Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-01-07

Il
objects, an enlargement of the annual force was
deemed advisable, and accordingly II was raised
10 the number OF LOG men, and placed upon inc
division 10 operate under the organization which
has been mentioned.
During the four months that elapsed between
the Isl December and the Isl OF April, The course
OF operations upon the Eastern section OF the d.
vision. extending from The city OF Richmond 10
the head Of lock No. 81, just below the Hard
ware aquednct, was unusually steady, unin'cr-
ruped and successful. In the course of This pc
Rod, TWO slight breaches oil the embanknents &C.
CURED at two Of The culvertS upon this section,
one of which took place on the 10Th December,
upon The eleventh, and the other or The 2lth
March, upon The fourteenth level The former
breach was accompanied BY some damage 10 the
mas nry Of the culvert, OF which fifteen itc. IN
length on one Of the sides was washed up from Ihc
foundation 10 the springng oil the arch. WIKI
these exceptions, the force upon The section was
employed either in restoring The works, hy means
of the usual ordinary repairs-such a cleaning
oul bitches, re-dressing the tow-path ard embark
mcnts, removing deposit and bars from III. bot
tom Of the canal, and repairing locks, culVeHs,
bridges and buildings or IN perieciinS Inc WORK
By sundry improvements, such as digging adsl-
tiunal drain bitches in places where they were
necessary, or raising the embankments with
view either 10 give greaier depth Of water, or to
guard against future oveI1ows from the floods OF
the river or lining the inner slope OF Inc tow-path
emba ailments, So as 10 prevent or remedy Inc Ga
mage resulting from the wave oil the passenger
boals navigating the canal. The result Of these
labors was, that the repairs and Improvements OF
the section were in state of unusual lorwardness
and adva acement al The end OF The four months
terminating on the first of April last.
The description here given OF The progress OF
H. al aNtSltr
very slight variation to The course OF operations IN
the second Section for nearly one-half o! The
winter season. But on the llh January, an in
terrupion occurred at The Rockish aoueduct,
which caused diversion from their ordinary
labors of the whole force OF the second section,
and, with the exception Of single company Tor
small part OF the time, kept it occupied al that
point until the early part OF April.
II will be recollected that whilst the Companys
numerous aGueducts upon The line OF TINS div,-
sion may in point OF plan and execution, chai-
lenge comparison with any similar class OF
works upon any line of improvement whalsG-
ever, the one at Rockfish river, it must be &C
knowledged, is an unfortunate specimen oil ny
drauic construction; the foundation having becn
effectively laid, The walls being 100 thin for their
extraordinary height and the masonry IN general
being very badly constructed. 1t will be recoi-
lected, also that lock No. % stands inJnxtaposi-
ton with this work-the head Of The lock beng
brought up between the wings IN 1.anediale con-
tact with the Eastern abuimeni OF ne aqueduc''
indications that the waller had lou.i its way be-
meath the foundation oflhese twoslruciures, about
The point OF junction between them, had for some
| time been occasionally exhibited in The form oil
sinks in the ncighboring entertainments; but these
appearances did not assume an aspect oil immc-
dae danger until the 9th December, when
! large cavity suddenly disclosed itself between
the lock and the Southern Wig oil the apuiineh'.
| The place was twice repaired in the usual WAY,
by filing il first with the best earth which Inc
1 vicinity would afford, and subsequently WIN
better materials brought from distance.
On The 18th January, however, The Soulhern
wing wa II o, the abutment fell down and caused
n cavity in the embankment OF the lock OF about
1900 cubic wards, and suspension in the navl-
CATION in the level Immediately below. a large
force was promptly brought 10 this point, ami
was occupied in removing the fallen materials
of the old wall in order 10 prepare foundation
for new one, when, on the 10Th OF the month";
/ the portion the abament between The PROSTATE
wing wall and The trunk OF The aqueducl gave
/ way 50 as TO be necessarily taken down; ana
then il was discovered that large cavity had
| formed itself under the chamber and Southern
wall of he lock- The result was, that III orter
/ torectify and replace these WORKS ir Il condion
/ Gt for use; il was found indispensahy luisite
10 take up large part of the flooring OF the lock
| for the purpose Of filing The cavity underneath,
and Of securing the foundation, and, in addition
/ TO The renewal Of the embankmcni, 10 construct
| about 700 yards of masonry al that rigorous sea
I son Of The year.
i By the 9th Of January large part OF the re
/ quisic materials were on the ground; but Por-
| ton had lobe brouohtlrom considerable distance
and unfortunately, on the 18th o! the month"; be-
| fore This could be done, the canal was closed by
| ice and continued SO Till The 9th OF February,
| during which period the hands were unable 10
/ perform more than one third OF their usual guam
/ lily OF labor.
On The 1;h OF February, the weather having be-
/ come nihler. the force was augmented by day Ia
borers until il finally amounted 10 upwar.s OF 100
men, abou, one nalf of which number worked
half OF every night until the breach was repaired.
I For a part Of The time, IL was necessary 10 make
/ large fires around the walls in order 10 ihaW me
/ frost oul of the rock and 10 prevent the groul
/ from freezing during the progress OF the work.
| On the Dist Frebruary the breach was 50 lar
repaire; as 10 allow the packets TO pass, and on
\ The 22d fieeh, boats; and on The oath The wall and
enkanknenl were completed. The mas6ns were
/ then discharged, and company OF haEis were
sent 10 the upper end OF The canal bnt The resi- o'
\ The force we've retained al Ruchii>h uril. The
9Th dav OF April, for the purpose Of loriitying ard
protecting The weakest points OF the aqucduct by
means OF heavy riprap placed al lis base
Although the interruption accustomed by !hls
! disaster commenced little previous TO The mid
/ die of the winter, and at season OF comraT alisc
inactivity upon our line yet, continuing as il did
through the greater par; OF F'rc5uary, and cover
| ing The portion of the year when the southwest
ern merchants usually decide upon the routes ioT
forwarding their spring supplies, il was calcula-
ted 10 produce an unfavorable influence upon The
most profitable, in proportion 10 lis amount, OF
the different descriptions OF tonnage transported
| by the canal.
| Upon the return OF the forces 10 their respective
positions on the line, The superintendent OF Inc
second section resumed ana pressed forward the
ordinary operations OF the section, whlch haa iai-
/ len much in the rear
During The eight months from the Isl oil Apr.
TO The end of November, The proper amount OF lhs
| usual ordinary repairs was done upon the DIT
sion; but in consequence oil The casualties OF The
line the progress OF these repairs was olien inter-
rlpied, and was unavoidably conducted IN an IT.
regular and disjoinicd manner
AT various periods in the course OF the eight
months, the embellishments were broken al eleven
places, situated on the Hh, 9th, llth, 30lh, 3Ih
| I'D 10Th and 18th levels; hut of these eleven
breaches. only four were accompanied by any
injury TO the masonry; end in these instances
this injury was 10 no considerable extent, having
occurred at four cnlvers on The levels designated
as the 9TH, llih, AID and 10th, and having beer
speedily repaired except in The case OF thai or
The 7lh level, where the culve!l, appearing 10 he
unimporlan TO the canal was abandoned and iill
ed over, in order 10 lessen the interruption 10 The
trade The detention Of freight boats, resNl.G2
from these disasters, amounted sometimes 10 Only
few hours, and sometimes, and perhaps not un
frequently, 10 as much as four days.
tits worthy Of remark, that Of the fifteen breach
es in the entertainments, which have taken place
in the course of the year, Two occurred in The
Winter, three in the Spring, six in the Summer
and four in the Autumn; that Of The whole mum
Der of fifteen, only Two were al points entirely
detached from the masonry of the line, Wills
the remaining thirteen were all al places havin:
direct connexon with some OF The mechanical
structures namely one at lock, five al aqnc
ducts, and eight al culveIts; and that the whole
The twelve which happened at cnlvens and a9ne
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