Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1831-06-16

numerous examinations heretofore made sui
hC'eni Aud were not the estimates former
~ furnished sufficiently accurate WI,
incur any further expense, when a Gna! sur
Vey must necessarily be made, nfef he pia,
mas been adopted before actual operation
eau commence Surveys for the purposes o
Examination are never sufficiently accurat,
10 form the basis OF contracts, or 10 dir.c
tue operatives in their labors, One or tive
careful examinations, at most. are sufhcieu
| Tor The purpose OF determining upon "a pls0
odt mat minuteness AID accuracy necessary
10 ulrect and govern practical operations
can never be obiained until frequent repe
'r'onS AFFORD an opportunity 10 correct for
mef errors. Besides, final survey often cor
reefs erroneous impressions in respect 90 IN,
location OF the means OF improvement, A
'oek may he changed from the ground where Il
was brst intended 10 be placed +, "A dam may
oe raised or lowered removed further up OF
Gown the stream, so as to materially alter the
original design, without essentially varying
the expense. Numerous details are duterInin-
ed upon when a final survey Is completed, that
NJ hrsi, are deemed Of little importance ;
insufficient in magnitude TO be egarded ia
Tue estimate of an aggregate expense. II
mere was serious impression thai the Rail
nohd system would be preferred, from
Lynchburg 10 Richmond. then, admit that
""''NJ W ifBhEu lD INut ntiuDii oil Improve
'heht WAS necessary but in reference to a
canal, or ~ tho improvement OF The aver no
snch necessity existed. On the contrary numer.
Gus former surveys have furnished ample mems
OF information upon those Two points. The
expense oil survey therefore IN reference TO
canal ahd 10 the lock and dan, proposition
l regard as beiug not only unneee ssary
but extremely unwisc, inasmueh as the
aeiay thereby oeess'oncd is alike unfortunate
and unjust. But | cannot believe thai any
J"d'' ioos, real friend 10 internal Improvement
was thus Impressed that he would have
regarded a hail Road rs the most desirable
method IN reference TO the communication
between those two towns tor almost every
consideration leads the mind to prefer the loo
"hu uaIh proposition to any Other plan Of ,tu-
pfoyenent.
Surveys have been made aud remade rr-
ne~ed aud re-re1e"ed, aud Iapi upon one ano.
lher, Tor peIi1d OF nearly - years, until
'heh 'u''her continuance appears 10 me wotse
man ~ Vn'a !: h lavish and useless expenditure
Report has followed report, from the hand,
OF tbose thus employed uutli their numerous
volumes, iogeihe, with high enormous wages
have swelled The eApences OF examination to
an amount alike buIdensome nni GENERALLY.
unknown. During one year only, ending the
LIST OF December, 1897, iheIe was pad To ia.
Chiet Engineer, thu sum of 81, 400 o6 cent,
including his salary Of SO 900 loi Ihe eHp,n-
ces OF surveys and cxdminal IONS: tina,
together with other eHpences incurred by the
board oil fablIc Works OF that year, nmoun-
ted 10 the sum - 657 81 cents. A sum
presume largely exceeding 10000 has been
expended Tor siuar purpose, sInee the com
mehcemeni OF Their EOors. Preca Itlon i. crr--
fanny max OF sIsdom but that slow pro-
gress 10 preparatory measures, thai not only
ttfui,
funds set apart for lts Accomplishment, IA more
"A mark OF hesitation, indecis,ou and e,,,,va.
gance, han OF knowledge or prudence. Tine
funds OF the state have bren lfssened by iudIs.
creiion aud lack OF knowledge, 10 an amount ex-
ceedihg u Oooo some baod however has
oeen accomplished, and somo few works Of use
| 'uintss nave been completed although the
main design has entirely failed. The exami-
nations aud surveys that have been made are
iaI the most useful, aud are perhaps sutI
cieht'y accurate bui their further continuance
IS anNe unnecessary and buidsnsonp In.
capital aud labor of the State must now he dl-
recIed TO one object and one oply il she ever
expects 10 accomplish work either WORTHY OF
he's Character, OF generally useful. A multi.
pIioity oil works, diversity 81 objects. divided
weakened, hnd wasted tue energies OF the
o'"'t' "hhon any accrulng ben iii corresp0n-
! h'ng whh the txpencts IiUuIIed. Amonp the
wehly or lhiat works OF public Improvement
tor the Construction OF winch those nioules nav,
been expended, not more than Two OF three Of
| them have furnished an, returns 10 the tJensu-
! y OF the 5iatr and those lew bni an incou-
siderable amount rlnlns indeed, 10 compar.
'son with the sums expended. Ibe report of
the CnIei Engine made ia January 1923
IN reference 10 the lock and dam proposition
Is full aud complete ; AMI IT IT bears an npprox.
| lmatOn TO accuracy, Is sufficient 10 infJfuI
any Intelligent body OF men oil the propTitty
% Improperly al authorizing The uons .ructOn
! Of the work Although Iuat ninu,e and ADJ.
| continuation Of science bnd tactical details
seem amply sub cienl yet many, very many
previous surveys aud e8aIninutloas IN rel renee
TO canal, not only ~ ,he rrrsent Engineer,
but by former professional men, INV, from
tune to time been made IL every avenue Tor ne :.
light has long since been closed.-Untn every
Legislator becomes an Engineer, ~ mp, Oyo.
men eau be expected in The mrnns necessary
TO inform Legislative bod.. Although theIe
may be many errors Ia regard 10 the estimates
conceroihg the toet OF each section, yet the
Judg mGnts Of nlIgblened aud p,acucol men
viii Ue enabled to form d judi cious determine
ton and alter correcting the most glaTing,
arrive at conclus,un bsyo the reach Of IA
pUTtant errors. An absolute certainty eau
never be expected, nor required but q reason.
able PROBABILITY can ever be o,tain -, when the
wisdom OF experience governs the examination.
Those sufvys have accurately ascertained the
distance the fall OF ihs w"ter,-the IapIdny
OF Tue currents, the materiD,s that form the bed
OF The river, the nature aud height OF The banks,
toSeiher with every minute or general iealute
that characteristics the whole length Of the rls-
er. Nothing more eau be required unlil the
final survey is made, after The Legislature
shall have authorised the construction OF the
Work. But the supposItion oil a Raj Road
being practicable, justified new survey but
who ever doubted its practicabilly None
| presume aud few, or none, / lrusI, will b,
found to advise its CONSTRUCTION below Lynch
burg. Therefore unless the neat Legsiatur,
should determine u, on a Rail Road, can SEE
no reason why an act should not immr dia,ei
pass, aufborising the construction oil The cOn
templated improvement by means Vi lock