Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1830-12-13

f''i'' ttPhh Tor some time.
the roAd which lies brtweep the ere,, f,Il
~ n""a"ha ahd tharlfstown hssno been fin
ished, owing to the failure OF the contractors :,
comply with their engagements Tn. ,.a,
approach TO your Sc sion induced the Jane,
hi'er Company TO refrain from entering nj,
ne" contracts. until the subject could be full.
presented TO you.
Inc 'echtion OF the residue Of this road from
ma Hs'o"n 10 SANDY, does great credit To the
Judgments skill of,he Principal Engineer, 81 vii
be work which the STATE may advert to with
'ea'"re' ie'there Is IN The arrangement, grow
ing out oil the terms of the law, some defect as
'he commercial point ON that frontier NAV be
'hfown beyond the u isdiciion of the state and
mus lose many oil the contemplated beneiiI,
i"'s eau readily be IcmedIed by new legisla.
i've enactment.
The construction Of the western part of the
turnpike has been contracted Tor, and is IN
progress. Messrs. Colfman, Royce aud Chap.
pril, the underwriters, had flushed about l6
miles OF II early in October last, in n manner
hishly satisfactory, and every expectation is
confidently entertained, that they will faith
iully and .punctually perform their engage
me Is.
The expenditures made for the Improvement
oil The kanawha river, the other branch of this
chahneI 10 thr We.r, have not been attended
with al the benefits winch were eYpr cled 10
now from them.
la attempting 10 improve the bed OF the river
u II perfectly olNionf, that all the work would
D. performed whilst the river was ut hsgreaIesl
depression. At this stage of the water the
channel Is often different from that observed bv
the current, when here is but an lneonside, a i,
b e irrshe'.
While the navigation through shoals aud rim
pies IS benefited nj this state OF depression by
deepening the bed of the Iivei and by the con
slrncion OF wing dams designed aud cacula
ted to throw n greater column OF water into il,
Is frequently injured al point of greater ee.
the natural channel Is often
io"nd on the one side observing its course near
the shore, while the artificial channel is mo,
commonly attempted in the direct hne by OF
cavalions made III the ripple or natural dam.
BY tins means, there is danger Of in iuring or
destroy ing boats on the wing dams, when
there is m mconsid erable rise IN the water
which sometimes floats the boat upon these
dams, and compels the boa,men to tear away
tho work 10 suffer the vessel to pass and when
there is n more considerable ireshet the work
becomes useless moreover, the swii ness of the
current IN those slulces is often such, Ms TO re-
quire many hours TO pass them with u small ear.
go on board, with the assistance derived from
oIds fastened TO riuss at fixed points, dawn
by "A double complement of men. Since the
introduction OF steamboats, ON that river, i. is
asceriained that to pass these sluices nj one
stage OF tie water is SO tedious aod So difficult
that Tho attempt is sometimes altogether aban-
ioned. When the boat enjers tue chsnnel, her
width, including her VIII els. Fl lis up SO much ot
the way, that the whole lOrnIs II Kind OF dam
10 the swiftly descending current, which rises
IN front, and so increases Tue resistance that
Iha navigators are obliged very often to stop
Ia permit the water To now by. Ine whole is n
work OF much abour.
Il, then, the di disbursements on this river have
not conferred all the ben hts expected to dow
from tuem, 1t IS owing 10 the knd OF improve.
ment winch has been resUiied TO. II Is belIcv-
ed hat sluce navigation, whenever attempted,
will be found totally inadequate To the at
Iainment of ANY thlng permanent or impor-
tant.
II further expenditures should be deemed ex-
pedlent. II becomes matter OF earnest cOnside-
rati on, whtthera dam across the river below Elk
Shoals, with a lock on the right bank, would
no IN the end he the cheapest, and II IS Ger
tulnly the best mode Of overcoming The diff cul-
" presented by that o ,sIacle
The communication by canal or railroad,
f. ON James River 10 the New River or Upper
kanawha, is "A subject too important not 10 oc-
cupy a prominent place IN lie arrangement ol
these publIc works.
BY The construction Of such II road, ~ large
and ierllle region will be enabied 10 send 10
market much produce, 10 We'll the exports of
the State, g. add much IL the aggregate wealth
Of the community.
Is, the completion of such an undertaking,
the New RIVER, which Is now utterly useless,
though large Ene river, the longest IN the
State, would become a anal contributing to
this object the rich resources Of IA rrglon aboun-
ding IN IRON and lead and capable OF produc-
iug hemp, wheat, aud tobacco, TO great "a
distractions 10 tue navigation OF
this river, principally exist at and below the
K auawha fails No dou9t rs entertained thai
might nov he used upon 1t, from The
cad mnes 10 hat potni-ihus enabling produce
to a.cend or descend TO the contemplated road.
thousands oil bsrrels VI flour, aud pounds vi
tobacco, which will not Otherwise exist, would
find their way ~ market I"iouSh tho a'neS IA
yer.
Whilst viewing this subject IN all its bearings
upon the great Interests VI the stale, II cannot
escape the Observation of any, that, all the
reg ION of country which lies between Park
ersburg aud " chichester, Is without any com
ncrcial facilities /: IA road udIcIously located IN
that part OF the Stale, would benefit II large
number OF our fellow citizens, aud traverse All
extensive aud fertile county, and cannot fail
to claim an indulgeni consideration. and
rank among the objects deserving tue attention
of the Communw
The Dismal Swamp Canal i. a fine improve
men,, bringing benefits from alar, aud conlr'-
buling much 10 the value and improvement vi
Norfolk, a town which Virginia ~lll cherish rs
beng the Grsl seaport on the Atlantic coast, and
which may at no distant day, when the com
nercIal interests OF the Union shall again be
clam comparison with any other
-Commerce has built all the cites IN the
world the "ant OF it hrs made tie largest
Ia bnation for bats aud Ior Reptiles.
Inc enIerprIs'ng ch,zens OF Petersburg, have
projected aliroad from thdttown TO the Koan-
olle river, ~ hich PROMISES, when viewed asa part
of the whole system, 10 he useful in forming
ink Of the chain Intended 10 connect che trade
of the southern region Win the comn'erce OF
James ih,ei.
Other improvements of great Importance