Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-12-28

cansed nv the flesh upon the hrst grand division
set,led al the Office, 10 the thr,ieta oil November last
exclusive o: a5oat nne thousand collars thereafter
TO be pad,l amount 10 thirty three thousand eleven
dollars and sixty seven cents The expenses oil the
fiscal year. ending that date, for ordinary repairs,
inclusive Of the salaries o agents on the canal amount
10 fty.four thousand hundred and twenty dol
lars aud seventy lon cents making an aggregate OF or
binary and extraordinary expenses, during line lasI
fiscal year. of eghty-seven thousand one hundred end
thr,y.seven dollars aHd foriyone cents
The former b;4Gch OF this heavy expenditure has
ORIGINATED from ca!an;tous visitation which IS not
likely to occur gain tho next half century, aud
NAV therefore We safely omitted estimates of the ia
ture annual charges Of the division. he latter branch
of the aggregate the estimate contained in the
last annual report of The ordinary repairs OF the dis
sion for the fiscal year, by the OF only 81, 10
.5 and this head of expenditure Will probably be
found greatly diminished al The end OF the current
year.
After the severe test TO which the works of the d.
vision have recently exposed, resulting in the DIS
closure OF all its weak points, and IN the application OF
the proper remedies, believed, thai less numerous
and costly agency va! eTeaite. be required to manage
and keep these works order. The present plan of
the Directory 10 arrange the division INTO two sub
divisions With only single Superintendent and three
Ogersees each sub Division; one OF these Saper'n'
tendents being Engineer. BY means OF tins reduc
ton and other notifications and retrenchmsrs III the
management of the division, which deemed prscl.
cable and necessary the present state OF the work,
is probable that The cost 81 ordinary repairs for the
present fiscal yea. may DO considerably reduced.
The tolls received upon the canal during the year
ending on the 39ih November last amounted Ia SOo,
22s 69-whch falls short of the tolls o. The pre-
ceoinr year bv difference OF Sl2 o22 0O. Several
temp "a part o. when were odveTted 10 IN
The last annual report ~ have contributed TO CTS.
appoint former expectations, III regard 10 the pIoduc
tiyeness Of the tolls. The receipts IRON the mpo:
an. portions Of trade GpPcr;aininG 10 the kranna river
the town Of Gainesville aad Willis RIVER ana large
part OF the south side of James Iver continued to De
reduced about one half in consequence OF the suspen
zion Of the tariff of tolls upon the RIVER boats engaged
IN those branches OF trade until they enter the canal a
the a;aidens Adventure dam, the Seven Islands
feeder. AS appears from statement already made,
the whole trade OF Lynoh5urG, and the country beyond
IL, Constituting about four fi.ths OF the trade OF the
cana) for the space OF nearly two months at busy
seasou ofthe year. exempted from tolls Tor about
third par: of the DIVISION By resoftnn 10 the bed ote
river between Lynchburg and Eye River. In conse
quencc Of The overwhelming disaster 10 the canal The
revenue OF the sl;li further reduced Ivy the
diversion of n darable amount OF trade 10 the
common Wagons Of The upper country, TO tae oa'sa
Raj Road TO tha Valley Turnpike, or II the Ap?oma
fox and Roanoke rivers. The wheat crop OF The last
year contributed bu: little to the revenue o! the work
the crop generally having been injured by the rnst
and large portion OF 1t IN the valley OF the RIVER hay
ing swept Of by The fresh Moreover, sufficient
time has not vet elapsed deyeope the creative pow
ers of the work Nor be necessary 10 advert 10
The disastrous influence which the general destruction
OF credit and The universal sagnation Of trade have
shed upan the Tonnage and revenue OF the Ine.
But another OF more permanent character,
which operates steadily to sink OF the
nal to found the very reduced rate oi tae tariff
of tolls which, by Of the restrictions upon the
enumerated articles constituting The bulk OF the trade,
canno, practice be made approximate 10 the gene
raj Average allowed by the charter The general ave
rage allowed b. the charter, three cents per ton per
mile but the actual average OF the tolls, stated by
the Principal Engineer oil the State in his report OF
1910, is about |. o. Il cent per ION per mile; which,
together with the usual canal % one cent IN ad
pl1 M M tun
per mile; rate Of chlrse which, for It's moderation, IS
probably unparalleled upon any other incipent work,
and constitutes saving Of nearly two.thirds Of The
former charges upon the river, over and above the
great advantages resulting from The superior certainty,
safety and corvcnience Of canal navigation
II is, perhaps, not Improper that should here make
the remark, that, had depended upon myself, this
cause OF diminished revenue would nevs! have existed;
for it is fact (Which probably, The public records Will
show that, when the Charter Of the Company was
pending in the House Of Delegates, Of which was
then member made the most strenuous exeriioDs to
procure unrestricted aud liberal tcIi OF Tolls;
not however, with any that L should De adhered
10 as q of permanent policy, but because II
might be found advisable, il not necessary, IN the early
stages OF the Company s progress. H,eyc'the!ess, /
was compelled to yield 10 The judgment Of others and,
from that period the present, nave considered it The
part both Of duty and prop'ety 10 give my support to
the Tariff of Cana. Tolls as ii stands in The Charter.
But the present unexpected and peculiar state oil
the Compsnys affairs the question foclby suggests
maintained.
On the subject Of the present Tariff Of Tolls upon
the Canal the following remarks were made by tic
Principal Engineer OF the State, his Official Report
after examination o! the Company Inc al The end
of the year l540
"From calculation have made, based on the pro.
"portlon of the different articles transported the
canal in previous years, II would appear, that the
average for tolls, according to the present tariff, Will
be very nearly u cents per ton per me, evidently
much less then tie old tariff and think, rather ,oo
g low in the presen. condition OF things and in justice
TO the Company. The difference in the cost oil trans
pcrtaton between The old aud improveme nt3
being should Judge, abou, cents per per mile
between Lynchbuig and Richmond would bear, by
Just dylson If this benefit, arising from the IN
urovement tolls averaging - cents per ton per mile,
for the present al least
In connection with t5e statements already made in
reference to ls DIVISION of the work, i, may Ge also
not improper that shouid add few explanatory re-
marks accompanied by one or two brief extracts from
former reports upcn TIC important SUBJECT OF e loca-
ton Of the canal
II will doubtless be recoected that il was only the
line of canal above the Maidens Adventure dam which
was originally located by The officers OF The present
company the portion below that point having been
oripnay located by the officers of The State previous
10 the period Of the sale OF works by the Stale to
the company. The preliminary location Of the whole
line of 100 miles from LrnchbUrg To Maidens hdven
ture and deni,lYe location of az miles OF that dis
lance was made under the super ntendence OF dye
Wright in 1893 the latter portion being personally ex'
nmined and approved b. the Board at Directors IN The
Fall of the sane year. The final location of the re-
mining a miles Of this distance was made OF advise.
ment with Judge Wright the early part of 1870, and
was approved BY the Board N the month of August ol
that wear Til. settlement ot the line MADE with
all the advantage to be derived from the previous sur
yevs ard locations of the officers of The State, and with
degree of care and consideration pTopor,oned TO lie
magnitude and Importance OF TIC subject
In the first annual Report {pages ! l2,) made in
December 1855 the following deineatIon OF the oca-
lion was communicated 10 the Stockholders:
"The line as located by these Assistant Engineers,
commences, by agreement with the corporation oil
Irnchburs at their water works dam, immediately
above the town. After Passing through The loGel
par, Of the town, pursues tie Southern shore Tor
ten miles when with the aid OF towing path bridge,
the river IN the pond OF d-;' to oe erect
ed one and three quarter mics lower down, near