Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-02-03


,oraI 10 i!o Sp::ag ,,,.,3.,
When IT,. water was drawn oil at lie c'ose OF -.
ast winter in order to make way Tor the
I m, ,runl Of t,e ft;e Rdc canal, the associateh
,s man I'm, part Of the line were placed undeF ihc
I;ecrn a. IN. sprrin,cnding engineer; and rs occa
SONS have presented themselves III Inc course OF ~
mas, season these works have received from ihat ON
cer the attention that vas due
The river lock near the upper dam was finished ana
-, ,n,o orrraon carly in the Spring Of the year II
answered the destined purpose Of passing the river
ha,,s ngaued in the trade with the country above; bat
its use has been occasionaIly o,s'ruera anu ''eo'
mod.d BIZ troublesome deposits from TIE river AZ 'he
stages Of HIGH water. Ear!y W. ''ie suu"''' W s'oP
nso IN the lower dam finished by the contractor tc
,,bom ,he ;ob had been let, and the work being well
eYacucd no further accidents have SINCE happened al
that point on the line. In Inc course OIL 'le az "e
wise with view to give greater facility ana safety ~
crossnr at the periods Of nigh WINDS or oil moods III ,he
river he ferry was furnished with new and strong
,,,op,rv rome obtained ron. factory at the North:
and recently the upper dam has been strengthened ny
the SINKING Of n supporting crib q, point near us
Northern extremity where i had The appearance OF CIV
ing way.
rLrouphon, the present year, the works IN this
division have continued in steady progress upon the
reduced scale Of operation prescribed by The board.
Tho ;o,roduc;,on Of two skllliul and experienced
maspns as superntendents OF masonry ~ the second
division has thus far been a'tendcd with 'hr haPpes'
results; the plans and specifications heihg fig'dy en-
forced and the masonry (of which there : vast amount
in the divsion) exhibiting everywhere me g""d ehrc's
Of the system in careful exclusion :" Dad materials
and a most workman-like style Of construction.
The posture Of the works in the second DIVISION IN
point of orwardness and OF actual cost up 10 inc h
dav If November, ISL, IS sci forth n much detail III
statement prepared under a previous call from the
board, BY Mr.. Gill; the experimenting engineer, over
the works IL progress upon That part Of the line.
~ reference 10 this statement, copy Of when =
herewith communicated the following results VIII mp.
pear. That Of the twenty.eght sections N NE d.
vision seventeen had then been completed, and eleven
were still in progress and, that of The eleven sections
still in progress seven were nearly finished, two about
four-i:,hs finished, about half finished, ami one
upon which very little work ind been done
out Of seventeen locks (;iclus.c If tie new locks
upon the enlarged canal III the pass through the B!Ge
kGrc) and new guard lacks III the diYson, All ~
which under contract, there are two locks (Aos ~
and | u al which nothing Ind been DONE but all HE
rest Of the locks and guard locks were ~ various stages
OF progress from the preparation Of the iouHtl-
ton or partial collection Of materials, 10 very I'D
vauced Of The masonry, and very nea. approach
to the final com letion Of lie work
OF the six dams, the RIVER lock and abumen'
of dam No > we're in progress, whilst at dam No. >,
although contracted nr, nothing had been done; but
dams Nos i 4, > and not then under contract
III regard to the three bridgcS in progress on THIS lire,
the masonry Of two has been completed, but for the
ton Of The materials provided.
Tic guGatGm III ic0rk done upon tie second DIVISION
may b. otherwise presented III summary ana ciaSSi-
fled FORM ~ stating that there were III '!i 5,VM' ~,
bic yards oil excavation and emhankmen made, !-,u0O
cubic wards oil rock rxcavaed, 5000 cubic yards 81
rlp ra formed and 800 cubic yards .? building stone
provided, besides The delivery Of 10000 feet board
Of plank and boards, and G4OCO lneal feet Ct
timber and jost.
7hc cost of lie ,rork phil far was as roows:-For
Inots =.
i6aS for bridges g., 10, and Tor dry cuvcr's 81 iO-,
making all total expenditure up TO The 10TH Nov,
ISL, Of $2G-,-2a.
In addition 10 the statement Of work already done
and paid for, Mr. GILL also instructed 10 prepare
careful estimate Of work remaining yet 10 be done and
PAID for IN tie second division. From this estimate,
copy IT winch is also herewith communicated u aP
pears ia there yet 10 be expended before The second
division viii be completed
On accouMt ri ,cork ndcr contract but not get rrefu
tcd-f,r cost Of canal construction $4,000 Of locks
Sl6G 500 Of dams $4,000 and Of bridges S30o, max
ing the estimated cost OF completing the work under
contract S2U6,OGO.
And on Grrount IF ,cork mt under contract for cost
Of dams s27 600, and Of bridges SiUoo beng total
estimate or work not under contract Of Sl3l 600
And maxim. the total amount Of unfinished cork con-
rncted fer ani MT contractcd far, 1897 900
This OF .37 600 for unfinished work, being add
ed 10 tie ,-2o already paid, will place the cost OF
The second division .; the sum Of SGGJ,-
he cost oil ms DIVISION nl Inc canal, winch IN 1877
was estimated at the Of $500 SEQ has been au.
mentedby several causes Of extraordinary and unan-
cipated expense.
From tie friab!e character Of the soil, it foand
expedcnt 10 protect about oneourth of the top OF the
path bank upon the margin of the pools with Nc
Adamiztt surface and the slope with heavy rip rap
trou. bout tie greater part Of lis extent that up 10
The time of making tie estimate, 6-,O00 cubic yards
had been made, and sery large portion Of the entire
amount is 8 hat is demonstrated piaced rip rap.
The locks also in the original design con-
tcmpatcd to be "but Dry with light walls and were
be ultimately substituted ~ cut stone locks, winch
part Of the plan, stated in The last annual report was
subsequently altered, b. giving greater thickness to tie
backing of The locks, and ~ requiring it to be well
grcutcd with hydraulic cement that the locks upon
this part Of the line inte ndcd T. lie permanent aud
% be substituted by locks OF cut stone Is
the interference Likewise Of sections u and ~ with
the Inc 81 the Lync!burg and Blue Ridge Turnpike,
the line al tie canal al those sections was forced
into the river uniavorabe point for the purpose
which also has added 10 the expensvcncss Of the work
The first twenty miles Of the second division Of the
canal, extending from The town Of Lynci;burg 10 the
base Of the Blue Ridge, is admitted 10 be among the
most rugged and diic" portions Of the whole line Of
improvements yet notwithstanding the unexpected
sources Of additional expenditure which have already
been stated, appears that the cost Of this part Of the
woIk vii not exceed an average Of S22o0 per mile
which is about - per cent short Of the average cost
per nile Of the first division Of The canal
Various causes have contributed 10 produce tins cS
traordnary reduction in the cost Of the second diy
sion Of the canal Much IS doub, due 10 the f,
in the pF,cc Of labor within the course If the 4st
three years. 1t u, however, manly 10 he attributed
10 The extensive Of slack water al all the difficult
passes and other suitable situations this part Of The
line.
There seems to be coed ground for the opinion ,ha,
the Of this mixed system Of navigation has saved
10 the company more than a half million OF dollars
within Tie limits Of the t;.eny miles
1t 10 be now fully established, that the great
saving which has resulted to the Company from the <
tensiyc use Of the mixed system Of navigation IN he
second division, has not been purchased b. airy
ta deterioration oil the character and usefulness Of the
line The river here Is comparatively narrow and ~
sheltered from The winds by the lofty hills and
tans which upon lis banks. The dams also across
Tie river he built altogether Of stone upon plans
Of construction the most approved for durability and
strength And from the greater fall in the river in tis
elevated region, it seldom rises hlgh and the water is