Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-12-07
Fer the Enquirer,
1AuPs RIVER IMPROVEMENT.

Messr.. Editors: am pleased that "Allesha-
nv" PROPOSES 10 review my statements and arsu-
nen>. even though he does prove them, (as he
SAYS he hopes 10 do) 10 BIZ utterly iaaciouS; for,
in doing this, much information must be cliciIed,
ana ills is what the people OF this Commonwealth,
and especially its Legislature desire at This time
My only regret is that Allegheny should have
jetslred his remarks until now, when the Legs
Iaure is 50 urgently called upon by him 10 grant
flr;ber aid-because. although something ough,
10 be- done al once, yet il oagt! MT 10 be done n"-
,cissly. as IL wMte II Goae NiaGiyor upon T7onc-
Gus iatormafioH.
In discussing this question, DO hope 'Alesha-
ny will NOT deal in downright; assertions against
the most Overwhelming proofs to the contrary, as
he has commenced with when he says "And up
On this plan (by canaD has the work been carried
mos successfully (HaiifieG by me- 10 and partial
II tevond Lynchburg." For this wholesale as
SUMPTION that The work is "most successful It's
mode and plan Of construction uneScep;ionable,
is capacity unusual, lis management perfect, &c,
can no longer be listened to when facts diSprove
Item. Let truths come on, truths which
The experience Of 5 or wears has manifested 10
The most casual observer-and moi repeat what
Judge Wright's opinions l-ejc-( By the way, tins
gentleman estimated that the canal would cost
Sis 900 to so 900 per mile; il has cost near slo,-
200 pef mile, double: and sill is not more Than
,wlinrls the capacity he estimated for)-Or,
what The Chief Engineer of the State rc2orhd.-
For these gentlemen were dealingin suggestions,
the only data they could then obtain, and motfaets,
as sigee derclo2ed. The canal has "been carried
llcs, successfully TO- and partially beyond Lynch
hurg." saws "Alleghanv" i; has cost dou-
be \" es,imate-is but 40 feet wide instead of50
!eei--in nany places not exceeding 3 feet deep.
nav no, more than 81 feet instead OF iect-has
Ia. II locks Out of 81 made OF masonry, instead
oihe whole being OF masonry-and lis dams, a.
lsas. one OF them, 50 leakv that wheneverihe Tver
falls below lis ordinary height, i; runs through
item, and thus they are no longer feeders 10 the
anal successful" when during the last twelve
months four Of them found the water so low as 10
entirely GU, off all freight boats. Why, another
year OF such success will drive commerce OIL the
canal into wagons OF river ba,teaux and thus
throw the interest, 10 be paid upon the Company
debts, upon the State, ami, ultimately, the whole
deb, itself
"Alleghany" says utterly disregard the pre-
sent condition and plan OF the work, i'll discussing
this question Why, it was the imperfect 'condi-
ton and erroneous ''plan" Of The work that indU-
cei me. and no doubt has others, 10 susgest
letter plan: Tor, il this had been successful" IL
would have been folly 10 propose any change
"Alleohanv' saws we forget and certainly over
look" that ii The lock and dam improvement, be
introduced al or above Lvnchburg, a new trans
shipment necessarily takes place. This by no
means follows as Shall hereafter show; bat We
will suppose it 10 I've so for the moment, aud what
are the Disadvantages! Why, the delay conse-
quent upon one boat running along side of ano-
Their and exchanging carsoeS, and this time
would no, exceed three or four hours achlca
7rou& hare been gained len times orer, be-
cause OF the greatly increased speed in lock
and dam navigation over that obtained on canals.
The distance between Lynchburs and Covington
!, l0l miles-this il canaled, would require forty
hons 10 make trip down or up, at The usual
S,-ei ui freight boats-when, II by lock and DAM
would We run in seventeen hours-ihus saving
in a single Trip down taocnty-ttree hours-so that
dejuc,in, the few hours taken TO uanship-say
FIVE ,ant tw-o would be enough and the gain in
time down from Covington TO Richmond would
be cgffccp i0nrs This is the advantage as to
time. Now as 10 expense: II shipments were
made either from Richmond or Covington,
'hrough,o the other extremity, it would perhaps
be necessary to pay the commissions chargeable
hy a forwarding house al Lynchburg; this would
be all the additional expense. Now, what VIII
be saved by lock and DAM instead OF canal
Isl. As the distance could be run in about one
halt the time between LynchbuIg and Coving-
Ton, and the propeling expenses lessened one
hall per mile, the freight would be not exceeding
one.;tiri the present rates on the canal. I'd. As
the cos; of lock and dam for this l0l miles would
hot exceed $4,000 per mile, (and this is a most
liberal estimate for, by the report OF the Mo
honsahela Navigation Company" in lS4l, the
Gus, OF iha, lock and dam improvement which
has just gone into the mos. successful (not Ale
saany's ''most successtuP) operation, was but
$500 per mile from Piisburs to Brownsville,
distance of fifty-.wo miles, and this over noun
famous country which is about one-tour,h The
COS. OF canaling, the charge for toll ought not 10
he more than one-half-nay one. lourih of that
now exacted upon the canal Then. the annual
expenses attending the lock and dam sySlem-i
speak OF repairs-would not be one-half those at
lending continuous canal through that rough
country. Here, then, is another reason why the
rate OF toll conM be largely decreased.
Having shown before, in former remarks that
The country between Lynchburg and Coving,on
Is better adapted 10 lock and dam than TO canal
ina; the former plan would not exceed 81 100000,
while the latter would cos: al least 81 900, 600
that he expenses necessarily cbargeablc upon
produce or merchandise need not be more than
oae-hiri on lock and dam OF that upon canal
ana that the freight would be lessened about in
inc same ratio, and that speed would be greatly
increased shall wait for "Alleghany" 10 give
one single good reason why this plan should not
Re adopted. In the mean time, most respect
lly suggest for the consideration OF the Com
pany at its next meeting, on The OH instant the
appointment, OF one or more dsinleresed engi-
heers, or commission OF suitable gentlemen, 10
maze 4 most careful survey, with view Of
Learning which OF the three plans should be
adop;et, canal, lock and dam or railroad.
BALCONY FALLS
, NoTE.--l should have heretofore mentioned,
mai nth s6eS Of the rircr ron'2 be equally al
managed by lock and dam, bt mol 50 dycaaal.
Ey,r III. E,n1,;-c,