Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1839-01-03
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
JAMES RIVER AND kANAWIIA COMPANY
-FOUR LII ANNUAL REpORT

the njuncrions OF the charter "thc condition OF
the company, the progress OF lis works. the conduct
OF IT'S officers aud agtn,s tho of its fnanc es,
/ ana snch other matters he may deem interest
ing feel more than the usual degree of ,cspopsi.
b'liy resting upon me every return of the annual
meeting OF lie stockholders. At all tunes II IL diff
hrnlt task to eondeuse into the compass OF an Annu-
al Report. n clear and satisfactory statement Of the
miscellaneous concerns OF n growing company : but
that difficulty is much enhanced upon The present
o'eason by reason oi the vide spread operations OF
the past season, during which every ioot of rtonnd
from The city oil Richmond to the Ohio liver has been
marked by the footsteps Of the company's agents.
10 bting these operations clearly our ,iew will
be the object and the ann of the pteseut Report,
in the execution Of which, 1t will be expcdicat 10
CONSIDER
l. lhe state and condition et' The Compdnys cid
line Of li2orks
.. Tie progress eftlc nc,e liae etieorks.
3. The H'estera Sarteys.
4. The fiSfai Concerns.
5. 4 ptan for raising HE addihoaai capital cffie
company w'h a reference 10 tie character and adtdn
taecs Of The Improvement.
!. STATE AND CoNDirIoN OF TIM Olp WoEks.
l. Blue RIDGE Canal and 7mnpikc Rcad.
The present year has passed over without giving
rise 10 thing ove,y extraordinary interest upon the
Blue Ridge Canal and Turnpike road aud i su,nna-
~ statement OF lew riuclpal lacs aud occurrences
will sufficiently disclose the progress Of soer
the period OF tie last annual Iepor aud exhibit the
state and condition of lhis potion ofthc Compan,'s
works al the present time.
From the very limited amount OF revenue from
the Blue Ridge oanal,a system of stilet economy
has heretofore prevailed aad has dictated the pole,
OF as few lock Keepers could possibly be reoonci-
led with the preservation olllc works. aud the atten.
hon due 10 tie tradc pass . tins pant ofthe line.
PiIor to Tie present year, the thee upper locks
the North SIDE OF the river, and the euld lock AT HE
upper Jam (toecther will the isrr lock the dam,
oloHg as it contInue) we've all placed under the
Tk-kp m al, tlttI Ia,
assist hun IN attending 10 the same. But, from the
dispersed situation OF these locks, and the great dis
lance OF the quad lock from the esexpeiience had
shown that the works were exposed sometimes To
hazhrd, aud The navigation Itself uhequrnlly To
inconvenience. AT the commencement ot The pre-
sent year, The guard lock detached and placed
under separate lock keeper, and a suitable house
built for HIM al that place the lh,er locks nrx be.
low remaining, as heretofore, in charge Of another
lock keeper and his assistant.
In tie month Of Nav, portion of the slope in the
lower dam was carried away by the violence of the
bleh waters winch then prevailed. bat suitable means
were promptly applied by the superintendent, and
the work WAS speedily restored.
The ring stones and plt OF tie wall f the dou-
bile culvcu ~ ilc month ui SNOW ticrh uav tt Gwen
way, aud endangered lie fl OF til whole structure.
II has been repaired temporarily witt 1on5 and -'oQe,
"liha'"" to NOR perfect rslAas upon tie eniHI,e-
ncut of the canal.
DINING the cXlraardnaly drought Of lasl Snmnel
tue "i'-d'lHH Wis i'luth lttpiiilpNtl y az HdIe
quae supply water from both the feeders OF the
Blue Ridge canal When visited This canal in the
mouth Of August, the wafer had fallen about . ,
ieet below the top OF The lower dam, aud before my
rriurn early IA September, from the West, II lad
likewise ceased 10 run the dam above. TIE
lower dam had NOT been Sufficiently travelled at the
Time oi us original construction but the be-
inG abundant IN ordinary years. no inconvenience had
arisen from the numerous leaks through which
large portion OF the water made It's escape.
The late low stage OF the river would have greatly Ia
ciliiaed The business III completing THIS improve
mrn bur, from The near approach ct the period ior
radical changes nj tins important pass. the Suprrln
tendent was Instructed TO maze only indispensable
repairs upon The dams, rs well as upon the canal
and all its other associated works. After the primer
pal leaks IN the lower dam stopped with small
brush wood. stone, and gravel, and the mouth Of the
feeder was deepcned, there asuliricnt supply oi
water on all the levels the S0nt side Of the river.
On the North side tho levels, ut after the rams IN
september, could only be flied by shutting the I"l
gates and w'ckets below, and opening the gates A.
bove, thus shifting the water from level to level
winch sometimes caused much delay. But all that
was IN The power OF the Superintendent seems to
have been promptly doue towards keeping the canal
passablc, amid the difficulties Produced by the de-
ecis IN the WORKS, and by the extraordinary charae
ter OF the season.
In the Spring pair ef large lockCaics was
made aud hucd TO the cut stoue lock nearest 10
the lower end oi the canal. In the summer. sunbty
repairs were made the old ockgaeS and the biid,.
es over the waste wers j; and, ~ the course OF the
season, IN addition 10 the stoppagc of bad breach
and various leaks in the cmbankmenis, much labor
WAS bestowed in removing ttp the bottom Of The
canal grass mud. and, gravel aud sand. which pre-
scented greater Instructions 10 the navigation, in
sequence of the unusual want water to supply the
levels
The addition about to be made. Of few balance
beams and Of sheathing plank, the gates OF some OF
the old locks together wiIh nev sleepcts and plank
ing to some of the bridges viii complete the onina-
ry repairs deemed necessary for the present year.
in the actual position of things at tie Blue Ridge
canal.
The Blue Ridge Turnpike road was, ihfoug houl,
IN State Of good repair. when ! inspected it IL the
months ni August aud September The land side
ditch had generally been deepened, and in many oi
the rocky portions, by the operation of blasting
aud every wheie was well cleaned oul. and clear OF
obstucions to the passage Of water The form of
the road was properly maintained, in despite OF the
increased difficulty Of poughlng, scraping aud ex
chva,i N, resulting ilun the long duration and in
trrsy OF the drought. At the sharp curves, the
road had been wideued by materials procured aud
thrown over iromitS UPPER side, by which means, OBJ
ectionabIe had beer very ad,antagecusly
diminished. At point on the South side OF The NJ
yer, about 18th of a nile from the ferry landing al
another the North side abou: a mile above the
dollhouse and at third. about midway on the
Western side OF the Blue Ridge, The exterior wall
bad slipped away 10 resting place below-and
at all these places the general width had been
restored by rock blasted and thrown over from the
precipices All these repairs. as wen those on
the canal, have been conducted ny the Superlnten-
| dent vlth only four hands emuloy ed nv The