Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1830-11-04

Charlottesville, Fincastle, Charleston, (kanaw-
ha and Wyihe G House.
ALBION MCDANIEL Chairman.
ID. H. EpLEY. oecretafg.
R.port ofthe River Committee.
The Committee appointed To enquire into
the erpedency pf eifrciiue - Steamboat Nav-
gaiion on James River, from Lynchburg tn
Richmond. together with the probable cost OF
the work. ask leave 10 REPORT
Thai, in The discharge Of the duty assigned
them. they have opeoed cortpsnnndence with
M. David Dck, Of Meanwhile Penn. the enlei-
prisins proiecto, of Steamboat navigation on
the Allpphany river; IL Mr. TbomHs Blanchard.
of SpringGeld Mass. the builder of the boat
used on that stres,n. Tue letters oil those gen
iIempn communicating u descripfiou OF their
boat and the results oftlie,r experiment, a,e
herewith submitted. Your committee have
al o been favored, by gentleman of this place,
with the perusal of "A private letter from dis
tiuenishrd engineer OF another State, upon the
subject of the James River inprovemen--and
one fiom another gentleman oi high standing
communicating some vhihable information IN
relation 10 the Schuylkill Navigation. From
an examination OF these documents, The several
REPORTS that have been made To the leg stature,
aud to the Board of Pnbllc Works" upon the
Information obtained from other Intelligent in
dividnas (snd amongst them the talented aud
scientific ea Q nper of this State your commit.
tee have arrived At the conclusiop that il would
be practicable 10 aay gate the james RIVER with
steamboats, uf the description Used on he Al
lrghanv in its present siate--or. at most with
such improvements of tn present sluices
could he made at nGo nslderahle expense, ~
least during the high waief Of the winter aud
spring. Whether such a nayig alton would an
swer the pnrpo.e thia meeting has ~ view, pre-
| senisa ditierpn', and IN the opinion OF your
! committee much more important question.
| The exports constitute hi least ihree iaurths
of the whole tonnage on James River. The
principal articles oil export are tobacco and
| -four. The latter Of these articles must OF oe-
| essity be carried To market in the latter part
| of he summer and IN the autunu, or lose the
! profit of the early market which gives To the
| Richmond -four such decided advantages IN
South America, ard in the Norihern markets
of our own country. The same observation
will apply to the larger and more valuable
part Of the tobacco crop; IT being tact well
known TO all engaged in that trade, that a
| comparatively small proportion OF il is ready
for expor,aiion earlier than June or July.
| These remarks to a considerable extent apply
llss to impo,ts. much The larger portion OF
| them heing made in the months oil September
and October, when the river IS usually at its
lowest state. This statement oil facts make
il apparent to your committee that any in.
provement that would no, give us good
ma VigsIion at all seasons of the year would be
OF inconsiderable ad,antageto Lyncbburg or
the upper James river country.
! With these views your committee have found
IL necessary TO enquire whether sny, and ~
any, what Kind OF impros ement would effect
! this object After the best consideration your
committee have been able TO besiow upon this
| important question. they have Come 10 the CON
clnsiou that the plan Of oflocks and dams. from
Mai1en's Adventure to Lynchhnrg. as recon
mendcd by Mr.. Crozei IN his able aud satlsiac.
tory Reports to The Board of Public Of Public
| Works, IN 1926 and 1928, (for full d~scrip-
ton and estimate Of which your comm ities re
! fer TO those Reports, herewith submited) is
the only plan that promises this result Whe-
| Their some alteration might no, be made IN that
plan. hy substituting an improved siuice navi-
| CATION for locks and dams, at some OF the les,
| iith cult poiuis. your committees will not unde r
take TO say. Shoult the work, however, be un-
dertaken your committee would consider thus a
question we'll w,rthy the grave consideration
! of these TO whom its man Ak ement may be com.
United.
Having arrived al this point in their labors
the next subject OF enquiry with your commit
! tee was, whether the tonnage upon the river
could ali ,rd To pay such tolls as would Justify
mourning the cost o. such work By refer.
ence To Mr.. Crozet's Report, (l2th An. Rep
board Pub. WkS. page 253,) It will be seen that
! the cost Of the improvement from Lynchburg
TO Malden's Adventure is estimated At S664, l40.
He estimates (page 254) that the tolls ought TO
produce S64,Olo, or nearly 10 per cent per
! nnpum, To pay the interest on the capital eY-
pended and the Cost ofrephlrs and supernten.
| dants With view 10 ascertain how far the
tonnage of Lynchburg alone would go towards
paving this sum. yonr committee have obtained
from the warehouse hooks, -four inste ctors,
m,lers AMI merchants of Lynchburg estimates
| Of The actual amount OF tonnage TO aud IRON
Lynchbarg within the last twelve months. I he
total thus ascrriained is 30. las lbs. or IL
s44 6SS- 2240 tons, ui which ahoni three fuurihs
we're shipped down the river TO Richmond and
the other one fourth up from thence. Making
allowance for the unprecedented depression OF
trade and commerce of every description,
during he past year, your committee would
feel justified in estimating the average amount
] At 20,0O0tons. or about ~ per cent cent more
( than the actual amount thus ascertained Tor
last year. But. not TO appear too sanguine
your commmittee will vaie il at the even a
mount Of $1,000 tons. Yoar committee est
| mate the average cost OF transportation in the
present state OF the navigation AT 80 cents per
| 100 lbs. or So ~ per ton, exclusive of the toll
now paid on the canal below Maide.'s Advep.
ture. By a reference TO Mr.. Crozelt's Rtpor,