Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-03-16
DOMESTIC.
DUMESTIC.
JAMES RIVER AND KANAWHA COMPANY
REPORT or TUE PRESIDENT,

l.
REPORT or THE PRESIDENT,
At the annual meeting If Tie Stockholders, Dcc. ~, loi0.
To the Stockholders of the
James River and Kanawha Company
In obedience to the duty imposed by the charter,
and in pursuance Of the order heretofore adopted now
submit 10 the Stockholders the usuil statement of the
operations Of the year, and of the condition OF the
Company at the present time
1.-THE OLD WORKS.
|. RIDGE CANAL AND TIKI BLUE RIDGE
TURNPIKE ROAD.
When in November, lSi3, the reconstruction OF the
Blue Ridge Canal was put under contract, an arrange
mcni made with the contractors, which provided
for the continuance the latest day practicable, OF the
of the old canal. In consequence OF this arrange
ment the construction Of the work. and the nayi
CATION of the old canal, have, Throughout the present
year. progressed side by side, coniormaby 10 The
course pursued in the first stages OF rcconslruclloE
upon the lower or first level the eastern end Of the
line Although thus irtered III their movements,
consle rab.c amount nf work Inns been done by the
contractors towards the execution Of their contracts
which wilt ne appropriately specified IN another
branch Of the report.
The passage of boats through the Blue Ridge canal
has, with the exception of few days, been nnntcr-
rupted during the past year. Early IN the year, the
upper guard gates at the head IF the canal were bro
KEN and rendered almost useless by the pressure Of the
high water in the river; vet the navigation was CONT
nued with but little delay. In the latter part Of the
year, the lower lock gates at the lower end OF the
nal were so much broken as to impose the disagreed
BILE necessity of renewing il not both OF the gates
very near the period for breaking up The old ncks.-
Whether this damage TO the works the result Of
design on the part 81 mischevous person, or OF
negligence the part of the lock keeper, the snperin
tending agent has not yet been able TO ascertain In
the course OF the year, some other small repairs were
made upon several Of the lock gates each side of the
river: aud on the whole, than The usual amount
of repairs required III order keep The canal IN
passablc condition.
At an carly period in the next year, the progress
made BY The contractors IN the execution of their
tracts, and the dccaycd condition Of the old locks w
make 1t necessary 10 draw Oft the and 10 break
up the old canal, IN order 10 make war Tor tie con-
struc,ion Of The new and more enlarged work Most
of the old locks in d,lapdltcd condition, and
could not have been rendered useful another year with
out an expenditure OF several thousand dollars large
portion Of the stones forming tie face of the locks was
originally defective; the beds and POINTS too small
and the backing inferior IN quality and workmanship
10 these Causes may be attributed Their present cond
ton.
Upon the closing Of the present canal, and until the
completion Of the work through the mountain, the
trade OF that part OF tr line will be transferred 10 the
dangerous and difficult nav CATION Of the neigh
bourlng river. To prevent interference with the pas
sage OF the boats, and TO lessen far practical
bic, the Inconvenience OF the change io the public.
timely authority given 10 the experimenting eng
10 have river lock constructed at the upper dan
and cause during the low stages of the water in the
past season, The channels and succs in the river TO DC
enlarged and improved tie sluce The lower dam 10
be put in good condition., and both the dams TO be
gravelled The execution of these orders has been
fulfilled, except to the river lock; which, however,
is in Of reconstruction, and will soon be compile
ted
Lpoa the Biue Ridge Turnpike, in consequence Of the
and heavy during the first haof the year.
much labor applied THIS road has been kept in
good order throughout The whole year. In the latter
part Of November, other duties preventing me from
mai ing a personal VISIT II examined al my request
by the principal assistant engineer upon that part oil the
line, who found the roadway smooth and "-l man
tanned, the dcies formed at the i"o OF the slopes well
opened ana the hreaun"s ,ic f"ad well preserved,
pt AT single place, where IT had been reduced with
IN the proper limit bv the giving way of high support
ing wall originally constructed Of very bad materials
THIS defective point, winch is the mountain slope on
the south side of the and the lower dam, was
noticed in a former annual report; bnt sufficient road
way being left, it has heretofore been deemed advisable
suffer the defect TO continue and to direct The com
pany force other parts Of the work. Next summer,
however il should be rectlfrd BY rprap the materials
for winch may be obtained ut a trling expense from
the bluff The opposite side Of The road with tins
exception, but little labor viii be required the road
wear The engineer states that the Blue ridge |
turnpike is now justly termed Of the best roads in
the Stale.
Besides the ordinary repairs the seven miles
OF canal, and portion of those made at the toll
road have been conducted by the superintendent with
regular force of four hands for the first six months
and only three hands for the remainder of the year
III. THE WESTERN IMPROVEMENTS.
I'Dou the kana,oha Tarnpkc-the usual liberal
sysiem of repairs has been kept up during the past
As in the preceding year, the road was divided into
four sections consisting each Of about fifty miles the
first extending from Corington to Lite Suel bridge
Gfvfour niles the Second fom Little Suel bridge 10
tha bird ratn (,nII-
lev brIdre to Coal mounain-fifty- fur miles; and the
fourth from Coal mountain TO Big Sandy-iorty three
miles with the branch road Of eight miles from Bar
bonrsriHc TO GuyaRdoe, annexed thereto the whole OF
the four sections making distance Of two hundred and
eight miles
i-non each of these divisions force Of abou. seven
hands with suitable attendance of draft animals,
placed; and the work commenced upon part early rs
ihe 10Th of April, and by the goth of the MONTH ex-
tended 10 the whole. The operations upon each sec.
linn were conducted previous years, and CONSIST
cd in first passing the road rapidly, at The rne OF
vo or three miles day. repairing The worst places, and
afterwards working regularly, TIL the whole line was
Owing TO the unusually tinc condition IN
which the spring found the road, but little Tune was
consumed in desputcbing the lighter operations, which
preceded the commencement of the regular work ana
n this early period, hoped and expected W the
companys agent that the annual repairs would ne &C
compshed at less than the ordinary rate OF expense
I'm, in consequence of the high and heavy rains
cd the quantity Of work be performed as well as The
difficulty of lis execu,ion-ths attering anticipation
proved TO be delusire. ,
The road continued in superior condition, until ihe
middle of May, when, great rains coming on u oecae
heavy and considerably up in the parts most liable
10 damage On the 29,h and Both May there occurred
an unparalleled food in New river, which caused mnch
private and some public injury. The rise in New river
proper is said have been ten feet higher than was
ever known before and, without any simultaneous use
in either Grcenbrie Gou!ey rivers, sweled the ha
nawha river between thirty and forty ieet hoou.
half mile of the turnpike upon the margin of the river
between e canlcy bridge and the foot Of Gauey noun,
tain. was overfowed, and most Of it swept away. The
bridge over Stains run, 10 miles above Ch0r1rstp@,
was carried away; and that Upton creek miies
hIov (haricston was so seriously injured as TO make
!. ne necessary 10 rebuild it Immediately Numerous
nars Of the road were overlooked, and more or less IN
iured The additional repairs thus rendered necessary
were estimated by the agent at about Soeo.
The months oi July and August were marked oy
many Of the heaviest and most destructive rars .ta'
f4N