Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-10-04
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT.

Internal Iuyrorcmentin Jirgista. and connection.
BY Rail Road and Canal, q ne James y Ia
narba Rirers.
Special attention is invited to the following Nc
Moral upon the subject OF the great Western I'm
pfoyemenf. This memorial. having in view the con.
nection, by Railroad and Canal Of the OF The
James and kanswha rivers, ian improvement than
which other could be attended with more gene
raj good 10 The people OF Nuginia,1 must recon-
mend itself To the particular attention Of every ct-
req. both ~ the east and west.
Kanaiela Banner
MEMORIAL.
The Memorial Of sundry Inhabitants Of the conn
~ OF to the Honorable the General Assembly Of
Virginia respectfully sets forth That your memorial
lists have viewed with deep interest. the advance Of
rious Improvements going on IN the Commonwealth,
and have some times been hattered vi h the hope
that the benefits OF some OF them would be extended
TO their section Of the State. They have view d
with more Than ordinary solieitnde. the progress of
the great central line Of improvement constructing
by the James River aui ksna~ha Compau, aud
they had INDUCED the hope, TINT tho rcusl, Of sur.
veys made since the passage oi the act OF Assembly
chaftering thai company. demonstrating the practi-
cabiliiy OF connecting the waters Of New River.
Upper kanaNha. with James River, would have led
that company 10 make further examinations into the
feasibility oil carrying that eonnexion into effect aud
Vt not OF making IT their main line, OF NJ least
king II a branch Of their work Bur your memorial
lists are not aware that the said company has made
any such examination on has any intention Of doing
so; and then work being IN rapid state OF compile
ton high up James River Lyucbburg.
your memorlaliss begin TO think that IL is time Tor
them 10 take up the subject themselves, as d lay their
case before the Legislature, aud 10 ask Tor such aid
and reeias justice, sound policy. aud proper re-
& I'd to the general interest Of the community may
seemfo indicate. The region OF country most i'm
nnedaieiy interested in the obecis of this me moral
Is that wa,orcd by the Greai kanasha aud New
River, or Upper kanasha, aud then tributaries aud
the country ada eut thereto. The tppcr kanaw la
,ises IN the most eastern rante Of tie Allegheny
ridges and breaks through all The ranges west Of Il,
asthe James River tiscs II the most western range
aud breaks tlio' all he afefs east OF 1t the two
rivers passing IN opposite directions across ines.
broken ranges al distance in some places of less
than fly miles aIaf'-thc Level Of the karawha
bc'ng from 80 10 so feet higher than that OF
James River II WIS IN this part of The mountain.
consisting Of these broken ranges and the hiob
ground between them, that ofiha State engineer,
IN 1888 discovered the practealility Of connecting
Tue waters OF tue two strtams, the water to be "a
Ken iom the main stream Of the Upper hauawha.
The Upper hanawha affords moe water probably,
than any stream in the State abuse ude watct the
Great kanawha excepted. The Commissioners lot
whom the late Chief Justice Marshall WAS oncl who
examined II IN 1919 reported that the hacau VIM Ii
they took with them from James Rive, iu,o ia,
Greenbrer had to be dragged over the dry shoals nj
che latter stream, but shea they got into the Upne
ksnaaha they found the water abundant tn IN,
most shoaly parts OF IT. They had taken the ad
vantage OF very long dry season SO IS TO make lb,
examination when the waters should be at their low
est state. Mr. CTozet states IN one of his rcpofts ta
New River Upper kauawha) affords more water A
bove Engllsh's Ferry in Montgomery county than
James River does at CauerssiIle. Snl tbi, stfean
bas not yet been made uayisable Untll IT shall h,
made So tins section OF country can have no SUM-
clehi outlet To market. Any a.foad which car
DC made through II IN any other direction mus
necessarily pass through the valley OF some .
hs tributaries The valleys of all ITS others mus
necessarily be in great measure excluded l,o,n IN
Dement'S OF II by the intervening mountain ,tdees
The stream itself can be made easily accessible |,
oil the country that throws its waters into It, aud al
col the neghboiing valleys oil the lIolson Clincb
&C The thie obstacle which has prevented the i'm,
ffoytineni oil the navigation OF tins stream IS The fall.
IN that part oil 1t between Bowers Fen, and III,
mouth oil Gauey River below which point the sire an
assumes the name OF the Great kanawha These f,ls
ms oelesed, can be overcome by several high dams
which might be constructed here on MS good terms
perhaps, as such works could be constructed an,
where else, III consequence Of the abundance of ia,
best materials and the convenience with winch the,
can be procured. And these high dams by widen
ing ihe space over which the stream, is TO pass wi
naturally prevent heve gteat rises which now tak,
place Ia times Of fieshels IN consequence of ia,
nairowness oil the chasm through winch the STREAM
appropriated. Such d,ms lave been ucccsslully IN
ifoduced IN the Improvements in PENNSYLVANIA an,
also IN Canada, aud locks of higher hl than wa
formerly usual have been found Ia be ,eIy use lul IL
situations OF this kind. la Canada dam OF sxty-tw,
iee nigh has been constructed who Is passed by (ou
locks OF about teeu feet lii each, aud of suicien
SIZE ior steamboats, to pass. Ia PENNSYLVANIA a loci
has been made OF twenty three feet ill., which is pas
sed IN less Time Than has been usual ia locks of or
binary m
Ascending this stream from Bowers Ferry. n,
extraordinary dlfio utes present themselves n,
high dams need be constructed unless motives q
economy should present inducement to do so
-FOUR memoralists have no doubt that a similar i'm
posement TO that contemplated by the James Riv
Grand hanawha Company as high up the Grea
hsnawha as the great falls (Iaml and locks larp
enough iof steamboats, can be constructed fro,
the termination OF that work TO Montgomery o
Wythe county on the Upper kanawha, for a much
smaller sym per foot liii Than their work will cos
theh, anu lei It not be forgotten that this is not the
h's' "he 'hai has been suggested that the naviga-
40" Vi luis stream might be opened for STEAMBOATS,
was suggested long ago as 1872 by Chief Justice
Marshall III his report before referred TO-
10 form the line that is TO connect This stream,
with That OF james River it proposed Ia conduci
the water rom place called the Horseshoe B,ud
IN montgomery county, by means of tunnel to he
cur 'niough the mountain,-This tunnel will per
maps De something less than seven miles in length
IL VIII teach the east side Of the mountain where ,b !.
turn of 1t leads into the North Fork of Roanole
IL must thence proceed among the spurs of tho
mountain I'll II can be conducted over the div.
ding ndge between Roanok and James River This
the only part oil the line 10 which any extraordinary
expense Is anticipated and you, noralists cannot
oeheve that II viii cost sum that CHI TO dtscour-
age from the undertaking. Itmll connect the James
River canal with the navgabe streams OF the valley
Oh the Mississippi which are OF unmeasured extent
ana the trade on them Of increasing importance. 1t