Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-01-07
DOMESTIC.



Proceedings Of he &OcAh0tdcrs at a CaIi,d Mefjng
on the IN Mny, 1880.
(CoSrINrED.l
Having now furnished sac! explanatory details touch
ing the operations Of the year upon this portion Of the
line as | deemed worthy of communication should
here close THIS section 81 The report: but the period
IS at hand when most important part of the scheme
of Improvement will be completed and as il must soon
be highly useful and Interesting to The Stockholders Of
the company 70 h. correctly informed as TO the cha
racter extent and value OF The work which has been
done. hcg leave sill! further to tax their patience by
laying before them the following
Descriptive account of the first grand division Of the
James river and Kanawha canal Intending from Rich
mond to Lynchburg, distance Of l47 niles.
]. The first principal section extending from Rich
mond toa point nearly opposite to the town OF Carriers
ville-46l miles - yards.
The James river and kanawha canal commences nj
Richmond in capacious BASIN surrounded BY a sub
stantia stone wall, except its South side, where
from stated i'll the fourth animal report the exc
cuion Of the companys plan of improvement was de-
fcatcd The first slower level extends To lock No.
l. near the lowcr arch, and including the basiu ;
miles and y yards ill length. The breadth of the level
varies in It's and augmrnis from - feet at the
head of the basin TO I'll feet AT the upper extremity of
the level: and the entertainments are calculated for
maximum depth Of water OF cig feet the feeder,
gradually falling off at the rate of six inches TO the
mile by the supply of water power to mills and manu-.
factories in its progress dcw'n the level.
The excavation upon this level of an unusually
difficult and expensive character. For about one half
of the distance the bed of the canal formed by cx.
caya,ons made in granite rock, aud for 300 feet the
tow path cT5anAn is supported by massive VERT
cal wall averaging - feet IN height. From the basin C
the miil.racc Of the T.cdr:ar rolling mills, distance
Of 6.l0 Of mile, the cana banks each side are pro.
tcctrd b. ncro. walls liivin9 batter the face oi
six inches To the foot
Near the Pcniicntiary md opposite TO the Trcdcmar
rolling mills, another basin Of smaller dimensions has
brcn formed and surrounded by substantial stone walls
Tie whole length OF the internal wallng, including
the walls around the basins, is 5000 feet having ave
rare height of eight feet
Upon this level ,:rc two cuvcrts Of five and six
feet spans two public rond bridges one farm bridge
and three The wastewcirs construct
cd in n substantial of rubblc masonry laid in
hydraulic cement, With valves for drawing off the wa.
ter from the bottom of the canal. The wasteweir
Thomas Rlchcs nil has SIX valves five feet by twol
feet each, The others nave two valves each of similar
dimensions.
Gaue. gates for determining The quantity Of water
drawn from the canal Tor manufacturing purposes have
been fixed at Chcrac's mill The Arnnry the fredcgar
rolling mills and at Ru;h"ri"ords midi.
At the upper end Of :his level, few yards below
lock No the first feeder from the the
nal The average width OF tbs feeder at the sarlace
of the water sixty feet. At lis mouth in add ton tn
the old arch Of sixteen feet span, two ether openings
for the admission Of water from the river have been
made The nb"tn.r"ts and piers by which these add-
tional openings have been formed constructed Of
hummer dressed mortarcd masonry and have frames
fitted to them for the reception OF guard rates when
,ycT the old arch * found nsuicen. admit The
ccSsary quantity of water. These openings are at pre-
sen, .">ed. The old arch has guard gate attached
to it by which the suppl OF water TO the canal Is now
regulated.
few Yards above the arch M old dam constructed
Of timber ostt"nds the river nd between this
dam and the arch the south side of the feeder is formed
b. substantial stone wall of rubble masonry laid in
HI draulic mortar.
Immediately below the arch n regulating waste has
been constructed of masonry of similar character
nd at the junction of the feeder and canal iowpat
bridge is built the piers and abuments Of which are
Of ruLblc masonry surmountcd BY timber supcrstruc
ture.
By lock No of III feet lift We ascend to the Sc
c0nd level which is onr onc-cn.h of mile in length
Above lock No. thc dimensions oithc canal through
out the whole Of its extent reduced 10 breadth Of
80 feet the surface and o.! 80 feet at the bottc and
to depth OF FIVE feet, except at very difficult places,
where the brcad; al the surface is, to AVOID great ex
pcnsc, reduced TO III feet
Passing lock No of l03 feet LIT we reach lie third
level which extends to Westham lock, and is lilo
miles in extent. Upon this level there three farm
bridges and 300 fee, of vertical wall averaging nine
feet in height The excavation was generally IN clay,
gravel and sand But little rock was required to be cx-
ca waited to form the trunk of the canal
The fourth level is attained through lock No. OF 10
feet lift II is four miles in length and terminates
few wards above the road leading TO Bosbers dam. a
short distance above lock No an old dam constructed
of wood extends Of the river TO Rcins
island Between the pond formed b. the rctlucnt wa
ter Of this dam and the canal, and about one mile above
the dam lock Of Effect !lt is in course Of con-
sructon for The accommodation of the South SIDE OF
the river; the communication at THIS porEt Beng IN
tended to suppl; inc place Of that which Withdrawn
by the closing of the former feeder from this pond at
point near Wcstham. Upon this level there are four
farm BRIDGES three cu!verts averaging in span from SIX
to eight feet 800 feet OF vertical wall averaging ID feet
in height and $500 feet Of rprap wall lG feet in height
AL the upper end of this level guard bank 1000 feet
in length and eight feet in height has been formed for
the purpose of keeping the water of the river from
breaking into the canal during lrcshes.
A great deal of rock excavation encountered III
the construction OF this level the remainder consisted
of gravel clay ana sand
Near the termination of this level Bos!lc- dam, con-
strucsd Of wood for the old canal extends across the
river Tie pond of ahont 10 miles in length, formed
hy the refiuen; water from the dam, connected with
the canal BY an arm Of the Tuckahoc creek.
a ruard-ock placed few yards from lock No. a,
protects this level from The influence of river trcshets
and forms medium Of communication at all times
with the river.
Upon the south side OF the river, in the pond above
mentioned three railroads communicating with the
coal fields Of Chesterfield and Powhatan terminate
The James river and Blackhcatl railroad runs from
The river short distance above the United States
lance from Richmond the point where it strikes the
river is u miles.
The Duval railroad is about haifa mile in length,
and terminates al the ri"rr about aGuater OF liie
abnve the James river and Blackhcah railroad The
Etua railroad communicates with the coal fields III
Powatan county, and terminates at The river - miles
from Richmond.
From the fourth to the .EM lcTcl We pass through
lock No ) which has lift ofS3 feet. This level was
excavatcd gravry ground of about three feet cut
ting. It's length is $40 of mile
Lock M ), by which the ascent to the s'Ith level o.
only I-1Gth of mile in length is made, has lit oil
The ssrcu,h level extends from Lock No. 6, which
has lift of 81 feet to Maidcns Adventure DAM and
is Ia miles in length II VIII be convenient to DIVIDE
this long level into sections the first extending IRON
lock No. TO Tuckahoc aqueduct, beng the new me
ne canal substituted for the old line OF navigation in
the bed of Tuckahoe creek the sec0nd, from lucka-
hoe aqucduct to Dover aqucduct; and the THRU from
Dover aqucdnct to Maidens Adventure dam Upon