Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-12-17

:
al point on that frontier may be thrown
oeyonG The jurisdiction o. the State,
ana thus Lose many of the cuntempl.
ted benefits. his can readily h.,
remedied by a new Legislative enact
ment.
he construction of the western mart
OF the Turnpike has been contracted
Tor and is IN progress. Mcssrs. Golf
man, Royce and Chappell, the under
takers, had finished about rs miles Of
IL early III October last, in manner
mgh'y satisfactory, and every expccta-
'ion is confidently emteriainea, that
tHey Will faithfully and pumc,uallv per-
infm their engagements. The expeu-
di'u'es made for the lnpr ,vement ct
the kenawha River, the other branch
OF this channel To the ives, have MT
| teen attended with all the benefits
which were eXprctd to fow from
them
la attempting tn improve the bed of
the river, It is perfectly obvious, that
all the work would be performed whilst
The river was a, lis creates, depression.
At ms stage OF the water the channel
is often different fiom that observed bv
the current when there Is but an IN
considerable freshet.
| Whilst the navigation through shoals
aud rIpples is benefited IL, this state Of
depression by deepening the bed of the
river, and 10y the construction of wing
dams, designed and calculated to throw
greater column of water into il. il is
ileq"ently injured at point of greater
elevation -because the natural channel
Is often found on the one side observ-
| ing ITS course near the shore. while
the artificial channpl is most comments
attempted in the direct line, by exca-
vatlons made III the ripple or natural
dam
ny this means, there is danger of IN
Juring or destroying boats on the VIM
uains, when there is an inconsiderable
rise IN the water, which sometimes
lloats the boats upon these dams. AMI
co'hpeiS the o"atmen to tear away the
work to suffer the vessel To pass; and
when ;here Is more considerable
treshet, the work becomes useless ::
moreover the swlltness of the current
IN those sluices Is often such. as to re.
quire many hours to pass the n. with a
small cargo OIL board, with the assist
ance derived from cords fastened TO
rings at liked points drawn by a double
compliment ct men. Since the intro
duction OF steamboats, on that river. if
is ascertaned that t. pass these sluices
AT one stage of the water is so tedious
ana nifflcult. that the attempt Is some
iim"s altogether abandoncd. When
the BOAT enters the channel, her width
including her wheels, fills no so much
OF the way, that the whole forms kind
OF dam t. the swiftly descending cur
tent. which rises in front, and so in
cieaseS Tie resistance that the nayiga
tors are obliged very often to permit the
water t. flow blythe whole is work
OF much labor.
III then the disbursements on this RI.
yer have not conferred all the benefit.
expected to flow from them, it is owing
to the KIND of Improvement which has
been resorted to. 1t is believed that
s!nice navigation, whenever attempted
VIII be found totally inadequate TO the
attainment OF any thing permanent or
important.
If further expenditures should be
deemed eXpedlent, it becomes a mat
ter OF earnest consideration, whether a
dam across the river below Elk Shoals
with a lock on the right bank would
not IN the end be the cheapest; and II
Is certainly the best mode OF overcom.
ing the difficulties presented by that OBJ
stacle.
The communication by canal or raj
road from James River or upper Ken
awha, is a subject TOO important not t,
occupy prominent place i'm the ar
raoge'nent OF these public works.
J by tn construction of such a road
large aud fertile region will be enable,
10 send to market much produce {,
swell The exports Of the State, and ado
much to the aggregate wealth of tn,
community.
: BY the completion of such an under
taking, the New River, which is nov
} utterly useless through large fine rive
the longest in the State, would becom
= canal contributing to this object tn
3 rich resources of a region Astounding i
iron and lead, and capable of producin
. hemp, wheat and tobacco to great a
i mount. The distractions To- the nav
: CATION Of this river principally exist Z
: and below RIchDond's ialls-no douE
e Is entertained that batteaux might no
: be used upon it from the lead mines I
n that point, thus enabling produce to a
t. cend or descend to the contemplate
road-Thousands Of barrels Of flour an
e pounds of tobacco which will not othe
= wise exist would find their way 10 ma
l. nt IIrL.L,.rl. l..