Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1826-05-05

ard between the Great fails ard tide water ll3 feet III
miles; making the whulo descent from Savage river
II TIDE water, $50 feet m distance of 2l0 miles The
Potonac Is, therefore, lie most rapid of the great Al
lantc
The rive: Shenandual, hrancb ofthe Potomac, which
JOINS at iarrers ferry. after of ESQ miles
through the great limestone valley has been made ma
rIsable 10 Port Republic, than 200 miles from
its month The ONLY distractions in this distance were
the falls IN the last eight miles of its course which have
been ovc;cUnc by SIN different canals, 20 feet wide j
feet deep, extending together 100 Yards and having
stone locks, ccctUy All descent Of nearly fifty feet
The who!c expended in the inproy enent of the
Potomac river navigation including that of the She
nanLual according 10 Mr. { Galatians rcrort made i'm
1903, was Si44,652.
flames rjce cttris.'rhis river is nayigablc for
sells of l25 Rockets mile below Richmond,
where are the principal distractions TO the naYgation.
In the CITY OF Echmoui there twelve locks, over
coming ascent of 80 feet, connecting tide water with
the basin Shocloc Hill. From tins basin a canal
p feet wide and feet deep, proceeds along the bank
OF the rYer Tor two and hall miles and then the
stream, the bed of which is made use OF for three miles
further and 1T the end OF this distance there are three
locks, overcoming ascent Of feet. From the up
per lock canal 200 yards long leads c Wesham, al
the upper cri Cf ;he Great Fails. Above the Great
Falls there few obstructons and tue james River
company many years since removed all obstacles to
the passage OF boats drawing inches of water for
miles From message of the Governor of Virginia
to the legislature IN December last, perceive that an
independent canal has just been completed alone the
banks OF the river, from the head of the Great Falls to
Maiden Adventure falls, place which we cannot find
upon the map but which we presume is twenty thirty
mules above R;cnond and the governor urges upon the
legislature hc Importance of taking measures innedi-
ate!y for extending this canal To Lynchburr IA miles
above richmond, or at least 70 Columbia at the mouth
OF Tie RYauna.
James s'iter and Oti0 r04d and cQ9al-Ia the wear
1920, tie board of public works OF Virginia recommend
ed TO the general assembly the following as ie best
practicable method OF opcning communication be-
ftVn fltay v.+ nrcf F,r-,- ~. 81
II. An independent canal from the basin AT Richmond
up the valley OF James river and EacIsons river one
or lis branches TO the mouth OF Dunap's creek dis
of two hundred and fortv-1!irc miles. o 4
good road from the mouth Of nunlap's creek across
the Allegheny mountains, TO the kenhawa river lust
below the Great Falls, distance of 90 miles: and 3
From the foot OF these falls Mount Pleasant on the
Ohio, at the mouth Of the EcuhIwa, distance Of 81
miles, they propose that the bed of lie river shoud be
made uavigable by locks and dams Sc The whole
distance from Richmond to Point Pleasant on This route
IS 1873 mics he expense OF The independent canal
IS estimated at 799 166 that of the road at 90 COO
and that %: Tie improvements III the NAVIGATION of the
Kenhawa at i5650 in all : !,9i5,IlG. The mouth of
Dunaps creek was ascertaned TO be 238 feet above
the tide at Richmond, and the lowest point on the
dividing TilGe between Dunap's creek and the Great
Fails OF the kenhawa, is 2178 feet above the tide and
1889 above the kenhawa at the foot of the Great falls
From the foot 0! tie Great falls to the mouth of the
kcuIawa, tie river dcscen,ls 1903 feet.
From t!sc message OF the governor OF VilciDia re
ierred to N the preceding article il viii be perceived
that small part Of the independent canal t The eastern
extremity o The route IS already finished aud il is pro-
babe thai measures vii! BE taken for gradual extern
sion OF the wor. t tie whole Is coinoctcd 10 bn Ohio
The prncipa! articles to he transported on this line of
communication are salt Of which more dian SOC coo
bushels are annually made on tie waters of The
Tenhawa. and coal, which is found in great Hbn,d.
ahce DOLE on iue heu!a"a , III The vicinity Of Rich
mond.
Dismal Soqn,p CIaGi-I his canal extends 22l miles
in length from Deep creek a branch Of the Snuth
miles .i,,v
Joyccs creek, which discharges itself into the Pasoro-
tank, thirty miles from It's mouth in A5eInarge sound
Vessels drawing feet ascend both creeks 10 each
extremity OF The canal. The Intervening ground alone
the eastern margin Of The Dismal SWAMP is almost To-
vel, the rise towards the middle ey ceedine two feet
above the two ciro;uities which al only is feet above
tide water The canal receives abundant silrpIy of
water through icCGCr > miles long leading from a!z
J)CunmOnt natural cscryoir in the centre of Tho
swamp, , miles III circumference and about six feet
higher than the level of the canal. The descent from
the summit level 10 the Ii at each extremity of tbc
canal, IS accomplished by pair of locks of 16 feet
nj Zach locS is nincty feet long, and eighteen and a
half broad.
ihe Dismal Swamp canal originated in the concur
rent acts OF the legislatures of Virginia and North "a
rolna, incorporating company for constructing H. in
tue year 1907. ari IS nearly completed, ACCORDING
% Tho original plan with the dimensions mentioned IN
our table aud has been 10 the receipt of tolls for con-
siderable tImc with the present dimensions however
the canal not admit Tie passage Of large vessels and
as 1t IS very desirable III national point Of view that
there shonld be uninterrupted inland soop nav
ton extending along the Atlantic coast as far as poss
bic, the congress OF the United States at their present
session authorized the Secretary of the Treasury 10
scribe for six hundred shares of Tie canal stock amount
ing 10000 to enable the company to increase the
width and depth Of the work so that they NAV cores
pond, II necessary, with those OF tie Chesapeake and
Delaware and tie Delaware and EarItan canals; or at
least be sufficient for the admission Of the largest kind
OF craft which can be emplcye in the Sounds of North
carolina. The tolls Of itc canal in lis present state
are about $4,000 annually, but when completed on
the plan proposed, it is supposed thai they will amount
TO four tunes this sum.
'rho canal has since been ;siienea and connected
T. the Editors Of the Democratic Press
"Utshjngton 20,b 4pyU, 1926.