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


much tina, with the exception of the hirty-si2h lew,
already described which is abont of equal difficulty i
may be regarded the toughest level WITHIN the limits
of the third principal section The frst elm IS iooo YES
long. The enibankmcn around tins elm was made Of
earth thrown from the hills above and is protect
ed through whole by rprap wall made Of rock
which was cxcavatcd from the section Passing THIS
cliff the line takes in wet marshr ground where there
is no BERN bank and the canau. consequence IS Of
more than ordinary width The uppec cliff 631 yards
lone aud extends up TO the next lock above. Here the
canal was built mostly in the river and protected
partly by vertical wall 200 yards long and l5a feet
high partly by slope wall $50 yards long and II feet
high and partly by rlPrsp wall l'' yards long and
ti.e average height of feet. On tins level are two
culvert and two farm bridges the first OF the culrcrs
having span of four feet the second over Opossum
creek span of 81 feet. This culver; is founded
rock in six feet water.
Lock No 81 having lift OF : feet conducts us 10
the ftiieth level.
This lock is made of stone out of rock procured
from the cliff below IT, with the exception of the hOl-
n? Guons which constructed OF stone transported
l. miles by land to the work. This level extends for
~ miles 10th. wacrworks dam short distance above
the town Of LynchburG, and within the limits Of the
town is expanded int, capacous b1sn go feet long
and l23 feet wide, supported BY a wall feet high
throughout the whole extent Of its upper side s.
iilar wall lines the upper side 81 the canal Tor )o
feet above and below the basin The outer banks OF
the canal and basin also protected from the river by
800 feet Of slope WALL averaging IL feet IN height and
Nv 500 feet of rprap wall averaging 10 feet high II
is a very costly level in consequence OF the number
and expensive character of the WORKS OF art which were
rcouired Besides the wang there this level
waste weir four road bridges two farm bridges
aquednct, one stone dam, guard lock and i1;r c
vcrs varying span from ) to II lect Near Fishing
creek is placed a asic weir resting on foundation oil
timber with side walls Of hydraulic masonry, and gates
and frames of heart pine Timber II has four Siding
gates raised vertically by simple lever and making
together space for the flow OF water 10 feet wide,
reaching down to the bottom Of the canal. Ih's level
of The canal is only feet above low water in the rve
and should of water be great as 10 run into the
canal at the Backwatcr aqucduct, this wasc-wcir near
Fishing creek is intended To act as safety valvc-
Three of the road bridges OF the largest class Of
bridqrs One OF these bridges spans the canal under
Water street in the Of Lynchburg, and IS built OF
solid masonry founded on timber resting upon clay
TI,o width OF this bridge exclusive of the wings 10
feet including the wings 90 feet; thus occupying the
whole breadth Of the street
Two hmnd-c; feet above the bridge the line passes
over BIartwater creek By aqurduct Of wood and
stone The wood work, consisting Of the SIDES and
bottom Of the waterway, rests upon two abnlEcnt'
and / PIERS The PIERS % feet long, > feet thch,
and y feet high, and placed - feet apart thereby
making the total space between The abutmrnts 10 feet
On the tops of the PIERS both on the lower ana upper
sides pnrapets constructed of stone form foundations
for the flooring of the BERN and t0w-pl above, ana
supports for the mbers the SIDES OF the wooden trunk
These parapcts are feet thick ut bottom and feet
inches at top and e feet hgh the courses OF ma
sonrv as they were carried up being doweled together
with ron pins let three inches into the lower course
and two inches into those above; thus preventing any
dancer from sudden shocks from DRIFT wood IN fresh.
cts The waterway Of the aqucduct Is 81 feet wide
n, bottom and 30 feet at top. The bottom IS formed
81 timhers each foot square and ct various lengths
laid close contact and resting on the peers and abut
ments These thinkers are also nned together every
ten feet of their length, and Kept firm in place by 20
iron anchors passing down on the SIDES o! the pers
/ I. n 4, is ,,a Tho Dior lp
sides of the trunk are formed of tmbers IL inches
square laid one upon top Of the other and pinned oge-
ther and are fortified on the exterior by ps timber
attached to each interval between the parapets, each
strip being secured by bolts passing through II 10 the
inside Of the trunk
The aoneduct is founded on good rock, and the ma
sonry, which is Of the character Of "rock work, is
well laid in hydraulic cement The stone was procur-
ed on the opposite side of the river and the wood was
hauled over land IL miles.
Atl mile above the aqueduct the level terminates
al the water works dam and guard lock. THIS dam
reaches Of the river called Little river,
and was built in place of the dam winch was swept
away BY the freshet of lcO II is constructed OF rub
Die masonry in the form of of circle, the diane
ter of which is 100 feet and versed sine 20 feet IL IS
II feet high and IL feet thick at the base, and feet on
top the batter the lower side being inch 10 foot
The whole has been covered with good coping = feet
long and feet thick secured to one another by ron
clamps The abutmcnts are 81 feet long and % feet
stone and is - feet wide and l6i feet high The stone
for the coping of the dam transported over land
3 niles that for the residue of the dam was obtained
from quarry the opposite sde OF the river, ana
that for the guard lock from short distance up the r.
yer.
At the water works DAM which is at the distance OF
20 miles wanting 90 yards from the lower end of the
basin in Richmond, terminate the third principal sec
ton and the first grand division OF the canal.
At the close OF the descriptive statement It proper
,h,tt han at = locks
are about 100 feet long and II feet WIDE that all the
cuverts 100 feet in. length and are constructed OF
rubbe masonry except the corner stones OF the abut-
ments and ring stones of the arches which OF cut
work that all the bridges have stone abutments and
wooden superstructures, with clear span of 80 feet
between the abuments, and of at least ~ feet between
the surface of water the canal and the string pieces
OF the supcrstrucurcs and that with the exception OF
TIE two first bridges above the public warehouse IN the
city of Richmond where the masonry IS OF cut stone,
the abumens Of all the bridges built of dry rbble
rusonry, but bordered 10 the depth OF inches con
truous TO their outer surfaces with mortar composed OF
hydraulic cement below and Of either hydraulic CO.
ment or common lime above"
beg leave also 10 accompany the communication Of
this descriptive statement by three tabular statements
marked A. B. and c. prepared by Messrs. William
Lake William Bcckwth and Thomas II. Dewitt, three
of the compcuy,s principal assistant engineers, under
whose immediate superintendent the works were con-
ductcd and upon whom call made tor those state
mcnts in order to present to the view Of the stockhod
ers in condensed and lucid form the number relative
poston and dimensions of all the locks cuvcrts aque
duets and bridges which have been constructed within
the limits Of their respective principal sections.
And as a convenient and useful appendix to the
whole submit also the following
SUMMARY STATEMENT
Of the arors Of 1ri uEon he First Grand Drision Of
tic lanes Rircr and KoDamhn Cunt.
81 lift-locks having total Eft Of AZ 5-l0 feet.
q guard-iocks.
accommodation lock.
dams arms Of the river, one of which was
built by the James river company
) ditto across the river three of which built
BY the James river company
5 total number of dams.
| aqueduct with 3archcs OF % feet span each
do. g | arch of 30 " /" g
do 2 arches of 30 g 6 g