Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-12-29
FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT.


&. CaBELL Esq, presented and Tsas ms
FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT.
In again coming forward, the presiding officer o:
the Company lay before yon in obedience to the in.
functions Of the charter, he condition OF the company.
The pooress Cf It's works the conduct 81 lis officers and
agents The state oE finances ana such other matters
as he may de- interesting, eei more iaan The usual
degree OF responsibility rssing upon ne at every return
of the annual meeting OF the stocSho!deTa Al all times
it is difficult task 10 condease into ihe compass OF an
Annual Report clear and satisfactory statement o' the
miscellaneous et great and growing c"npa'
ny bu, thnt officially is nHea enhanced Upon the pre-
sent OCCASION by OF the WIDE sP7ead operations
of the pas season, during hich every foot Of ground
from the city Of Richmond TO the Ohio IiTsr hiss been
marked BY The footsteps Of the coDpAnys agents 10
bring those operations clearly to your view, viii be te
object and aim of tie p-psen Report, IN the execution
OF which. il Ill be cXpediept IN consicrr--
l. Tie Stafc and condition aj Tie C0@PaHyS ola Inc q
UOrkS
. Tie progress IF the ntn jns et x0Zks.
3 The Hxsizys Sp7rsys.
4. Tic Fiscal Concerns.
3 4 plnn far raising che ad|tiosai ear0i Of he rom
panp Nth rtcrcncs to she character ard advantages u
The Improvement
l. STATE A.p Csspl7Ios 7HE OLo WORKs
l. Blue Ridge CanaL and Turnpike Road.
The present gear has passed without giving rise
10 any thing Of very extraordinary ntereot upon The
Blue Ridge Canal and rurnplse road and summary
statement Of few principal facts and occurrences WIZ
sufficiently disclose The progress OF events since The pc
Rod Of the ast annual report and exhibit The state and
condition Of this poon OF The Company works Attn
present time.
From the yerv limited amosnt Of revenue from The
Blue Ridge canal system Of strict economy has mere
tofore prevailed and has dictated the policy c as lew
lock keepers could possibly De Tec0nced WIN me
preservation OF ihe works, and the attention owe 10 e
trade passing on This part Of The line Sf,o TO me pr"
year, the three upper locks on the Noth sue %
the river ana The guard Jock al the upper dam NoGe
ther with The lock in the ca'n SO long as II con
tnued) were all placed under the care % one !orh
,,,k, al ,Iiplp In
ing 10 The sar,o Bu,, tbs h'sY"rs"h s''""""" %i
these locks aEd the great Distance OF ne guar" 'Ih
from the rest. experience had shG~n that the works
exposed some times tn nazardr ana the naYSao|
tself uBtIeaueRiy TO inconvenience ~ me com
mencemeni Of the present year, lac guard lock was
detached and placed ander separate lock Keeper "h"
4 suitable house built for hn al he pics; the three
locks be!ow remaining, heretofore, III charge OF
another lock keeper and his assIs: ant
In the month of tIay, portion Of the slope IN the
lower dam was carried away by the violence OF the high
waters which then prevailed, but suitable
promptly applied by the superintendent anu tAe Work
speedily restored. .
The ring stones and part Of the side wall OF The double
culyerl AT The month of Snow Creek having gwen way,
and endangered Inc fa; Of the whole structure 1t has
been repaired mporary with wood and stone, with
view perfect repairs upon The enlargement o.
the canal.
During the extraordinary drought Of Inst Summer, the
NAVIGATION was much incommoded by inadequate sup
ply Of water from both the feeders OF the Blue Ridge
canal When visited this canal IN The month oil Au'
of the lower dana, and before my return early IN Sep
tcmber from The West, ii had LIKEWISE Ceased To run
over the dam above. The lower dam had not been SUI
ticcntly graYeled at the lime OF is original eonsTuc
ton; but stream being abundant IN ordinary years,
no Inconvenience had arisen from The numerous IfaSe
through which large portion OF the water mace It's 's
cape The late love stage of the TiSer womd have eea"y
facilitated Inc Business of completing this Improvement;
but from The approach OF the period 1917 fad'ca
changes nj this important pass the Superintendent was
Instructed 10 make only indispensable repairs upon lie
dams as well pom the canal and all lis Diner nssocI
aled works After the principal leaks IN the lower dam
were stopped with small brush wood stone and gravel
and the mouth Of the feeder deepened, there was
sufficient supply of water on all the levels on me S"u
side of the IIer. On The North sde he eTeiS' UNIV
after the rains September, could only be iied sbu'
ting the lock gates and wickets below and ope ~ nc
rates above, thus shifting The water from ie'', ',s',
which sometimes caused much delay bot 81 .'a.
in the power Of the Superintendent, sftH ,b sid
promptly done towards keeping the cH"a' nna
The difficulties produced by the dtfrc's VI Sne 'H
by the extraordinary chsractr. OF me season, o.S
In the Spring, one pail oi large iockea,e', -" a
I'D s,,ad ~ ,b cut stone lock nearest TO the lower
- ,ha c,n,l In the Summer, sundry repairs were me-
IN the old lock gates and the bridges over Inc "os
and in The course of the SEASON. in ADDITION TO we
MAGE Of bad breach and various leaks IN NV, ,"m, The
pnSsn,s mucn Iabor bestowed IN removing
bottom of the canal grass, mud, graVei ana s"" con
presented greater distractions TO The naviea'o IN.
seorence of the unusual want OF water To suPP'1 "
levels. .L,,.eb eams
The addition about to be made, OF fe oa'ahIe ~ oId
ond of sheoihinp plauk 10 The gaes OF some U "'e Vs.
Locks together with new sleepers and planking -
of the bridges will complete the ordinary repairs vi
necessary for the present year, IN Inc ac'ua'
things at the Blue Ridge canal. .,,.,,o,, in
Tile Blue Ridge Turnpike road was, througn"u non,b
stale of good repair when inspected 10 'nr h hJ
or Anopst and September. The land sac -" no.
generally been deepened, and in many aoIv where il
lions by the operation Of bastIng-ana ,,'ors IN the
was we'll cleaned out and clear Of o . o,ooa,lv
.a,ne or u,,er The form OF the roau was P'ppy,
maintained in despite of the incfeaeeI w; go Tho
Ionnh;ng scrapnp and excavation, resutt.e o"i ~.
onp duration and intensity Of Tue n,ocnt,d
curves the road had been "ioeheo ny ",L;.h ,e,,s
~ -, over fran it's upper side, by wh'c" "'ea'
a curyatures had been very advantaaeou'y
I;;hJ At point on the South side oil Inc river
ohnn, 4th Of mile from the ferry landing, al a"",
m The North side, about mile above the 'o' I
NJ , third about midway, on the western" ST. md
R,ue RIDGE the exterior wall had tnouGe'eu h.
mar, of The road had slipped away to resting p tao,
Iowapd at all these places, the general "i''h " i go
ros,ored bv rock blasted and thrown over from ""
cipces above All these repairs, os wen as ',s Ib
canal have been conducted by the Supethe""et
onlv four hands employed by the year. a'oeu w ,,
of rock hired fer few months, and some s'''''
force occasionally called in
Tho business of this road is sensbiy increasing ~
seouence Of the recent improvement "' INC and of The
from the head Of the canal TO LeH"e for The same
,pennp of the new turnpike, eXrnIe and Dagger
~, he the way of the Natural Bf'oge 49,; Iii n.
POM w W &c, Eoroe. bot the augmentation WIN ~
springs W N a i;ng the next season, oy inc c"'"
| greaty ehn3 - ne last mentioned lu'nP'He "
mencemeht o. wiz" t -" con'petion. The attractions o.
have oeeh 'r""S md the beauty and grandeur VI M
the Na'ul rs of the Blue Ridge, as wei! as ID 49,
scenery AZ ,rgon beyond will undoubtedly caos. -"