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

er of the force employed The period Of the year ana
Inc extent Of tie line Of operation IN The beghnine
were propitious 10 vigorous and eihcIent movement
and Il thousand u,en might have been advanageousIy
smpoyed. But the average number Tor The hIst mohlh
was less than three hundred and for the whole quarter
pnIy about 500 hands The force kept down by Inc
liberal prices paid by the contractors upon Inc upper
paris of the line By the objections Of the proPTletofs OF
slaves 10 the positions nnd circumstances OF The WORK.
and by the great demand for labor IN other quarters ou
especially 10 the States Of yIand, Indiana Illinois,
South Carolina and Georgia WIN The exception VI
few black aborers accession OF iorce was ever pro-
cured from the few contractors on The upper DIVISION
of The lower canal, the small number of white men IN
aheir service making known their determination 10 quit
the line altogether, should they be caleu upon ~
move 10 The lower level and with the exception OF apou'
10 men, none were ever obtained from The contractors
above Maiden Adventure Dam, although they were o.
fered at The Of 81 80 per day for their men, 'hey ana
their aborers preierIng TO prosecute inc Jus !"
they were engaged, rather Than to remove TO climate
and work. both OF which they aPprehenuco "ouiu VIC u
tended with danger. =,
But The general character of the force employed dur
ing the period constituted objection no less consioel-
able than its numera amount VI The whoie hulioe'
engaged about two thirds white men consisting
for the far greater part, Of foreigners, recently arrived
from the various work shops Of Europe and IN pInc
pal degree of that description OF Irish emgrants 'ha
roam among the various public works in progress, and
nre constantly arriving aud departing upon Inc oileleh'
lines interest caprice dictates change Inc ihsta
by Of the force may he Judged OF by the act ha' iol
each OF the nree HOntHs III TIC quulSiJ TIC
amount exceeded the monthly average by upwards OF
100 hands-(See App. But, on several OCCASIONS IL
disclosed itself in still more imposing iorm-in .e
month of May this ncongruous mass struck LOT hieher
wages, accompanying the demand with demonstrations
nf intended force but proper precautions being taken
preserve the public peace the object was abandoned lot
the time and The aborers returned upon Inc "otk-
hut in the early part Of june they again threw down
their Implements avowng their hxed purPo'e, III Tue
even, of REFUSAL 10 quit the line; but again returned
in consequence Of The pledge then given by The BOARD
of Directors of continuance of the then exsng prices
and monthly payments, and Of an allowance OF ~ per
cent in favor Of such industrious and orderly men as
might remain till The completion OF The WORK
In the second quarter commencing The middle Of June
nd ending The middle OF September the WORK was great
retarded by The extraordinary character OF The season.
nd by the inaplilude Of the still preponderatIng mass
O foreign aborers 10 Withstand lis debitang effects
In the CONNIE ncement Of this quarter, great efforts
were made TO augment The proportion OF black LABOR Oh
he work by pIacarding the additional Inducements then
lpd out along the line Of canal as lar as Lynchburg
nd by special agents sent to various towns and counties
the South East, and North Of the city OF Richmond
But these inducements although very efficient for this
object at advanced part of the year, were nope
1aIve at this period; ior whilst little or nothing was
added by these efforts the number of aborers READY
engaged yet upon the approach of harvest, nearly lOo
of he black force then the work went OIL and IN CON
sequence Of the panic which soon alter occurred Ola mol
come back if they returned at ALL until ALTER Inc
season of danger md difficulty had passed away.
Il is needless TO dwell upon the peculiar situation OF
the work as it is known have been in the narrow
porge at the great falls OF James river under the hills
and the cliffs of rock and in the full blaze of the direct
and reflected rays OF scorchlnG sum- II is needless 70
speak of the intense heat Of the season, or 10 say that
exceeded any thing in the memory oil the oldest men,
1t is due TO the aborers 10 state that they manifested
every disposition 10 merit the premium offered, ana
TO stand by the work with the portion OF strength
which they still possessed, until in The early part OF
of july some fifteen twenty Of the lrishmen sud
denly expred under the intensity OF the heat In The
between ll and 2UU oil tbelr cOun.
trymen left the work and moved North; and It Is Proba-
BILE that all the rest would have followed Them but ior
the then furnished by the directory, oil furnish
ing moderate portion OF ardent spirits to The laborers,
of providing small hospitals for the reception OF the
sick and of procuring the regular attendance OF ply
stefan four times in every day along The work For
about four weeks in the course OF July and August ana
for about one half Of every day during the time, the
men were actually driven from labor by The oYerpower'
ing influence of the sun; by which means, and by the
debialing effects of the heat for much longer period
the effective force for The whole quarter probably 'e
short al least moely OF lis actual numerical amount
For the third quarter, commencing the middle oil Sep
tember and ending about the middle OF December, the
operations OF the company were prolfacted ny augment
ed difficulty in the character Of the work, and by con
santly increasing mpediments in the way OF It's e1eci
ton. The force for this period was more manageable
and stable, consisting of about two thirds of blacks and
third OF whites The quantity, however, and hard
Of the rock 10 be excavated greatly exceeded e1
pectaton The blasting operations alone, besides
ing tho consumption Of more than $4,000 worth o
powder, occupied more Than one half oil tho whole
amount of force employed throughout The year: and io
every month after the first of June average amount
Of than 450 men. In the latter stage OF lis pro
gress, when the work contracted within narrower
limits and concentrated at particular points, these ope
raons unavoidably gave rise great loss Of time by
compelling large bodies Of men retire for safety be
yond the range of The explosions which were constantly
taking place. But to reduce this loss far piacca
ble the forces towards the close, Withdrawn and
dismissed by detacbments; reservlng amount OF The
pttinr the sultlcient TO cOmDete The
outside of the embankments and other small unfinished
jobs, inclusive Of number adequate 10 the business Of
ordinary annual repairs
To statement Of the causes which retarded The pro
gross Of the work in each Of the three quarters through
which it extended, il is proper 10 superadd another
which operated equally in u and that The difference
in effective esuis in this State at least between large
force conducted Immediately by the best agency which
company provide and the same force broken into
small fragments and managed by Contractors directly
and personally interested in every operation performed.
This exposition, embracing mlnuleness of detail
and occupying fuIlness of space which nothing but
the importance of the subject could justify il is earnest
ly hoped, will satisfactorily TO the stockholders
for the repeated and expected delay and dssPpont-
rnents in restoring the suspended navigation OF the
lne delays and dsa ppointmen,s which, they may rest
assured were as painful and Notifying the Presiden,
and Directors of the Company, as they were productive
of temporary injury and Inconvenience TO the city OF
Richmond and TO the community at large.
But before this branch Of the Report is finally dis
missed il proper to advert for moment to The mutt
lated and unfinished state Of the work The South side
of the Basin; and the angle in The canal near of
the corners at the Public Warehouse.
submit for your examination, the chart of plan,
according TO which the Board Of Directors desired TO
improve The whole Basin in the city Of Richmond; SUI
rounding it with substantial stone wall, and accommo
dating with Streets 30 feet wide the North, and 40
feet wide the South side
To this plan they sought the sanction Of the Common
Council of The City; particularly 10 that part of The
improvement bordering on Z street, The South side
of the busn the width Of which street it was proposed
abridge; and they asked Gas they though they had
right TO ask) that the Common Council would delray 4
portion of the expense. negotiation was long pend
ing for these purposes; but ultimately broken off by
AZ. t,o thnt tba