Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-01-18

| sustained along the towine-pa'h Ut Tue 1osnua 70
oonJ and likewise 1T the Southern extremity OF .he
br, r,l dam Al IN. latte. point, the action OF The
ao,d wo,rr passnr over the new dam winch was
thrown acio.s The gap formed around me OLD sou'e"
abutmeni by The July resh caused n aVy excavation
immediately b. l,w and IN part around the ne" aou'-
me nj conntc,in, the work with the Southern shore.
| RIckw.t.rcr,.k al Iynchbnrg, being several iett
higber Than il was at that period of the July fresh, car
RED away Hollrnss MIL dam the turnpike bridge Jus'
below IT, and The corporation bridge near
null and lodged their tmhrrs against the bisck "ae
anu; duet IN an accumulated mass, rising about eight
Ial above the ton Of that structure; which, nevere-
less although constructed OF wood, was oil sufhceh'
strength 10 resist the shock and to escape from sua
ton OF imminent peril, without sustaining any ma'el'-
al damage
The various items Of damage embraced IN this detail
ed statement const an aggregate much irss Una"
TINT caused by the fresh Of July, S42, but still sut
Gent in amount to make material addition 10 The an
np,l l,bors of the DIVISION aud to change essentially
III. plan of operations for the residue OF the year.
To replace water in the canal win the least possoie
del,y and - restore the works their former state,
the whole force of the division, with some addition 10
his epular amount brought into action by The su
pern.endents, with the promp'itude and energy sueo
to the occasion the repairs, susceptible OF Pos'Poe
ment being thrown into the rear, and subse quently
oLt nm after those hch would not admit OF being
deferred had received the proper attention
| AT The end of the week, the packet beats resumed
their regular trips and IN lew days thereaiier were
folio we'd hy the freight boats but 1t was not Until tue
middle of September after the lapse of five months
that the line WIS essentially restored 10 The condition 10
which it stood daely previous TO the April iresn
course of this time however, some other objects
of Improvement not appertanng 10 the class OF oro
nary or extraordinary repairs, and to be hereafter
more uo,,icul,rly noticed were executed on the line
I Fortunately, during this period, no further heavy
drafts were made upon the labor OF the DIVISION W
d,na.y breaches in The emhankmens occurred on 'ht
10th Ilh 18TH Iitn, l6th 23d, 32d, and Hlh Levels;
/ nd lIupl
ducinr some damage the masonry of cuver's STU
a,ed on hose levels Subsequently, another breach on
the 22d evel, produced by the giving way Of
S'aprss mill dam, the food water Of winch, nat mo
inc sufficient vent by means OF the cuiveit UNDER
meath the work broke into the canal, and sweep
inr for some distance down the line, did material
damage to the cmbankmen before it burst out OF the
canal, aud made lis way 10 the rirer.
But on the Eth of Septc mber the works OF the com
many were again put test by another consi-
derlble fresh in the lower portion OF The river, making
three great reshes which have occurred upon that part
of the first DIVISION thin the term OF fourteen months,
combination of events without parallel since the Pc
Rod Of the Revolution, and judging by the past history
Of the stream, probably TO continue unparalleled Tor
ages to come. From Scotsve TO Lynchhnrg, the ave-
rage height OF the river in September was about the
same as il was in April Below Scotsvllle It was not
as high, being lower by ten inches at Maiden Adven-
ture dam, and by fifteen inches at the Dover mlli.
On this occ aston, however, the line OF the trst div
sion sustained comparatively but little injury In The
first section, extending from Richmond TO ScotsvIlie
some ile damage done on the llih lev =, oy Tue
| high water from the river passing over the lowing
path embank ment. With Ibis exception, no carnage
as sustained upon the first section above Cedar FONT
Along the Madens Adventure pond, the towing pain
was considerably washed F;om the Maiden hdven-
ture dam, down 10 Tfents farmhouses distance OF
about four miles, the injury to the embankmens was
very considerable, probably more than was caused ny
the April fresh. In four days, however, the water
was restore TO the canal and five weeks the whole
of the injury done 10 this section repaired. In
the second section. extending from Scct'svile TO
Lynchburg, Of the piers of the I've river bridge
was carried away and the towing path along Tue ye
river pond was washed and otherwise injured to the
extent of about one hundred dollars No other damage
done upon the second section. The masonry
through bout the whole of the first division, nowhere
suffered any damage whatever
By reference 10 the National lntellgencer Of 9th
September 1915 it will be tina, the loss sustain
ed upon this occasion no, peculiar to this compa-
ny; the line OF the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, be-
tween Georgetown and Ilarpers Ferry, having about
The same time suffered extensive damage from an en-
| traordnary fresh i'll the Potomac river
The whole of the repairs Of the line, both ordinary
and extraordinary, with very inconslderabe EXCEPTIONS,
consisting Of few unfinished jobs are now nearly
closed and the whole Will be completed by The com
mencement Of The new year. At Maiden $ Adventure
new slope has been annexed 10 the dam ana
new feeding trunk constructed upon permanent
plan OF good hnmmcr-dressed stone, has been placed
along side the guard lock at Tye river The protecting
mound commenced last year along the margin OF that
river has been extended out 10 The hills the lost plank
and face nbcrs have been restored to the dam, and
the lost pier has been replaced under the owng-pah
bridge together with new embankment well protect
ed by riprap OF The Northern extremity Of the bridge
And at the Joshua Falls dam, extensive line ul
walling CRIB work and rpappng has been placed be-
low the new Southern abu;ment, as safeguard 10 The
work. and us protection the lands of the adjacent
proprietor against future nroads from the river
With The exception of the towing paths along the
I've river and Joshua falls pond, now IN course oil re-
par and be finished the entertainments are every
where restored to their former condition In conse-
anence however OF the diversion OF labor produced oy
The high waters of the season, the plan OF raising The
embankments n safeguard against future floods, has
been suspended in lis execution; WIN the ihtehtioh
ne theiess of resuming it On important object oil
attention for the ensuing year 1t appears TO be well
ascertaned that 10 protect the emoankments against
future overflow from rcshes not higher Than those OF
July and April. Uhe highest which have prevailed
since the wear 1850 it requisite 10 add to their
haioht 10 various amounts and for various distances
upon the Sd, 9TH, llih, I4h, 18th, 10Th, l5th 2oth
sd and 5lst levels; and likewise upon the margins OF
the Tyre river aud Joshua falls pond THIS class OF
work, calling for mechanical skill, will be nj sub
iect for economical construction at convenient periods
the year, by The force in The immediate service oil the
company and when completed, IN the course OF
the ensuing year, will place the line IN cond'-
ton Of almost entire safety, as to PROBABLE oanger
s"''
work shall have been DONE to extend the preoan-
tlonary system to still further limit, and to go
on and guard against injurious consequences from
even possibic overflow hereafter, by Sill further rails
ing and grading the embanEments below all the locks,
so as TO The waters to make their hst entrance
upon the lower part of the levels, and thus TO prevent
the injurious current along the levels and the oestrnc'
tive breaches from within the canal, which have here
tofore been the chief source Of mischief in the time of
high tioods
In addition to The repairs Of the canal sundry minor
improveme apperlaning other heads of expend-
ture ha been introduced the course at the present
year upon the line of the first division OF which, e1
ampIes will be found in The reconstruction OF deec
tive abunent farm bridge on the third level OF the
canal and of culverts which required TO be taken up
and lowered the lih and I7,h levels in Lighthouses
constructed locks 49, ~ 3D. 81, 40, DC, AZ and iS
IN bridges placed at the Tye river guard end ont
let locks and the Joshua falls guard lock; in horse
bridges provided locks 40 Al 43 and 46 and in con-
venlent crossing boards and neat foo,-bridges, with
handrangs attached t, them, at all the other locks
throughout the line of the division.
! Some other improvements Of character for utility
or convenience or lass interesting TO the whole
~ y;r ,f he limo rhirh nlihOuuh desuund