Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-10-30
. FOR TIE F-N2L7KER.
THOUGHTS ON CANALS AND RAILROADS.

FOR TIE F.NQ
THOUGHTS ON CANALS AND RAILROADS.
Nature furnishes with the most extended Inclined
planes; for example, the Missouri river has tho most
tended inclined plane the continent, and an uniform
strong current 10 the for nearly three Thousand
miles, OF about tall OF eighteen inches tn the
miIe on the whole course Of which, tho heaviest bur-
thcncd steamboats, ply mp and down. Now. suppose it
were practicable to have double track OF railroads
convenient Distance apart: say sixty OF eighty feet and
such current passing between those double tracks of
rail road and instead of steamboats,, you steam
rarcs with water wheel you could in descending
such inclined plane bring down any burthen by at
acing burten TO the steam The walerwhrcl n
the steam acting against the current of water would
prorcl the whole line Of cars down such an inclined
plane with incredible velocity having only to tSpace
certain body of air, instead of scaboats d!splacing
like volume of water. We know the u. States tho
weight Of the produce descending all rivers is many
fold greater than the goods ascending If we find the
steam power insufficient to take up the return cargoes,
we can take down any number of horses the cars to
aid the in ascending each compliment OF horses to
run up short distance aud be relic by another COM
nlinent and so on-so that of the horses will al
ways be riding down the and some always aiding
the steam in pulling them up the.country-Ihc weight
of tile descending horses the will not impede
their velocity but increase it, the principle of gravity
and il is difficult TO say at what speed the cars would de-
scrnd. Now, let look at of our granite rivers
the Hudson the Delaware tile Susquchanna. the Polo-
mac the Rappahannock, the James, tho Roanoke, &c,
&c, &c.
will take james River, for example, something ID
contemplated by the Old Dominion, To arrive at Conn
parison with her Mort sisters, and to obtain share
Of the commerce of the great Western Valley.
If we commence Canal al the upper part OF James
River say at the mouth of Dunlaps creek and conduct
the along average inclined plane oil tic RIVER
descent, get as much current in the canal as we &C.
sirc-ttc whole descent TO Richmond being computed al
more than twelve hundred rct-and as we aYc the ma
,rral (granc rock nil along that river to construct our
rail tracks which tracks will form the walls Of the canal,
YOU will then have such inclined plane as to be cna
4 cnr n
and as to the Of weight which could be taken
down by that mode, it would be almost lncalcuabe-
ct Il be- understood that the wafer wheel Is placed on
On, side of the car and balance wheel the otler-
", that the water wheel will bc always working III the
water both ascending and descendng-and IN order the
moro fully to understand the opcrnton we Will complete
The plan f the canal and rail tracks by taking them en-
Iirey around Belvdcre h-naking an island OF Bclri-
crc pace-wherc cargors may be received and deliver
I'd and conveyed TO and from thence by the ordinary
hnndes the present pond and canal there, days, &C
Nc know that steam. boats of ordinary construction,
end muny hundred tons burthen, stem the strong cur
rents Of the Mississippi and MsSourhr old Manddn or
instance went up the Council Bluffs on the Missouri
and tn Tie Falls Of ST. Anthony, on the MISSISSIPPI al
ter being considered unscaworthy And it's reasonable
10 suppose that an engine may be had sufficiently pow
crfl to take I'D tie back loading If, however, your
steam power be Insufficient horses, as before men
toned. We shall have to many small! afurduc's
and few large Ones in passing the mouths o le "'ou
| tary streams OH this PLAN =,
in. w,,cr wheel Of the steam car may may not be
!
used in ascending, and horses may or may not be USED
at ALL and steam need not he used IN Descending II ycc
wish 10 travel slowly in comparison, as the water wheel
by being cockcd will take you along down such an IN
clincd ane quite rapidly enough with such curFen
ia propel it and steam alone may carry you up easIe
ban it does those mucnse heavy boats on the WestcTr
rivers against their strong currents. If it be true tina
YOU have twelve hundred feet fall besides The conrc1I
Of the earth surface where is it that you cannot con
duct such canals and rail- road tracks in your lower cou
try: You may take them 10 Williamsburg. York, HanP
ton and there terminate at your grand roadstead In
dcrd YOU may diverge almost ilmltably in you! lowe
countless with such works.
Permit me to insist on wide and deep canals; becars
YOU can make valuable of all the water tor ma
chnery watering all parts of your City, and for cu.Har
uses &c. it being the healthicst water you can ge'
/ strong current be kept up. Il,
Let railroad of double track be continued from tn IN,
mouth of Dunaps Creek, to the nearest part OF w
Kanawha River by meanderng down one OF us ~ 40
res (Which may term the summit secllon -. T' ~. III
work, thence TO the Ohio on the canal ana ia'-toa
track plan-there making another loop or slaha as
Bevidere and within ten years after the compleuoh,
would not be ex,ravagant to suppose, mat your Deaut
fully diversified City will have doubled It's RoPuI.on
and capitalists will be invited among you. lhey Nno
the resources of the West Nature invites you to eu
your Eastern sister cities The cost will be consde
able, but you will find tile object attained Will be con