Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1831-07-18

Of travelling IL Hii conntry--s6or5ipg unques.
fioaabiy .he safest, cheapest esd must cape
ditious transpnrist,pn. II can, tos, be carried
TO nearly every neigbborhoui, and syisnded
in almost ssefy direction. The fi1s . nj fer
Jistsut wh-u is superior atssniages ~ili
esuss our Rivers 90 he neatly II not quite n
bsadoned. unless We ia.sut same new and
better made oi Improving the latter. But 10
make = rail road from Lypehbusg 10 hiehmond.
IL not perhaps Advisable, ander ga siing sk-
eumstsnees. We bs.e river. sn,eepilhie oi
being made asvigsblc bs,w1rn The two plare ,
and ALREADY ~ acme degree answering our
purpose Let rs FIST tee IL ~ eannni "a
Improve IL, al to obs,a the necessity Ola rail.
road.
The third scheme proposed Is the lock Il dam
system. They are costly, tedious. aud dit
Il ult both 10 make and 10 keep IN repair 60
say nothing of the delay aud loss OF time oc-
easioned by passing through such number.
Besides, these ponds are very dangerous for
ANAL loaded boats in case of n storm. u
may be- sand tnst they will be abandoned When
the locke and dana are finished but u may
l. OF he eIpedieni Should The lock and dam
system be though, best, however, they ought
TO he made of bur roo, which would be dora-
bic strong aud secure, and not cost more thao
onc.eighih ~ much AS II mad Of stone, or
wood, or bnth togeiher and should the liver
ever he aba ndoned for some other mode Of
transportation, The uun would stlll he valuable
But this y not the right plan, though IL 10 much
the hrst TINT has been proposed.
A more recent nveution 10 TO be- preferred
that is, small wing dams, halfway or two
thirds across the stream. nj sucb places rs they
may be required. These dsms must he raised
high enough to make regular uniform
sluce al The way, as deep as may be- nee.s-
IA ta.. tim
on one side, IL would Cause bfisk cutreni 10
low, which would reu ovo the gravel from
the shallow places, and deposit it Ia deep
ones. Ky this means. shadows and eddies
would no longer exisi--o0e .onid be carried
into the other, aud boih would be- Loaf IA u
IN farm regular stream. which would eons,ani.
ly dow, in low waierns well as IN high, and
be sufficiently brisk u carry boats from
Lynchhurg 10 Richmond 10 two or three
days, with full loads. And boats would nav
er have need TO run on high tide, tor
the IL would always be n soniaient tile TO n,-
.wer ihrli purpose. These are some OF the
advantages Ia going down now, for coming
up: i he eddics of III. 30 dana, both above
and below, would bs much more certain 10
ncl,ne ,o~nrds. than th.y arc IN the present
state oil the river. by putting rock at The end
| OF each dam, II would make q Kind nt plat
| form, tor bOnimtn TO stand on, md soul
their boats around much easier than they eau
travel aiout nj present.. Tie hoas now in
use might he eular cd, and steam boats mig ht
bn introduced.- These wing -dnms eau be
made Of bar IRON, at n small expense and III u
short time. They will not COS, NOR. than
from Il 90 TO 500 an this river, and will
last almost forever, dely ing alike the fury
oil ifesheis aud the tooth OF time. II have
made an experiment on the strength Of iron,
and rs 10 tue beat mode Of securely fastening
IL IN rocks aud | hud that il will fully an-
sweI this purpose.--lt is rs easily fastened III
n part OF the river ms " II extended across.
II will afford me Plsasufe al any time TO show
how these dams are made. FoTds Will he pre-
served, aud boats Of all descriptions will have
free aud unobslruG,ed passage, Without wait
ing for, or interfering with each olheT.-BIidgei
aud perhaps rail roads may be made Of bar
IRON, much mo'e rapidly, cheaper aud more
durable ,ha0 with any otbcr material. and this
impt 0yement nsy By ez,oHdsd IN every diroc-
ton wbet- u 10 needcd.--Ihe prcseni dams
will have 10 lie partially removed films plan
succeeds, md The upper ond oi the canal g,ssh
back. Fish will once more have free access TO
tho waters Of the upper country.
| WILLIAM THURMAN.
LgnohJnrg, July. 1891.