Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-01-09


ings Of he Stockholdcfs Al Me;r mn 7nnuai Meet
ipg in Dcccmbcr, Is39-fO mhirh are pr.fred me
Proccedings If the Stockholders at Caiicd Meeting
lie 1h .Noy 1889.
rCoSTIYrEp.
3 The third principal section extending from The
Warmins;cr ferry landing 10 the watcr-works dam al
Lynchburg, lSi niles and l'6 yards.
The third prime pal section commences al Appoint on
the thirty first level between locks No 80 and 81 opPo-
site TO the Warminscr ferry landing, and at distance
Of !S miles and 'i yards from the lower end OF the
basin in Richmond The portion OF the level situated
between this point and lock No 81 is l.! mile III yards
in length The average depth Of cutting was ID feet
through light sandy soil On this part of the level
there cuvert of feet span Swan creek and
one farm bridge.
- - ,:h !; ~ :i-;smuIrD Yards in length
second eys Ehtih Of ca1ng was five feet and the ex
cavation consisted principally of hard clay with gravel
and slate inlcrmxcd This level passes around bluff
at The head Of the Swift Islands, where the cana! is To-
Gated in the bed Of the river and protected by slope
wall 1880 feet long, andby rprap wall 1850 feet long,
each IA feet high On this level there seven cut
built of red sand stone varying in span from -
. feet: there also three farm bridges.
BY lock No % We rise 10 feet to the M;rtythird c
vel, which extends AZ miles and IA yards 10 the Tyc
river dam The average depth of cutting q feet
chiefly through clay. This level has three culvcrs va
ryng in span from to 10 feet, five farm bridges, one
dam across the main river and one guard lock.
The dam across the river is 40 feet in length be-
tween the abutments one of which being the one
the north bank and contiguous to the canal is COM
posed of hydraulic masonry the other consists Of the
cliff rock of which advantage was taken for the pur
pose Oh the south bank of the river The base OF the
dam is 81 fee, in breadth and is founded ledge OF
rock which stretches the river 81 feet below
low water mark the height above the foundation being
l3l feet The dam raised iIom its base III CRIB
form and filled with stone to The surface OF low water
in the river Upon this crib work was erected frame
work of 95 combined rafiers five feet apart sting
each of an upper and lower slopes the lower slope Of
the rarrs being about Al degrees and the uppc! slope
much less These raitcrs connected together by
horizontal rows Of timbcrs on their upper and lower
slopes and these tmbcrs the planning OF the dam
wcs secured After the raitcrs were raised TO their
places two walls were built within the wood frame
work Of the dam, each running through the whole OF
its length slope wall parallel and contiguous TO
the lower face; the CHER vertical wall at small m
tcrva from the slope wall and in the centre of the dam
The remainder Of the dam filled with loose stone
The thickness Of the plankng on the upper face is
three inches: TIA: The lower face four inches and an
additional course of plansng four inches thick and four
feet long put the upper slope next the crown OF
Of the DAM and ice breaker and protector
against floating drift wood. Through the abutmcnts
on the Nort, SIDE Of the river is placed temporary
lock for the accommodation of boats using the river
For the protection OF this level o! the canal guard
lock III feet high built after the plan Of the wooden
h
the water high in the pond and the gates of the
guard lock closed the canal below ted through
channel four feet square, constructed the upper side
of the lock which closed By sliding gate and regu
lated BY simple lever.
The canal enters the pond short distance above the
dam and iusi below the month Of TIE river From
tins point for niles above the rciluen water from he
dam affords slack water vgaton and thus ovcrcomes
at a comparatively small cost one OF the most orllda
bic c,s,, 80 the line, known under the Gcnomlna
of IN, ylrrct Inc Il q
nal would have been attended with gigantic difficulty
and expense.
The towing path is carried Tye river at the
height OF II feet above the water by wooden bridge
six wide and 260 feet in length between the abut
mcnts; after which for nearly the whole of the distance
it is formed at similar elevation above the surface of
the pond along the sides of rocky and preclpitous cliffs
At the end Of the towlng-p path pass through
the combined lift locks Nos 53 and a. having an unit
ed lift of l. feet 10 inches, to the Miryt0unh level
The lowe. Of these combined locks is built rock
foundation, and is constructed OF cut stone up TO the
height Of feet the remainder is built upon the plan
of The wooden locks the line The length of this
level is II mile and :S5:' yards and the average cutting
was feet through hard clay On this level there are
81 yards OF vertical wall l. feet high; also farm
bridge and > cplvcrts.
The first culvert is Owens creek Immediately
above the locks and has arches, each with span of
- feet The other cuverts of and feet span.
At lock No - we rise feet to the Mirty.fM level,
which is mile and 800 yards III length. The average
depth of cutting was d feet and the excavation was
through clay and sand At the upper end Of this level
the line passes around cliff where it is protected from
the river by 400 yards OF vertical wall 10 feet high,
and also BY a riprap GGG yards long On this level
there i no bridge and only culvcrt Of feet span.
By lock No So having lift of feet, We pass to the
hirii-Siy,h level. tbs level is y miles and yards
long IT passes over the toughest ground on the third
principal section, with the exception only of the forty
ninth level II Is made around rocky bluffs nearly The
whole Of the distance. 1t is protected from the river
BY 267 yards Of vertical wal! ~ feet high and By rip:
rap wall mile and 30 yards long On this level there
arc cuycrts of feet the other of feet span; also
one road bridge 10 accommodate the ferry at Green
way Along these rocky hill sides, in other similar
instances the width Of the canal is lcSscned in order TO
save rock cutting. The work now advances amid the
most imposing scenery, which continues and becomes
still impressive as 1t proceeds towards Joshua
Falls
Through lock No 81 We rise feet TO the MiHy-se-
rrnta level The length Of this level is X mile and
:yJ4 wards The average depth Of the cutting y
fee; through open ground and the excavation was Of
clay.
On this level there are culvcrts varying in span
from 3 to d feet, and bridges, OF which accoinmo-
dates the road leading TO Bent Creek.
Lock No. 81 opposite to the town OF Bent Creek has
rise of feet and conducts 10 the hiHyeiehM level
The length of this level is II miles, and the average
cutting was . feet through easy alluvia soil
Nearly all OF THIS lever takes IN lnarsny ground IL
has 9 culverts, ] of and | Of y span, and farm
bridge At the termination of this level we reach lock
No 80 built of cut stone procured from quarres within
/ Of a mile OF the site.
Lock No. 80 has a lift Of feet and conducts to
the MirlniaM level. The length of this level is y
miles and 81 yards. The average cutting was it feet
IN omen ground. At the commencement and end OF
this level the canal made round rocky points, which
project in the river protected by 96 yards OF vertical
wall Il feel high, and likewise by rprap wall c6I
wards long and 10 feet in height. This level has
BRIDGES and also culvcrts One of the cuverts, be-
ing that over Elk creek, has two arches OF sixteen
feet span cach the other five varying IN span from
three TO eight feet. At short distance up Elk
creek is furnace and forge for the manufacture of
iron supplied from beds of which are very extern
sive if not cxhaustble They the property OF the
Elk creek iron manufacturing company. The iron IS
of superior quality, and stands hgh in the estimation
of those who use it. The adjacent country at the
eastern base of the Bnfaoc ridge bordering the canal
for some II or 20 miles abounds in iron ore OF the
richest quality, and covered with wood the land be-
ing generally sterile and unsuited TO agricultural pur