Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-01-02

and that BY means Of such moderate grades and with
such nconsiderabe curves, might not only challenge
q comparison with, but might Justly claim pre- eminence
over, all other lines of railroad communication whete
executed projected between the valley OF the ONO
and the Atlantic border superiority IN pon' OF aa'
vantageous approach 10 the Western side OF Inc i"se
dividing the Eastern and Western wn,efs ms oet'
claimed by eminent Engineer, (Mh] " "c..r''I
in favour of that part of the Louisville Nnc'""a" anu
Charleston RpiIy"d which exiends 'rom hn"SV'"r up
the valley of the Ffench Broad RIVER and IN hS ''""
poin, of view, there may be some si2h' s'"u"u ''' e
preference claimed for ihal I"u"' p", ~ VIII oe '1
iec,ed that unnr The line of that road, between Knox
vile ,,d ,b, OHIO river is situated the Cumberland
mountain al which point, well rs at several ohe1
points be ond H. It rightly informed, dncuitlcs
f formidable character will have 10 De encountered IN
"a fn,,hsr progress to che West overcome which will
all ao reQulsiiion all the talents OF ITS able conductors
An important fact should not he omitted in conciud
g the rap;d sketch which has just been presented oil
Z he railroad portion Of the Companys line: which IS,
ne practcabtly ascertainsd by the examination OF
he Engineers, of mpleng IN future time our ""e
# water communication along the route OF me P'pos
. ed railroad; no, only in The mode suggested oy 1
William G. Mcneil, in his survey OF thus region ]" ','e
vsar 1927 but upon 4 different plan OF supplying inc
(, summit level whch in their view, would De u,.e"ueu
with equal success, and with much less dIihcuity a"o
,x,erss II is also believed, that should the iocaton
~ tho ,i.road he ultimately established upon the line
of The Creenbrier the middle route, mat 'ha' i"Ia
ton would present serious impeachment 10 e"i"pe
lion of the water line along The same tou'ei P''';u
hat a
o,ha,ws. come into conflict with each oiher any hht
Of canal forming part OF the water line, should oe ~
dicnusly broken by the occasional introduction VI suo"
water navigation
3 The enforcement cf the kaaaTha
The distance from the head OF Navigation al Tue oa'.
=, h fo or Loup creek shoa as already described 10
the Ohio river is 81 75 100 miles; ana Inc 'a III 'ha'
distance, Is 60 ~ ieet 49,. , hoo;dos
From Loup creek shoa to the Ohio, there are, oes'oes
IA rinnl.s 90 shoals the important ot which are,
JiLeps flarvsys Paint creek. Cabin creek, "ilcners
creek, Elk Two Mile, Island, TyIers johnson s, Red'
house Knob and ArbucS!es
The charter of the Company calls Tor such an
men Of the river as TO make 1t navigabie by steamboats,
Of 100 tons hurihen. 80 , ,
After Typographical surrey OF The river hao oeeh
made bv Mr Gin The chief Engineer OF the company
in the latter part Of August descended The Iser IN
bo,t and made a personal examination; anu IN Inc
month of September the Consulting Engine made a
similar tour the river being at the time OF Juuse
Wrirht's visit from 10 inches lower lhan IL haue'e'
been known by the oldest Inhabitants.
These two uiscers have sent in separate reports
concurrnr with each other To the ptopIely OF pro
yidng everywhere depth OF : !eel Oh "a'ef' !"
order 10 make the river advanisgeousy naVgae'e oy
haas of b, bur,hen specified The charter, but differ
inn in some points as the bes, means oil etrcnS Tue
obi, the cost OF executing the plan proposed by The
y chief Engineer for the improvement OF Inc fVef from
the basin mouth, being estimated 10 amount 20 Tue
sum Of S4US O9S and that OF The Consulting Engineer
to the sum OF 2lic buO
In the maximum tonnage prescribed by the charter
there is fortunate ADAPTATION 10 the character and eX
tent of the improvements upon The ONO river, which
are in train Of execution by the General Government
depth Of feet all seasons of the year, appears
To have been decided upon, for that portion OF The ONO
river which is situated below the Falls.
Upon the 600 miles between the Falls and the town
Of P,lsburg reconnaissance was mad: dy Lieut.. put
IN III" yea. io''o; aUu from his Report DOC NO
so House Of Rep oath Con I'd Sess } It appears that
within these limits hundred distractions which
require improvement; and that Of The whole number,
tive thirds TO be found within the eG miles between
MaTrns and Plt;shurg and three fourhs, within the
272 m'!es asnye the mouth Of the Kanawha river.
An accurate sntvey Of the whole distance under the
direction OF Leuena~, Saunders was commenced in
1857 and at the time OF lila Report to the Secretary Of
War in November last, had bcru fully completed ONLY
tar down 5 eubenvie, and partially from Sleu
benvIIIe to Wheeling The result of the survey thus
far. 10 shew 10 The satisfaction OF that ohcer, that
the 90 miles Of the river between Pt,sbug and Wheel
ing. lean be improved never 10 be under thirty
inches. and SELDOM lower than three feet and such an
improvement in his opinion, would enable boats OF lOC
tons burden carrying passengers TO run at the loves
stages OF The river. (See Report oil Secretary war
Dec. =, lc31
The survey having no, vet embraced that part Of the
river between Point Pleasant and the falls OF The ONO
the result cannu, be anticipated with certainly bu
from the statement IN the Report OF Lieut. Duton, al
ready quoted we'll as from other sources OF inforna
ton there would appear 10 be good grounds for the eH
pecaion, that the depth OF wafer proposed for the IA
nnwha at all seasons o; the year. will ultimately be
tended down the Ohio river to its mouth and perhaps
up that river high as the mouth of the Muskngum.
There are Likewise, grounds 10 believe, that The line
Of Steamboat navg CATION in of execution upor
the Muskingum river, between the towns Of Marietta
and GAINESVILLE, WILL in short period Of me be ex
tend, d To Lake Erie.
From The facts here stated it would seem probable
that the draft Of water proposed for the kanawha rive
fully equal TO any improved state OF the navigation
which likely to take place between Point Pleasant ant
the mouth Of the Ohio, and superior 10 that which Il
contemplated for the above ard that boas OF lO'
tons burthen departing from the basin the foot Of Lou
lhn1ly h,. h1rf uiyart IhuFc
far up the OHIO Pttsbug or 10 pass By the Mus
kingum route he Stale Of Ohio, as TO en,e
Lake Erie and cIrcumnavgue tie Lakes, 10 descen nj
10 the Mississippi, and 10 make the tour OF that mighty
river and rs various continents, which said 10 em
brace an extent OF navigation .! ~ 900 miles
In connection with The subject Of site for the pro
posed Basin on the kanawha is proper to advert
before closing this part OF the Annual Report to the
comparative estimated cost Of constructing railroad
over The 80 miles, between thai point and the town o.
Charleston, and that Of improving the river within the
same limits the estimated amount for the railroad being
S32j,c0O and that Of the river improvement. according
10 the plan OF the Chief Engineer. S2O4 0UO-and &C
cordng TO that of Judge Wright 1925 80 The railroad
would probably be attended with heavy additional
expense, IN The form Of damages consequence Of the
unavoidable location Of Tie line through the heart Of the
narrow VALLEY OF the salt works, and the great value of
property IN such situations; whereas, the damages
sonhs nom The Improvement OF The river upon the plan
OF either OF the Engineers, would be comparavely in.
considerable. To this should be added that upon the
kanawha river, after IL improved in The manner con.
tenPisted the mere expense Of freight exclusive OF
'"s, VIII probably not De than third or at the
most one nan, o the amount OF the same charge upon
!. pararl railroad.
The following is summary statement Of the three
principal divisions Of the estimate
81 43 miles OF canal from Lynchburg to Co.
20. ving'on $25oO477
1850 miles of railroad fr0m Coving,on to
the kanawha Basin, inclusive of engines
c. tenders &c, 2GO2, $50
c. 30 miles OF improvement upon The Kanaw.
la river, at the highest Of the estimates of
the two Engineers, 4os COS
Making total distance Of 3l74S and an
ssss''sa'e sum Of 1881 525
spp'''"@ Inc od capital OF the company 10 be only
''t"' 10 hnish Inc cana! from The Basin in Richmond