Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1831-06-09
Tsss; VIiRG1N1AN.
LYSCuBJRG. JUNE9. 1871.
JAuEs RIVER IMPROVEMENT.

F
eve, coincide IN o .na,pn win the writer, as to
the eipsdisncy of abandoning tho improve
m snt OF James River. snd substituting for II a
rail road between Lynchburg and Richmond.
C8l Crozet, the State Engineer, ia his lsst
Annua Report 10 tue Board Of Public Works,
mnkes M .stlmste OF The comparative cost and
utility Of three modes Of Improvement between
,hase points-ls, by lock, and dams 2dly,
by m inhepcnhen, canal aud 3 Nv, by a rail
road and espresso, decided preference for
tho former even on the suppo'ii'rn that II was
an original question, and thai the State would
not suffer n pecuniary loss by aba Joining the
Improvement Of til" River. a further survey
OF the route, which vas directed by Tho last
Legislature, aud which We hope will take
place du'ing the present summer, vii tst the
accuracy Of this o, inon in which, by the way,
We have great confidence. II Col. Gro
/ zsl's opinion he correct, II s enttIed to much
additional weight whet the interest held by
] the Commonwealth ~ the James River. aud
which, by the c.ea,ion ota rival stock, would
be materially impaired, II moi made dead
loss, il recon led Morris the EFFECT which a
continued railroad from Richmond TO the ex-
tremny OF tho State, would e.ercise on the
rrowih and prosperity Of that city, aud, other
towns, through which It would pass. an unm-
por'ent enquiry. HOuM il stop at Richmond
Would it not rather seek terminating point
at spot more convenient to the large shipping
which cannot come up 10 that city Aud il
so, would Richmond be the Albany, and Nor
folk the New York ofvirgina We doubt il.
:" Boietourf" seems 10 take il for granted
that the superi,rily OF rail roads water
Improvements IS established. We think, Oh
the contrary, the experiment Is yet TO ,e tried.
In particular locations, they may bo preferable +;
but we are inclined to believe, that in Others,
,h.y must give place to canals-ani that Jar"es
River, between Lynchbnrg aud Richmond, IS
one oi these locations. In the l6tb No. OF the
AMERICAN Quarterly Review, (Dfcember.
I530,) parallel is run between ran roads aud
canals, decidedly 30 the advantage oflhe lat
tor. we make a few extracts, as suitable
" Bnt.tourt -
" There are. of course, innumerable insian.
ces where railroads must be resorted TO- be-
causc no Otter method eau he employed. So
llso he circumstances Of the country may
place the -ni.road under peculiarly advanta-
seous circumstances, and thu canal under those
oil great diligently. Thu, the route. of the ca
nel may be vety cneotous. the change OF
level and consequent number of locks very
| ersa ana The delays and embarrassments that
hence rn''e, will give n prep 'nderance 10 a
mora Itpii, even # more costly means of
hRrspou1ton, To cite instances Of THIS de- |
| sen pnon the canal between Albany aud Sche-
n"Cta ~ is twenty-uine miles IN length aud |
has tsenty-nine locks while the projected !
raj road between The same tw points Is not /
murf than half the length, and even wers the |
Get oil transportation per mieo the Iail-ioad,
doahlr, The ia'Ier would be able 10 carry goods !
between he two points AT the same expense. !
\ 'tlli further saving would lake place IN point |
OF Time, M the rni road could he passed readily |
ia live hours by horse power, while the canal |
now occupies tori wright. A simllar instance, |
so far as he Number of locks is Concerned, is |
10 be found IN tina Canal and raj -road pro led |
between the waters Of the Cuessp, ake auI .. |
hi". The change OF level Is great that the
| railroad viii pIobahly furnish the cheapest |
aud even II horse po"er be enpo ed tar the |
speediest means OF carriuge but neilher Can |
probahl, compete With tue line al iran. potta- |
tho Western canal OF the state OF New YORK, |
| and the Hudson
| ka'.roads, however, ore about TO derive
new advantages from the application of steam
| 10 locomol,on. Ihe tticiIon upon rnii-inad
has measure, wholly independent oil the W.
locity, aud hence the expenditure ot power 10
| perform given distance with a given lun.
VIII be constant Great velucii,s may, there
lore and have been obtained upon ran rnads
! at small Q Saving ot tetno IN 10 ,,o,o
Pa'ncuari ." u'hc, when passengers or val
nahle co dsa.a o be carried ana We have IN |
! thI' Way anu II case IN which railroads will |
| he pheitrnhs "a canais. Thus, between the
| Delaware and Rarian MYERS. to form the COM
munlcaiiNn bet ZEN the Two great cities of
Ne" York and Philadelphia, rail road " ould
| be profitable II. spne oi the construction OF d
J parallel cEnel.
J "Canals ar, however, capable of important
! impt"Neh Mt Shlch ma, again raise them Ia
he le'e 81 RAJ Dads, PEI apS make them su-
perior, e'en ,g some ot toe cases wherein W.
nave gwen the preference 10 tbe latter. Thus, !
WHEN the c3aagp OF l.vel ~ great the resour-
ces q nee tnics certainly PROMISE that sub
stItn Is io' .cks, IN the torn 81 lnthned planes
or some other mechanic power mny he found,
into siugle one OF which, the whole fall oil
many los KS may be accumulated, and tue pas.
sage OF " b CHI Will MOI require moie time, nor
cause tie boats to incur more dela,, than
single iock Thus. were the ChesapeaAe aud
OHIO canal to be laid out upon the prInciple OF
nslns iutlhed planes, twenty or thirty OF ihem
would replace its tnlee hundred locks, and
the transportation On il would become M
cheap as on the New York canal, aud FAR less
man II could be upon tie parallel rail-
rosd."
NaIl-roads arc in truth, almost az com.
/ pienly restricted to levels as canals. We have
seen that upon a common road slope. of q ne |
IN ioty are perfectly admissible, while much |
greater ones are 10 be found in practice. A,
The former inclination upon an undulaiing
road, horse will work with perhaps as much |
advantage as upon a level OF equal effectiv. |
length, for no IS capable of extra .xer,Ion at |