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


city, during the progress Of the work
The results, however, Of The actual experiment oil the
contract system upon the lower canal fell far short OF
the expectations Of The Board Of Directors.
In The upper division of this canal only cuverss and
81 out of ~ cuns, let at The public letting on The
l4lh Dec. In the Of the winter other sections
disposed OF al private conlracihut out o The total
Of e. no less than ID abandoned before the SPng
of the year Six sections in the months of May and June,
and culvers in The of the Summer, were lei ny
private contract and ii sections al the public etlIns al
Lynchburg, the 18th September. Since which time,
other portions have been gotten oil by private ar
ranrement leaving baud two sections even al luis
time to he contracted Tor.
The prices for excavation this part of the line have
nevertheless ranged from l3 to IL cents per cuoic
yard.
The extraordinary difficulty and delay in getting con
undertake this part of the work seem 10 nave
originated from the smalnrss OF the jobs from the supPo
ed difficulty 0 excavation the bottom OF the old canal
from the necessity of wheeling instead oil caring the
materials The old embanknenl from The objections
| to the climate, whist sufficient emp yment could De
found in the country above and from The liability OF the
to have their forces taken from them and
moved another part of the ine In The laer part OF
the year. greater number OF contractors were Out OF EN-
ployment the sckly no longer constituted any Cd
lection the failure OF the corn crops now caused
cartnr TO lie less sought after than wheeling jobs ana
the operations the lower level advancing to compile
ton underwriters longer in dread oil transfer
of their hands the lower part Of the line; but on Inc
contrary cheered by the prospect OF an accession
of force from crowd OF aboers about 10 he discharged
from the company 5 service.
Upon the subject Of the upper division oil the CANAL
ONLY remains 10 be added that difficulty nppre-
bended in the speedy disposition OF the small remnant
of work still LETT that the Beaverden nqueduct now
cut OF danger the piers being above the reach OF The
winter floods and that there is nothing IN The character
of the residue Of the work already contracted Tor TO pre-
vent its timely execution with other unfinished portions
of the general line
Upon the lower division Of the canal, constituting the
principal theatre of operations and The speedy compile
! lion OF which was deeply connected with the lnte-
rests of the community, the contract system, whilst
fell far short OF the proportion OF work which IL was de-
signed cover, proved equally imed, irregular, and
nefEcacious, in its application and results
In addition 10 two sections let in December, 1886, and
seven in September and October 1887 only three were
put under contract the public letting the l4th De-
cenber last; 10 which afterwards subIoned oy
private agreement three in January, one in February
one in april and two in May, besides FIVE cuverts and
six farm bridges different periods in the course OF the
summer all the work OF every description from lie lower
nrch up 10 Boshers DAM and about half of the
cavaton and external wang upon the lower level were
thus various periods and by successive and detached
lettings gotten under conlfacl but, out of total OF 50
Jobs 10 were forfeited, and others were necessarily
cur,aed so that of the whole amount Of work let 10
contractors this part OF the line, about tour en'hs'
either by forfeiture, by resumption, or by assistance
given 10 the contractors, ultimately fell back upon Inc
hands Of the company and had TO be executed by It's own
force Nevertheless the prices, upon this par, OF The
line ranged from Is TO G cents per cubic yard Tor e1ca
walton OF EARTH from 10 81 Giants for excavation oil
rock and for other descriptions of york proceeded upon
scale of equal lberali,y but they were impaired IN
their influence by counteracling causes; by The high
pce Of labor still further augmented by The unavolda
BILE competition of the company itself in the neighborng
markets. by the increased difficulty of controlling labor
ers in the vicinity of the city, and upon the verge or IN
the midst of the mixed multitude III The companys I'M
mediate service and by the extraordinary character OF
the season and the danger TO health and lie from operat
ing in locality muck exposed and well calculated TO
{ add TO lis deelerous effects.
The consequence Of this extensive faure OF the sys'
tenn of contracts was, that by far the greater part OF The
heavy work the 10 wer level, as well as portion OF
that between the lower arch and Bosers DAM ulti
maley executed by hired force operating under The
immediate superine ndence and direction OF the comPa
nys agents.
In The munagem mt Of this heavy and expensive job
on the lower eve the directory adhered the plan
heretofore annour ced Of dividing the work into two
parts to be lively executed The first class OF the
work, consisting of all that could be done with The wafer
remaining in the canal, had commenced as Will be re
collected, far back the latter part OF The year o3o
with the force then moved down from the Beaverda
aqueduct. Having progressed during The year 1857 II
far advancei The period OF the last annual NEE
ing of the Rholders and was subsequently, cont
nued up to the time of suspendng the navigation in the
Spring Of 1885, when every cubic yard OF excavation
and mt and external wallng had been done
that could be executed with The water remaining in the
.ughout the year 1897 upwards OF l2O Ia
borers md he risen in February last TO the number
Q 232 (See PIP. g.
For The SCI :ond class of the work comprising the ex
cavaion bee the top water ne and all the residue no
embraced il the first class preparatory arrangement
were made for several months in advance In the monlf
of January public notice given that The water wout
be drawn the canal about the LIST OF March, ant
that might become necessary to do so short time be
fore that peri od; but that it was the intention oil th
Board of Dir ecors avoid nterrupng the navigation
until the dlon Of the work should render the inca
ndispeI sable. This notification was speedily ol
lowed BY ear nest petitions The Board from the milling
and turing interests affected by the work, urging
the postpone ment of the measure to as late period al
practicable upon the ground OF the heavy losses TO bt
= sustained in their establishments from suspension o
operations reyous TO The consumption OF the STOCKS
materials hand AT subsequent meetings OF the Board
the time twice extended SO that was not until the
18th dsv Of March, and about month later than was
expected Il the last annual meeting of The stockholders
4 that tbs: water actually drawn from the canal
The execution Of the second class of the work com
mencs with about 300 hands, then in the company
and active measures were promptly adopted anc
aterv 'ntds steadily continued, with view 10 augment
the force adequate 10 its completion by The
lst OF August dollar per day for good aborers 10 he
E paid monthly, the laboers finding themselves, with an
10 the Of slaves that they should he
the best Of and that their board should not
exec led one dollar per week, offered through the
met ium Of the public prints. In June, pledge was
give the public that these of compensation
and pa would be continued during the progress of
the work and that advance of 20 cent upon these
rates. 10 be paid on The first regular pay day occurring
after IFS pleon would be allowed 10 such orderly
and in usrous laborers might persevere to the end
In July additional allowances, in heorm OF hospitals
for the reception Of the SICK and regular and frequent
medical attendance provided at the companys charge,
were authorized to be furnished and continued as long
as the emergency might require.
The result of these was the gradual coec
ton OF mixed and Irregular force the aggregate Of
which, about the beginning Of the summer exceeded
eight hundred in number, but maintained throughout
the progress Of the work, monthly average Of some
what upwards Of six hundred hands.
The immediate management of this force
Quoted by the agent the lower canal with suitable
number of assistants under the direction Of the Engi.
neer Corps According to former usage, this officer