Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-06-28
To ihs EdiiOrs Of N. Irhir

To the Editors Of the Thig.
uehtemen-So long as tho Southwestern in,
p'oSementl IL delayed jus, Sd long will tho publ,
interest suffer. az by its completion we n,,y ince
tnN independent ofthe immense benefit +, vSuI Il,
10 me southwestern portion of tn. State il WON'T
adu 10 the revenue OF the james River Canal IN,
a an sum OF sSoO,ooO tro N the transportation o
oVoOo tons OF produce and merch ant.ze and nj an,
many thousand passengers that would n, b,ou,L, a.
Tue Canal through its operation.
Inc writer OF this does not pretend entering intc
NOSE rehnei mathematical calculations about the
REDUCTION otrleuon; nor into those theoretical ,le,Iuc
u'ns, which though they eriibn great pco6t, IA,
ehemphhcd IN the reports of some Engineers are IN
P'ae'ieo but seldom realized. Bu, he promises bv
ue common rules OF ariihme &c, aided by the test OF
experience To prove, that u highly executed Turn.
pike road would answer the purnose. of the eonn,rv
INFINITELY better than Railroad would M Tho nrc
sent tme aud that would yield an interest OF ii
per cent, no'ldes allowing liberal sum for mana
Slns anu keeping the same in good order
| The complication oG machinery for R,ilro,ds ,h.
various and expensive materials the high prces r.,
CURED or putting them together, render them COSTLY
VI thc1 construction and expensive IN repair; alb
sorolns 50 murh OF the profits, that ip M r,so
within the limits OF this Commonwealth bav. ,bs
shareholders derived any thing like a fair renunc
ration for their Investments.
In the southwestern portion OF this State the ma
terials Tor the construction of a Turnpike mr.. of .
cciient quality and IN tho greatest abundance Tho
working OF which could bc effected by common Ia .
oorers, and ut much less than is necessary Tor
'ne mechan'ca operations required on a Railroad
IL Is correctly remarked by AN eminent pra,,iroI
Engineer that, sin great pubic work wher, I, con
SIDERABLE sum OF money is TO be laid out il becomes
OF me greatest Importance as ertain moi onlv
would oe the best pan TO be adopted, but also To-
what extent Il should be carried or I'M Other we'd
what sum OF money should be laid ou,,-M,n,,
useful imp ovemenis are much retarded if NOT de-
iea'ed, 10y their being commenced on a too m,soi6
cent sca'c' when 10y the adoption OF a less e1pensye
mode, the object dsSredcoud have been effected In
D m inn,
rest ought To be the guiding STAR. The point there
i'rc NJ which this proposed Turnpike should COM
mum C lie with the James River Canal, is buchanan.
TOT ne OBVIOUS reason, that IS the point TO
the Tennessee line 10y which a navigable commune
cation can be had and that oil navig, BILE communi
cations afford transportation at u much lower rate
IMAM any other mode of improvement.
ioootaInihe important result alluded to- il would
Nc necessary To estlbsh a road W tn gentle grades.
indeed, the ground required for the loc,,ion 81,
Railroad would be the best; aud those portion, of
easy execution should be completed, asansw,r,bIc
hereafter for Railroad, when the trade and popu
Iauon would warrant its execution; the other nor
IONS, o! more difficult character, should have no
greater inclination than foot perpcbdicuIar IN
thlrty nve feet horizontal. This grade is found nv
experience 10 he such, that n stage driver ha, n,iI
command over ms horses while descending at RAJ
pii rot The tul owing statements OF the fractional
power ut horses taken from the REPORTS ON the
the Hoiy-head road; winch being derived of actual
performance are without the least tncture of theory
II was found that during dry II Ie of the road the
power necessary for the hauase of ons IN,
at the rate Of ,! miles per hour was in Ibs. nnJ
during wet state 49, lbs. the mean of which is az
ne power therefore necessary TO haul three Tons
following l. tons additional for the wason) would
ue 80 'o''-therehy leaving surplus OF 3l7 lbs AS
the power flour horses (Ihe number here uIowodl
would 6e equal 10 GOO lbs, Ur, $50 fractional for
each. 'O'
In a country producing an abundance of tho ne. !
eesshries oil sustenance, four dollars per day for
man. man, horses and wagon, would be ample allowance;
allowing the performance OF 20 miles Der dav with
three tons;-which would givs 20 cts. per mile or
ot cents per ton per mile. BY using broad
ured wheels, the toll need not exceed cts per ION
per nle; Masking the cost o: transportation and toll
- cents per ton per mile; which Is a fraction Of n
cent less than the cost of trans on the Rail,
road between Philnde phia and Columbia in IN. |
state oi Pennsylyan n. But TO obtain ,bis end n |
ro'd requires TO be completely made and kent in |
goc repair; which could be effected Al the IL,r,i
sums OF 81 900 per mile for construction and $3.50
per mile II necessary for management and repairs:
making the whole cost of constTuction.-,be dis |
lance being 200 miIes-SI, 100000.
Inc velocity at which stage coaches could travel
on road such as this would not be less than cish,
mics per hour, inducing all sioppages.
The amount oftOll on $4,000 tons for 900
-, miles, at , cts. per ton per mile, is 100000
The amount of toll on 10000 passengers,
at CT each per mile, 10000
$4,000
Deduct 6 per cent on 81 400. 900, being
the cost Of construction, $1,000
-
~, sl36,0OO
This sum tSI3G,OOO,) divided by 200 miles, sives
SloO per mile-a sum amply sufficient for managing
and keeping the road IN excellent order
The following is copy OF the Report of the Com.
misSloners appointed To enquire into the state Of the
Public roads IN England and Wales, IN 1910. The
Commissioners say, THAT there are II I6 turnpke
tracts IN England and Wales, which average about
". miles IN extent, compTehendng altogether
22,OOO miles Of road they also state, that the
number OF local turnpike acts is about 3 500: and
on an average, during the last FIVE years. the main.
tenanco and improvements Of roads have cost as
per mile, and the salaries Of 3,555 officers appoint.
Cd by the trustees, and legal expenses, a further
sum of &c mile making a total OF ISL for their
mantenance"-which sum is equal to about 1925,
and, by them, considered too oxtravagant
IL IS fact, which deserves public attention. that
the distance from Buchanan to the Great Falls of tho
hln1wha, IS but little beyond the route contempla.
ted by the James River co npany; and hy defect. !
ing from the South Western improvement at New
river and down is valley to the Great Falls of the
lnawhi, the distance Of road necessary to be made
would not exceed 100 miles; and should il require
the large sum Of $4,000 per mile to complete IL,
even then an increase Of revenue would be added
to the James River canal, that would be exceeded
by no improvement IN tho country, other than the
great New York canal. Thus. both improvements
would comprise distance OF $40 miles and the cost
thereof he S2,GOO,OO0; which, IT by railroads, as
con emplaIcd, would cost at least ten millions of
dollars.