Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-08-09


which shall put down well the rulifcr' as the
monopolist," whom we regard as equally nimcal to
the peace OF this country. A CITIZEN
II INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT.
MT. Cr,z, mas arrived in this City, and Is now
gagged with Judge Wright In consulting the Surveys Of
the James River - -
w. lay b fer, our Rea'es two Interesting C mmu.
nica'ionf we have received: one from Philadsphia-
uron The of Penrsylv aniaand the other
ttom Citizen OF Richmond. uron plan for conns ,,ing
4 me Basin with the Dock OF Richmond. II is sub
j'cs upon which the las legislature REQUIRED innr-
nation. 10 be laid before its session And The m
elined Pione as sem and d,sc,b by our Co,r.spon
| denr Ptdfor seems 10 answer every desi able pus.
pose.
Tho i'it Of Improvement; 10 abroad upon the Ea-h
ana W., NE Citizens OF Virginia, mus, be blirder than
oa's az nid-iay, no. to see own true Inere-sn
weaker than chiilren, 10 act upon them We mus,
% s-u'ng, or else We shall he outsrirt by every ate
IN The Union. They are upon the aler,-Norh East,
Sou and We''-Groogia 10 calling Convention
Ina South Carolina Rail Road Is advancing with ri
ants side-N. Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mary.
ianj all, all are movog-Ws capnct be siless AID in.
| by Ia than all heir tribe"
We have done something tho i, is on asm,ll scale;
add within sight Of Ills city We sude to IN. Chester
held Rail Road, which visited on Tuesday i'm com
pany viii Judge Wright the 81 Auditor and two o,bsr
gentlemen This Rail Road /, a sing l. ack-sops from
The nesi borhood Of Rockcus, he place of Oh pmsn, I
tho Coal Pits in Chestereld where is dug the admirable
that sells now for 20 bushel for the lump and
l6 for the fine coal.The Rail- Road extends about I3
iniies-We had no idea of the quantity of work which
Vaiue OF the improvement In some places, large
mounds have been erected 10 lay the Rails on in 9TH
ers small hills have been cut down TO find alevel for
me Road Bridges have been thrown over for the use
oil the farms through which il passes The most finish
ed and admirable part of the Work. is at the termina
ton oil the Road, near the Coal Pits where, after go
ing down one Plain about 2-3ds 3-4hs of a mile
winch the Cars descend OF themselves you come to an
inclined plane, which ascends to the top of the Hill
where The pits are situated There is large drum and
rope fixed on the summit of this Hill-and doub
track on the Inclined Pane-and loaded cars hitch
ed TO each other descend on track, and by their
gravity draw up at the same time two empty to
the top oil the Hill. The descending and ascending
cars OF courses pass each other not without exciting
the interest of the Spectator, but without the slightest
INJURY from each other, as they have their respective
tracks 10 move n The operation is curious and beau
hul one-and is amply worth the trouble of visit IL
s oil course, the Ch.f d USuure of the Rail .Road-At
the other extremity of the Road to the James
river the ground is so gradually slcped to enable
the cars to descend by their own gravitation about
IL mes-'hc velocity being reglu ted by the BRAKE.
which rub, against the whses.-The cons,,u c,ion
oil 'he whole road appears TO be very solld-nade OF
he best timber, without any granite We wer,
pleased to hear so distinguished an Ob,erver a,
Judge White express such favorable OPINION of the
manner in which this 6rs, Rail Road in Virginia ma.
been made.-li put up under the direction OF Mon
cure Robinson, and under the immediate ,upevintsn-
dense OF Writ Robinson, two Of tho alive citizens OF
'irgnia;-Ihs fotmsr is now distinguished Engi-
neer in Pcnnsylvania-and the latter /, about
the career OF his cousin in visiting the great
mHnts Of Furonc and recng him eli in Inc pro,e..
sion Of Civil Engineer.
The benefits of the Rail- Rad are already deveIop
ing themselves. Twenty E gh cars were at work, on
Idesday lsst-eaeh draw by one hots,-drawing some
OF them doubs carand they are able 10 draw ,hre.
cars--eacb loaded with 60 or 65 bushels OF Coal The
dihrulty indeed Is to get the made fast enough
FORTY VIII be put on in few days--and perhaps 100
in The courso of few months They carry for cents
bn 'heiwbie the or horse asons, drawing on tbs
parallel turnpike, receive ets hushei-As In. car,
are mounted, me wagons are supsrseded.-Ws under
stand, that the coal is 10 great demand-and eiaht or
en nmes as much could be sold as can be raised We
hsil this first Railroad with CREST lon--and we
hops, wnen tho members Of our Legislature come to
view it, that il wilt animate them airesh in the cause
OF In'ernal Improvement.
TO THE EDITORS OF THE ENOUIPEP@
Genttemen-As the subject Of internal improvements
seems at present occupy the attention of many of your
readers, presume it may not be entirely unacceptable
10 some OF them TO have plain communication on one
branch OF that subject which has lately fallen under nv
observation. In recent visit TO the state of ~ York
mad the pleasure to meet with very intelligent gen.
ueman from the state OF New Jersey, who had had some
agency in the Morris Canal, which extends fsom the
Delaware opposite TO the mouth of the Lehgh to the
town oil Newark on the Passac Rivera distance of
SO Sd miles The gentleman having made frequent
mention OF the inclined planes the route of that ca
nal, was induced TO enquire into the nature of that
sort oil improvement with the view of comparing with
the operation oil locks, and he kind enough after
explaining TO the advantages of the former in part
cular POSITIONS to advise inspect the inclined plane
at Newark. | repaired, accordingly TO Newark ac-
comPaned by friend who took interest equal to nv
own In the object, and were fully graied in our
visit and feel confident, from actual observation that
n many SITUATIONS, especially where there
cient TALL to admit OF working large water-whee as
the moving power and where the quantity of water is
limited the inclined plane has decided advantages over
locks, IN expedition, economy aud Permdnency In the
extension oil the Improvement of James River think
it will be well worthy of the Engineers who shall be
engaged in that work, TO bestow due consideration on
the comparative advantages, many points, of the two
modes oil Improvement AS the locks which communicate
between the Basin at Richmond and the canal leading
into the Dock, in so ruinous condition as 10
require reparatiOn re-construcon would with due
difference, suggest the substitution of an inclined plane
for the present chain of locks Besides the PRINCIPAL
Engineer OF the State, have the presence of
Judge wright, who has probably viewed the Morris
Canal, and give better description of the inclined
planes and OF their successful operation, than could be
expected from unprasiced vOyageur I will merely
remark, however, that Witnessed the ascent of a car
containing loaded boat from the lower to the upper
level Ian empty one descending at the same me) In
the space OF minutes. The perpendicular elevation
is serenity feet and the extent of the plane sepe hun
dred feet. The cars or cradLes as thew are termed
are composed OF strong wooden framework on heavy
iron wheels, which pass railways into the canals al
either end where they receive the boats, and then
drawn along railways by means of continued chain,
attached TO EACH that passes around two horizontal
wheels, which are set in motion by the revolutions of
water-wheel OF twenty four-eet in diameter. The
whole work is extremely simple, and informed,
dd not exceed ten THOUSAND dollars in cost. The gem
tleman who called my attention TO this subject has since
had the goodness TO send printed report made by
committee, OF which he member, TO the Iegis.
lature OF New Jersey, from which make the follow
ing eXraci:-"Noiing more interesting and salts.
factory than the operation Of the inclined plane at Boone
ton, by which elevation OF eighty feet in perpendcu-
lar height was surmounted plane of eight hundred
feet in length The boat in which the committee PASS
ed over this plane, sixty feet in length and eight
and halt feet in width, had In her eighteen toms of
stone and one hundred passengers and was carried
over IN fourteen minutes, while at the time an
empty car descended. Had the descending car con-
tanned loaded boat, the ascent would no doubt
nave been accomplished in shorter time. The