Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-03-02
To THE EDIToRs OF THE WING.
BUChlNGHAM-Jamss Rirer and Kana,ph
COmpanu Bride, &c

/
| Company Bridge, &c.
! Gentlemen: As the subject OF communications
with the Canal for the accommodation of the South
side OF James River, is at present engaging partcu-
Iar aVenuon, permit me to occupy little space in
your paper in laying before the people of Buckine
ham such considerations as think ought TO infI-
ence their action on this subject. This county has
! shown, IN very substantial manner that she feels
no common interest in the Canal, and she has, there.
lore night 10 expect that the Company will give
her the best facilities for icing benefited bv tbo
Canal which 1t may be in their power TO grant.
With regard TO the kind Of communication with IN,
Canal 1t seems hardly necessary to notice the scheme
advocated by "South Sider OF Bucknghan, >, in ,L
Wing OF the 10th ut The plan Of this writer is that
no more dams shall be built than have been nIea,v
construced-that the Company shall not be asked
TO build any bridges for our ACKNOWLEDGMENT
that we shall be left to depend the common river
ooats 10 take our produce to market. Xhy then
was our South side county guilty OF the GORGEOUS
folly OF helping TO construct a canal at n e6ormous
expense TO be navigated by bat,eaux as far as our
side OF the river is concerned The Canal furnish
es not whit better navs alton for batteaux thnn the
Old improved bed OF the river; and are we 10 be told
that on an expenditure Of a very large sum of mo-
ney, we are To remain satisfied with no improve.
merit OF our facilities for getting to market? This
really looks like trfing with the intelligence and
the interest OF the county. take IL for or,nted
that the James River and Kanawha Comnanv in
tend 10 furnish the best accommodation for the South
side that they may be able do. This the charter
compols them TO do. The only question is, what
ainu OF accommodation will best meet the wants Of
those who ask that they may be permitted to par.
tIcipate IN the benefits of the Canal
On this subject, after great deal of reflection.
nave no hesitation IN saying that bridges are greatly
to be preferred to inIets 10y water. Some Of The
reasons for this opinion will very briefly state
L. Bridges will he more than two-thirds cbenner
Than dams and inlels. On this subject il NAV be
stated that according to the estimate OF the PTnc
pal Engineers of the Company, the cost of con-
suucIlng stone dlm, with the necessary lock or
locks, lateral canal, &c, together with the anount
charged for lock-keeper and f. rry man. would
1e s5oOOO bridge constructed OF Kyanis ed tim
Der, which would last forty years, could be built
according TO The same estimate, for SII 600 being
S2l,OOO less than n dam and it's nppe ndnges
But It may be said that the Company are OBLIGED
to afford this accommodation to the South side and
zoe need not regard the cost. IL is vain however
TO ask people TO do what they cannot do. But there
Is no reason TO ask The Company to give us the more
expensive inlet-for,
9. Bridges will better answer the purpos. md
conyenIences OF the South side. IL is not probable
mat the trade OF our side Of the river would REQUIRE
more Than one boat at each ford and Of course ho,e
VINO would be accommodated at each ford would
have TO depend mainly on one boat IL could moi
be expected that the owners of oats on the line of
the Canal would submit to the delay of passing
through the locks and Of crossing the r.ytr TO de.
pc ne or receive freight from the Southern bank
ne consequence would be that those shipping pro.
duce would have TO await the convenience of the
owner OF the single boat on which thew dependsd
and might IN many instance. be Obliged TO wait
until iuli load could he obtained. IL will be readi,
y seen that we should he subjected TO immense in
convenience IN this way in getting our produce 10
Richmond, and IN procuring articles from that pont
so that II might very we'll be questioned whether
me Canal, on the whole, would not subject the
South side 10 mora nconveniences than if il had no
yer been constructed.
To oxemplIfy-Suppos a merchant at D. C.. n.
A. =
grocer IN Richmond for hogshead Of Sugar or a
bag OF Coffee. The grocer goes 10 the basin in
search OF boat 10 take them on. lie can find
none but Lynchburg boat, ltbose which run TO
egch OF those respective places having lust eGl the
Captain OF which refuses TO take on the articles
and assigns the following reasons, Sir, when
reach the point where you wish me 10 deposit the
articles, 10 drop through the lock and pass oyer 10
.he other SIDE OF the river, would consume more
ume Than the freight OF your articles nrc worth,
and moreover, when ! get there, a freshst nigbt
prec nde the possibility Of crossing, or there might
he brisk wind, which would equally prevent NV
going over or the pond might be lfozsd over 90 as
20 exclude mo from the opposite shore. This latter
objection, It might DO said, is not valid for that
when the pond is ffozed, 80 viii be tho canal; but
not so.-The constant ebbing and flowing IN the
canal, occasionod by tho passing boats will keep IL
naVgable; whilst the pond would be closed with
zee. During the winter Of 1885, | we'll remember
the river was closed by ice about eight weeks
n communication by bridges would be subject 10
none Of these objections. They would, at nI times
Furnish ready access 70 the canal and iraght could
be shipped or received without serious delay. But
3. There would be greatly moro safety by bridges
than in the use Of dams and inlets by wafer. This
IS readily seen. During high or, indeed, ordinary
foods, the navigation Of tho ponds created by The
dams would be attended win serious danger, and
in extraordinary floods, unless high and eTpensive
ombankmonts were formed, these ponds would en-
danger the safety Of the oompany's works. and
might occasion the destruction Of lasRe portions M
the canal, besides the injury to private property
The engineers Of the company state the irnporfan,
fact, that "the surface Of the water in the ponds
would, in most instances necessarily be but from no
TO II feet below the plane Of the canal banks and
tho river has been known TO rise twenty feet in high
hoodsp
! might state additional advantages of the plon
Of using bridges instead Of DAMS but suppose II
is not necessary. From what has been said. Il i
apparent that the Legislature would act wisely in
giving the company authority 10 construct bridges
Zoe the accommodation Of the South SIDE instead Of
dams snd inlets by water. All that wish is, that
we, whose interests are sought 10 be secured NAV
not sow ourselves to be beguilsd by the schemes
OF notional gentlemen, who, ifthey have thought
much on the subject a. they profess, seem 70 have