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

elevation. It's height above low water mark in the
river, Calls mill, about IA miles below L. nchburg,
% feet; at the Rvanna acueduct it PSI feet,
and various points upon the whole line Of the river
East Of the Blue Ridge, it ranged, according TO local
circumstances, from minimum Of 10 feet 10 maxi
mum of 81 feet At the head Of the Blue Ridge Canal
the water TO most extraordinary height
quence of the onion, that point, Of great floods from
both branches Of the river.
The relative height f,his in comparison with former
reshes appears have been greatest in the mountain
region, and especially in the negbborhood Of the Al
eghany Ridge Upon the line Of The river East Of tho
Blue Ridge It certainly surpassed any fresh that has
occurred within the last AZ years, and exceeded hy
difference generally ofseverafet that ofthe year 1914;
which, it will be r.coleced, formed the standard of
reference for the location oithe canal
regret to state that tie result of this most extraor
binary and sudden in the was, that the canal,
both the frs, and .rcond grand divisions, was ex.
iensvely submerged and sustained heavy damages in
addition to considerable injury done at The time To
The turnpike road between CovingtoD and Lewsburg.
! The overflow in the first division occurred at various
places between Richmond and Ly nchburg, constituting
altogether aggregate distance Of "a miles The
greatest portion Of the damage sustained confined
To the embankmen,s, which were broken in many
l03 dfere nj places upon the line of the division; the
food water generally coming in imme diaely below tho
locks, running down the levels and bursting at the
weakest points, where the mound of the canal had
been thoroughly settled, end etl unprotected by
vegetable cover.
The shock the numerous works of art on this d.
vision much less severely felt, and the amount Of
injury inflicted comparatively inconsidsrabe; al.
though from the character of two Of the subjects Of
damage and the time necessarily consumed in their
repair proved be the chief Of the
interruption to the navigation Of the line.
At the Joshuas Falls dam The current passed over
| the mound at the Southern abutment and swept it
away, together with q acres of The adjoining low
grounds and caused breach Of abou, 200 feet wide and
from 10 20 feet in depth below The level Of low water
mark, thus forming passage for the whole volume Of
dam
At Beaver creek, the water about 80 feet above
the level of low water mark and passed the top
of the double culver destroying 80 feet of the upper
and one-haf Of the lower arch on The side next the
river and carrying away about 1000 cubic yards Of
embaDkment
At several other points the line, injury of minor
grade sustained by some other OF the works Of
art One of ihr corners of the Backwater sque.
duct having been insuficieDtly fastened by anchors
to The foundation, partially lifted up by the up
ward pressure of the water The temporary
trunk Pudding Hill injured and portion Of tho
planking carried away, and the timber of four Of the
spans and the piers Of The Tye river towing path BRIDGE
and like wise those IF the FIRST farm bridge below that
point swept of and lodged in the neighboring
low grounds
AS soon Is the water had subsidized sufficiently to
ascertain the character and extent of this appalling
Of damage, for the restoration of the
work adopted with the prompiitude and energy
demanded by the great interests at stake The general
outline Of those was, conduct the repair
of the embankments by enlarged companys force,
operating under the superintendent Of repairs and the
repair OF the works Of art, by contractors operating
under The supervision Of The Chief Engineer: but the
systems rccpocaly brought to aid each other,
especially upon the upper part Of the division where
considerable portion OF the earth work was let 10 con-
tractors.
The first great obje repair the emba nkments
and 10 reopen the Canal with oil practical dispatch
high the Tye river feeder, leaving the breaches
above that point for subsequent and more gradual
operation, nusmuch that portion of the navigation
could not he restored until the completion of the work
at the Joshua Falls Dam.
Notwithstanding the financial difficulties with which
they had contend, the Directory fortunately
enabled 10 secure the prompt concentration Of pow.
crful force upon the work consisting of 100 men pro-
cured from the contractors the Richmond Dock; 80
obtained by The influence of of the directors Mr.
Samson) from the Midlothian Goa pits; 40 hired along
the line, and the Company regular animal force of 80
hands constituting in The whole aggregate force Of
400 men.
This force having been suitably distributed through
out the line Of l05 miles, extending from the city Of
Richmond to The mouth of Tye river, managed
with great energy and effect by the supernte and
his ASSISTANTS; nsomnch that although from the state
Of the entertainments, operations could not be com.
menced ill the 18th of July, yet the necessary repairs
were finished so as lei in the water al the Maidenu
Adventure feeder on the 2lst of the month, and q,
the Seven Islands and ut Tye river the 9th of August
and in few days after those periods respectively, the
avigation from those points completely restored
During the progress Of the work, portions of this
ma 3,mum force dismissd and about the middle
Of August detachment Of about so men was sent Up
strengthen the Companys nrce at the head of the
Blue Ridge canal; but these rednctons,
there upon the first division, from the 18th July
TIL the 20h September, general average Of about 200
men.
The breach at Joshua falls dam, stopped by sink
ing cribs Of TIMBER with base Of As feet in breadth,
which afterwards raised to plane abou, l0fret
below the comb Of the dam and then carried up the
desired height By OF back interior and front logs
and ties the lower side with slope Of three feet base
each foot Of rise, and the upper side with slope Of
u to 1.-The slopes being covered with inch plank,
we'll secured BY wrought IRON bos 10 the tmbers
derneath. The Southern abuiment of the new dam is
constructed of stone, laid in ydrauc cement and
il is contemplated TO extend guard bank from the
abutment to The base Of the neighboring hills.
The double cnlvert at Beaver creek having twice
pre- viousIy been injured by freshes repeated trials
having shown its ncapacy to give proper vent 10 the
of the creek decided to take il down 10
the water line, and rebuild upon economical plan,
susceptible of speedy execution and calculated 10
The recurrence of such injuries hereafter. Permanent
abutments of cut have been erected, and upon
these substantial wooden trunk Of 441 feet epan has
been placed, giving waller way for the creek OF more
than doube the capacity Of the cuvcrt for which it is
a substitute.
The Black water aquednct has been resdjusted and
properly secured and the abuiments of the aqueduc
Pudding Hill, which commenced last year, have
been completed, and permanent trunk has been
sirncied in place of the temporary trunk which was
swept away. The Tye river towing path bridge, and
the farm bridge which swept off that point,
been renslncd with the supersruciure Of the for
raised two feet higher than formerly, and The d.
mansions of the p;ers enlarged.
TO this list Of repairs it moy be proper 10 add, that
the CRIBS formerly sunk near the Northern extremity Of
The Tye dam, having been injured and partially
washed away, ne" range of cribs with base Of ~
feet has been sunk below the dam and surmounted
with slope Of very solid angle Of 90
degrees.
All the repairs and reconstruc,ions Of the works Of
arr which had been injured by the fresh, were pressed
by the Chief Engineer, with his won,pd energy and
skill, aided BY an influential Director, (Mr. Dsvs)-
yet the heavy jobs, az the Joshua Falls DAM and The
culver, over Beaver creek, liable they were 10 .
erpption from The rises of The river and capable of
beinr worked nnon only BY limIed anonnt nf forcc