, a proper average, will be about
iSO All this we are told by the Engineers can be
done at a moderate expense, but you and | who
VIII have 10 pay our proportion of it, will think il
erroneous.
was much surprised to see in the Enquirer of
the lth November, that al meeting of the people
oil Frederick county, Maryland, on the 26th oil De-
tober last, with view to the promotion oil gene
raj scheme OF internal nprov ement the cost of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was estimated at about
81, 900 900, of which sum, il was calculated that
the District of Columbia would raise one million,
sand, the State of Mar, land five hundred thousand
end the balance cventeen hundred and iify thou
sand, 1t was supposed, would be subscribed Dy 90
vernment and indy iduals. i am at A loss TO con-
ceive how any man al all acquainted with The sub
ject could have brought his estimates to such a
result, with the fact staring him in tie face that
there are 1887 feet of locSage. The general cost
ut constructing locks of the best Workmanship in
the United States, is one thousand dollars per foot
| ,taI ia 81. a..
was he average of the locks in New York
There Is sometimes extra work in preparing the
loundatons where there l. rock blast or niles to
drive, and from the character of this ground we ma
expect great deal of the former TO be required
There must he guard loci; at every feeder and
basins VIII often be introduced between the locks
10 equalize the current. So that if include these
we shall be very sale in putting down'the item of
iockaSe alone at four millions of dollars. The
same cause winch produces the lockase viz the
teii IN the stream which Is generally upon rock
(or the stream viii eNcavate lis bed till arrested by
ROCKY also produces tie necessity of blasting TO ex-
cav"te the bed of the Canal Because the rock
which occasions the ripples will most commonly
SLOW Itself in the hills opposite to them, This
makes Il eNped,ent 10 wall aud line The canal a.
well because l. Is the realizes; way 10 dispose of the
rock, as because there will be for the most part
scarcity OF earth to form an e,nbankment, and in
such cases even the earth and clay required to line
and puddle the wall, is necessarily transported n
considerable distance. And where the fall amounts
10 30 feet per mile it does for . miles ON one
side OF the mountain, and to 6i feet per mile as it
does Tor IA miles on the other, may readily i'm
agine that throughout the whole of these TWO spa
ces, there will be continued chains of waing from
lock 10 lock, or nearly This added to all the
rest OF the walling which will be required on the
line OF the canal the aquelucts culvers, bridges,
the ten miles oil deep cutting, the stupendous dams
the long line oil excavation and all its concomiian
expenses, Will lie d 10 probable conclusion that
the four millions of dollars for the single item of
lociSage will not be one-tii,h, perhaps, no one
sixth part OF the whole expense of the work. The
lockase in New York has probably cost about one
elev enth part OF the whole. And whilst it is ad-
mtied that he proportion of loclxage on the Ches-
apeake and Ohio Canal is very far beyond that on
the Erie Canal, II will be observed OIL the other
hand, that the same cause which produces the diff
terence In the lockage, produces something like a
correspondent difference III The expense of excavat-
ing large portion of it through rock instead of
earth The difficulty of raising water 10 the sum
nit level by the enormous dam, before mentioned,
Is unknown in the New York Canal The summit
level is III I'D miles, with tunnel: how much
of this cutting is through rock, l cannot say so
tar is tunneed, it i'll he fortunate if is en-
trely OF rock, Tor it will cost less 10 blast through
rock than 10 carry an arth through That in New
York, through the mountain ridge, as well as can
rccoect, is about seven miles il length, no tunnel
less than three miles tToush rock, aud 10 part Of
i, so feet deep
la lately understood that locks are built to
the North upon cheaper plan, with hammered
instead of cut stone, which requires great desl
more cement to fill the joints, a circumstance NOT
20 much regarded there since hey have il ct hand.
Tins, howe, er, ould have but little influence O
Tie aggregate estimate Of work like this, which
Tor III 'gni'udc OF design, and enornltY OF expense
u probably uHpaTal eled IN a.y counlry. do not
believe that any canal la u rope oge,comes sum-
mil exceeding COO ieei, while this will have to en-
coun er one OF more than SIX tines that amount
have been The more particular in dr,.ing YOUR
attention 10 his SUBJECT, because it Is proposed to
bring our dear native Virginia into this scraps So
tar ~ II Is con' emPlaiei o perform the work with
the funds OF the general yernment these things
may no have any effect in preventing it, because
While II would operate d fiooi-gate 10 PIE, eat
the tariff from overlooking he treasury, il would
have fine effect la Strengthening the arm of 90
vernrBebi, 10y it, liberal increase OF Executive pat
10 a-e.
fhe object of this canal communication, is to in
wife the t'ade OF Pntsburg to tie Atlantic ports,
instead OF alio.,ing 1t to 90 down the Ohio and
Mississippi 10 uie 'iuli OF 1leXico, where nature
seems 70 have designed i should 20. | would OF
% undersoo to say Is rous in all cases % 1T
tempt TO DIVER the commerce Of any portion Of
the ounry from the channel that nature .eems TO
have provided Tor 1t: but Will say, that before we
take the case on; OF natures hands by such mon
strous diversion this, we should count wen the
cost 1i 30 rash enterprise.
There i good steam boat navigation at this time
from Pnsburg to the head OF the falls of OHIO at
Louisville, and rom Louisville 10 New Orleans
And when tie shor canal around the falls is finish
Ell, there will be no obstruction left in the way
OF steam boats throughout the whole distance
except the s'wyers aud such other impedl@
mens as will be from time TO time removed.
DAILY Improvements are making in the application