Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-01-20

best authority that ! am sustained ny the uhan'o
opinion of the board OF canal commissioners ~ -"
Stat. OF New York.
II il nscertaiped hy the reports of the late prnciPai
ngineer OF the S,ae, that 10 lock and cam me river
| from nladen's Adventure dam, (a point 80 mll's
above the city OF R'chmona') up 10 me t,"h u "a
! yipoton would cal for tii'y-seveH dams beo" anu
n;netv dams above The tiwn OF Lynchburg, ma
king topether grand aggregate OF no less than To-
dams with the whole line o locks liable 10 De smo'ie'
red at every considerable rise IN The rVet. 10 say
nothing OF the increased haoii'iy 10 eAcess'se ". ~
definite claims for damages on account oil the over
aoy, NJ MARGINAL propey to result fran the change
s sufficient 10 state that from the experience OF the
comoanv since It's irsl organ21on, with The lew dahis
now existing upon the line, and that restricted as II
necessarily would be under toe system proposed 'he
cbo;c nj ,roper sites and foundations for the dams,
scarcely year would pass around without the occur
| renee Of numerous breakages IN this vast cham OF
works happening OF them IN the winter or spring
season without The possibility OF being repaired, ana
consequently iptertuPling tae line OF 'ra"'' UNIV '"e
re,urn of low water in The following summer or au-
| tnmn
With this brief explanatory statement, made from
sense of dufu respect to The stockholders in order
I, preyent misconsrncton OF the conduct ana views
of the directory and with the most respectful console
this subject in the hands of ills rghtu judges 10 De
dsoo,ed Of should a suitable hereafter occur,
in The manner which may then be regarded as most u-
dclous aud proper
A. The Biuc Ridge Tawpikc.
TIN. Blue Ridge turnpike and ferry, at The commence
Inc at OF the year were again put under lease - "e
former tenant and upon the and conditions pre-
.crbed IN the contract of the last year, with the excep
lion of reduction Of the rent Ia 500, winch was Tue
unavoidable result of the reduced amount OF tfaVei over
the road and ferry In the early part OF the seasoh 'he
road was IN satisfactory condtIon, but ihe necessary
repairs having been omitted IN the course q" the sum
mer it was found TO be in bad order IN The month OF
September but shortly subsequent II that peticd DE
aud having been made for The purpose, ah ample '"rec
was placed upon the road, and II was again pnt III Soou
condition. 1t perhaps proper to MENTION That during
the short period in which the condition oil The ROAD was
unsa,;sfsctory the tenant was absent journey to
distant State in consequence of calamous visitation
| TO portion of his family.
AT the b Ne Ridge Ferry new ilit OF much larger
dimensions than those Of The old ferry boat, Is now W
use, aud furnishes improved accommodation W tux
travel upon the road.
The present diminished state OF the business upon
the Blue Ridge turnpike and ferry, has arisen NANNY
from diversion of travel 10 Other routes, produced oy
the Of the bridges the principal streams upon
the line Of the Lynchbnrg and Blue hicge turnpike,
which were carried oil By the fresh of july 1872, and
also by the general bad condition oil that turnpike,
resulting from the want of The necessary annual re-
pairs, subsequent 10 that period.
II is scarcely necessary to remind the stockholders,
tina, the policy Of leasing these MINOR objects oil I'M
proyement at the pass of the Blue Ridge, is merely
temporary in its character, and is intended to be con,
tnued only during the suspension oil operations, an"
the absence OF the usual agency on that part OF ne
! line Upon the completion OF the canal up To tne
month of the North river, if not sooner the turnpike
road and ferry will doubtless pass again INTO me I'M.
mediate occupancy oil the company TO be managed
under The direction of OF the superintendent Oh
repairs in the second grand division
: Kauarha Turnpike
In pursuance TO tho approved policy OF managing the
ordinary repairs of The road with hired force opera
data pF he m N
,ecutnr The work early in the year practicable,
in order that the rond should be in firm and settled
sa,s unon the return of the winters foss the agen,
was fully prepared with sn,able force to commence
operations abuu, the first of April. In consequence,
however, of the uncommon backwadness oil the sprung,
he was unable TO make commencement, until abou,
month after the usual period OF beginning. For as
late as the Goth Of March, The whole Allegheny
region covered with SNOW which at that late pc
Rod of the year, lay to the depth of from II to Is
inches upon the chain of The Great Suel and Ganley
mountains; and even up to the 10Th al April, many
miles Of the road still stiff and compact with ice,
and considerable quantity OF snow stll renamed up
on the mountains The SHOWS were followed through
out the residue Of the month of April by frequent ana
heavy rains one Of which fell upon the counties OF
Greenbrier and Allegheny, on the 18th OF April, the
period Of the fresh in the cast, and produced considera-
BILE eshsts in the tributary streams upon both sides oil
the Allegheny, without, however, carrying oft or dam
aging any OF the bridges upon the line ol the road.
vnr, of the Spring would have been to
Gus expenses, with very little, If any, benefit to the
road
In the first week in May, the regular force employed
for the season. consisting OF an aggregate OF fortpive
men (inclnsve at managers) and sixteen yoke OF
draught ceti!r, divided into five companies and
these companies put in charge oil the road laid OH
into five corresponding sec,ionsthe eastern compnny
Ina Wing forty mics extending from Covington to Gin
tonville; two other companies having 80 miles each OF
49, hot,
and the remaining companies having 50 miles each
Of the road between the Falls and the mouth oil Big
Sandy river; with the branch road from Barboursvle
to Guyandotte, attached to the section OF the most
western company.
The peculiarly unfayorahle character nf the Spring,
rendered the condition of the road at the time of
,uencng the work than ordinarily bad. After ra-
! pdly repairing III summary way the most dIihcnli
parts the regular repairs for the season were com
menced These prosecuted with the utmost vigor
upon all the sections, and finally completed abont The
last OF July in three months from The time OF com
mencnG leaving the road at that time in excellent
| condition.
In the month of September, about the period OF the
pcmher fresh in The East there occurred food (bu
little short of that Of July, 1929 in the streams border
ing on the Allegheny, which caused some damage &c
the road especially along tie waters OF Towards, Oge
leys and Dunlaps creeks and made ii necessary TO re
organize small force 10 renst,te those portions oi the
road. The smancss of the amount oi damage sustain
ed upon this OCCASION chiefly attributable 10 the
and forecast of the agent IN keeping the channels o
these and other smaller creeks open and free from OBJ
slructlon The cost of repairs thus made necessary
amounted 10 about the OF two hundred and fifty
dollars
From July to November the state of the weather was
| hi uv unfavorabe To the Kanawba road, in conse
quence Of tine alnos. unexamped quantity Of rain thai
fell in the bordering region; the August rains washing
off much Of the fresh material recently put upon the
road, while those Of September and October sof!ened
the surface such extent 10 subject it TO great
injury from The Fall travel The agent states that
during period of eight years, he had never seen The
earth saturated with water in The month of Novem
her, and nai, the early part Of that month"; the road
most seriously cut up and injured by The passage Of
the s,aycs and heavily laden wagons.
Besides the ordiaary road repairs, sundry small I'M
provemenls, in the form of mechanical jobs, have been
executed by the companys hands, along The line Of the
road, of Which examples may be menton,d-in a
flooring Of plank given to the bridge over Big
Snel Cfcckin 4 new abu,ment, Of some ten feet III
height, bul, 10 the bridge Honey Crcek-and in
two abutments containing upwards Of fifty perch
OF strong masonry, annexed to the bridge al New
Haven the abntments, in the latter case, being
placed in front of the defective abu,ments, as to
contract the of the bridge about eight feet and in
that proportion eFsenng the cost Of superstruclure in