Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-03-31


given slope, wnen the circumstances Of the case hap
pened 10 tally with some former work In which he had
succeeded or faed but, out Of the pale Of his oon
experience ne could only make sAoAc IoUs CUES,
| "a remarkable instance OF his occurred NOT looy
ago A small squeduc, was lately carried into Paris
bad been conducted on plan presented to the Aca.
DENY, VINO nad corrected II and report of wha,
lite performance would be- W,hsn erseu,ed in the
n.osf accurate manner, 1t deficient m The proper
non noe to nine. wh-n the celebrated Dssas uliers
was employed 10 superntend the Bringing water
in'o Ednborg, TO supply the city, he cave Iepor, on
he plan which wa. TO be followed. IL ,cas executed
70 mas complete s1fiydction and the q,tanftu of ara.
ter dshreTed tcds about ONE SIXTH of the 0uanfitu
he promised and about ELEVENTH of tbat ,rbic1
the no less celebrated nociauin calculated from the
| same pfdn."
In the course of "prac,ieaI inferenc.s con,a;n;,v
ques,ioD' and problem, we find the foowiry obs sr
| vatons on Engineers. eve are all eoralv cert,i,
VA, Of those who call themselves Engineer. and who
wioout ne tatior, Undertake Jobs OF enormou, ex
peuse, not one in ten IL able even 10 guess At The p.
suit OF such operations, the circumstances o. III
case happen to eoncds with those OF some other pro.
eet he h's evscutsd has distinctly ex,mjn.J. an
very few have the sag city ard penetration
Tor appreeiatipg the effects of the disting cir
cumstances which yet remain"
10 page Egg W. have modes of making small rivers,
&c Int for navigation. Here, we find much IN In
ruc' tmprover CT river navigation in Europe; and
more TO inform him 10 North Ame rics where the rains
are more heavy and more copious and produre an
much more sediment than in the Eastern Hemisnbe,e
enormous expense"
ahet
ana local circumstances. I" But, here is a circum.
stance which must b, attended to, and which If ne
may, in short time, render all our work use
a ihese gates must frequently be opened in time
OF "eshes; and as this channel then has its natural
slope increased in every reach by the great
oil Tue sec'iou In the gates and also rolls along srea
er oooy OF wher'the action OF the stream on its bed
mus' oe increased by the ton of velocity
which these circumstances will produce and although
we may say that the general slope is NECESSARILY Sc
cured oy The 's OF tbs hood gates. which are paved
w ,l.p1.
hinder this increased from dig cling up the bot
'om ~ the intervals, undermining the banks and lodg.
ns me mud and earth, thus carried of, in places
whsre the current meets with any check"
Our quotations will be concluded with the LEARNED
writer's general observations.
ms example Gas tn ood.g in rivers 10 be mad.
naVigaoe) not only illustrates the method of pro.
cee'iag so as TO be ensured of success but also gives
~ precise instance of what be 'o-e In case
wo'rn cannot but frequently occur. We see that a |
Podtgtous erc1rdtt0n is necessary in order tn ob,o;
permdnency. We have been obliged to enlarge The |
Pt"t'se he'd 70 about thrice lis former size so tina,
me excavation is at least wo-thrds Of what the o.her
me'hod required. The expense. however will sill
De vastly Inferior to the other both from the nature
me worke and the qnanti Of ground occupied. AT
ALL EVENTS, THE EXPENSE Is ENORMOUS, AND |
WHAT COULD NEVER REPAID by THE sNAv1-
CATION EXCEPT IN VERY RICH AND popuIous
COUNTRY
e" There is ar other circumstance TO he attended n
Inc navigation OF the river must be perv des,,forb
unless they Che dams and gaes) are eztensipeIy MI
merous and OF small hegh,s-the natural surface Of
me s"ei o'ing concave 'pwards, the additions made
ny us different parts in the primitive height NJ
river, decrease rapidly as thew approach ~ The
where the awel terminates; ard three gates anb NJ
wmeh raises the water one foot when placed al the
proper distance from each other, will raise the water
much more than two gates at twice the distance each
raising thu water two feet. More ,ver when The eIe
walton produced by flood gate is considerable. ex
ceeung a very lew inches, the fall and cprrep, nro
'ucea by the opening al the gate il such that M h.,
can possibly pass up the rivsr and il runs imminen,
rsS Of oeing over'et and SUNK in the attempt 70 90
ha ctr -, -
sWfory. number OF lighters collect tbenseJy.o -,
he gates and wait their opening They pass throupb
as soon as the curren. becomes moderate. This would
no rhaps. be very hurtfu in regulated ma viga,;on
y fhey could then proceed on their uoyage But The
boats bound up the river stay on the upper side
o, me gMe, which they have just passed. because the
ehanne IS now too shallow for them to proceed Those
pound down the river only go to the next gate
nniess has been opened time nicely adius,ed IN
Inc opening above it. The passage downwsSds mav
w many cases. be continued by uery INTELLIGENT and
tentiUe tocf-men; but the passage up ust he exceed
hsy teoious Nay, we may say, that tchiIe the pas
sage a1'o",SdTds is continuous it is but in very je,o
coses 'ha' 'he Passag' upDdrds is practicable.
"ii we add to these Inconvenience, the great dan
ger OF passage during the freshes, while ali the gates
are OPEN ana the immense and unav odahe accumula-
uoh OF zee ON occasion euen Of slight Jrosts we NAV
see mat this method OF procuring an inland napgG-
and HAZARDOUS"
cit did not therefore, merit on lie oyn accor,, a..
attention we have bestowed on it,"
"Bt 'he discus ion absolutely ne sarv in orda,
10 sheW what must be done in order TO OBJ ain fleet
and permaDency; and thus prove mt us aging in
Pr1Jec', winch TO person not duly iniormedis so
feasible and promising" "
MANY professional Fog .neers are ready and p;,b
hones, int ut one, to undertake such tasks And by
avoiding ihi'iiDmenss expense, they succeed (W,t |
ness The old navigation OF the MeIcy0 But the ,,ork
mas no duration; and not having found veIv SER
ceaoe' i's cessation is not matter of much regret
ne work is not much spoken of during its continu.
ancr. 1t IL soon forgotten we'll as is failure and
Engineers are found ready 10 ENGAGE for s,h a.'
Their" " ~ 'o
p 5. l would beg to refer to a recent article in |
the Bnner, the subject of the actual expendilurs
on canals In Pennsylvania, and the light in which |
raj roads are viewed in Great Britain thew threaten
supercede. L would a so notice an ide new to me |
IN Richmond paper; namely, that New York derives
revenue from the Canals. ! should like To see an |
aeeoun, oil her expenditure, and a comparison of the
original estimates with the final cost.
TO THE EDITORS OF THE ENQUIRER
understand that, en- Saturday, the bill tran,f-rriDe
me delinquent AID forfeited lands, the actua tile
pdss1d me senate pretty much 10 the shape came from
me House OF Delegates. Doubts AVE been ene Rain
u IN many Parts of the State whether hs lie gisa,ur
possessed the power TO do what is CONTEMPLATED bv ina
bill, and whether IL would be iust to do 60. Ibave
. cen Informed that the argument OF Mr.. MComas OF
Logan proved coecusvely the power of the govern
meDt 70 pass the law: That he let no doubts on The
mIDd OF most Of those who heard him of the ius,ic
81 the mea ure: And that he described in glowing CO.
lours The difficulties under which the inhabitants of
IN "esi Is6oursd in consequencs OF the uncertainty
u me land utes AS IL is important, that every psrt
o. the Sate End all who ars interested, should be sa
shei OF he justice OF the measure ask il as fvonr
81 that gentemaD to write out and have his spsecb nm
That subject published
WESTERN VIRGINIAN