Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1845-01-09

and explanations made nj that mccung py one "' "e"
number reply tina, portion Of which referred to the
eees of upon the canal but since that Report has
been Published the columns o paper, IN order 10
throw 10. contents before the public more generally the
undersigned feel their due to those
psr.ons have believed that the Introduction o steam
upon this cansl would be important element to Its
ecss-to review that Report in the same pubic manner
and they ask your permission 20 TO do
In order 10 have fair and full understanding Al ~ ne
TO premise that but for the charters calling Tor
feet Of water In dcpth-but FOR resolution "i inc Soeh
hodcs directing President and Directors to make sau
canal Ees deph-bu for I'll. repeated assurances OF
tho President and Directors in their annual and "'hcr re-
por,. that said canal Soc feet dep,h-but for the
individual promise Of the President personally made 10 one
of u.s. might rely upon four feet OF water every
place between Richmond and Lynchburg and that most o'
tho distance IL fre feet decp-and but tor the cnc""f
asemsn, given by the President that he believed IN our
success and would do all he could consistent WIN ms re-
l.on 70 the COMPANY TO sid our enterprise the under
.gncd hereby declare cmphstcay thai fhey ieon!d
svsr haze fAoss Of srpendns dollar IA fhis seh'"e
for fAsy had experience enough to knon fhai 10 pToP
bsss canal Of NOT e<esedins f'ro dHd hap
on tkss feet Of rafer ,oas entirely imp'aefeaoe ana en-"
,ssries, But having entire confidence in the iumen oil
cse requirements and promises ON the part o this Cop'
nv above referred to- and knowing To be quite GER
TAM II feet of might be depended uPon they
were induced go into the enterprise
Accordingly an arrange made with John t.ries
matters acknowledged by all those who are acquainted
with him, by which boat was built IN kichm'nu thg'n'
and Propeller in New York and when launched aud ready
q, rum said boat had $500 and drew but three icei
and half Of water,yet she never went ten miles ron
Richmond because of being the bottom oi the canal
indeed she went into the hrs lock without s.'lN
against rock buttoma,th1ugh when ata she performed
90 the ennre satisfaction OF all those On board amongst
which a member then as now OF The directory o'
the Canal Company Being thus disappointed the n'er-
native was call upon the Company Tor the loss thus sns
tanned solely because OF deficiency OF water OF u reduce
the dip the wheel the actual capacity OF the canal
The under signed perfectly aware that 10y lessen
ing ths dip the efficiency OF tine wheel would be no>'
seriSusly reduced yet being unwilling To give up an
enterprise thus commenced, aud being assured by the
sScers Of the Canal company that tour ieet OF wa
would be given soon they concluded :" 50 after Tue"
boat and machinery require but three eet OF water
indeed but tro and half feet Of mater uor 'ha' was
MI drcw which one al further expense al nNe
thousand dollars With tue boat thus aered the under
signed trying succeed, with the confident eN
,-dcri,ed from promises aud resolutions OF the
kfockhoders their annual meeting IN 1873 insuucunS
the President and Directors deepen said cana'hat NJ
umate success would attend their exertions Ihey have
gone still further; for. being impressed with the idea that
lighter boaone dispiicng less OF the water M the
canal success would attend them, they mad one built IN
New York. brought round here and she was run but one
Lynchburg because she failed IN the required speed
necessary induce public patronlse her and this a
her dragging fhe bottom Of the canal
for miles, shs dipping bat thfyree inches inns boat Is
now hauled the and being cut down. 50 that
she will draw but fseHfy inches css than Two eet
when she is again launched
In this OF Things, the report OF the President ana
Directors find US.
Ii saws PAGE 7h All the end OF the year lSi3 there
portion of postponed repairs originating IN the iIcshes
preceding Apnl and September be added. III Ike
manner, the labours OF the present year" THIS aud
other statements which here quoted are put form as
sufficient for the falling down of Rockhsh aque-
duct the breaking OF cuIvers &c &c; which occur
red before the commenced running, aud, there
fore, she must be exonerared from this 'mischief"
Al page sth it stated that culverts gave way. one
OF which twas accompanied by damage to the ma
sonry OF the calvert OF which fifteen feet in length on one
OF the sides washed up from the foundation 10 the
spnBging OF the arch"
On the page il is stated that Rpcktsh aqueduei
fell ill., which put stop ireght.boais the It'll o
January the Dad OF February. sI4-ihe reason 70;
which (bea in mind, running YEP thus CAV
"Ths unfortunate specimen OF hydraulic con
structon the foundation having been effectively laid the
walls being thin for their extraordinary height aud the
ma -onry ia general being very badly constructed"
The undersigned here remark that the and effects
above put down doubt perfectly true.
At 10h- II Is said eli "a wnrhv at remark that AT
place in the OF the year, occuir,d IN the
ee IN the spring. SIX IN The SUMNER and tour IN the a-
tumD that of the whole number of fifteen, only
points entirely detached the masonry ne
whilst the remaining thirteen all nj places having d.
rect connection with some OF the mechanical structures.
The undersigned desire it be borne in mind, that
but flco Of the breaches during The year the
6ankHaeHfs disconnected from Masonry. Yet chr
OF these breaches Ifieeml the steamer that
made but fifteen trips during The whoie yearshe 1t
that washed up Mechanical Structures embankmens
"direct connection" Herewith whilst she had the pow.
er 10 wash away banks made Of lght auva sOil dis.
connected from masonry. We will proceed AT page 10
is quoted from 9th Annual report" Another consdcra-
BILE addition 10 the earth work upon the Introduction
OF the the line from the necessity frequently
drawing order republic many the cuverts
aud oqueducts." Allowing this To be be so lwnc
undersiood,l what kind OF Mechanical Suuciures-what
kind vi masonry could have been when such frequent
"scpuddiiDgs' necessary The masonry Of these
Structures VI which there upwards oi 2OU the
RrnDd division, very many did keep pace with
the excavation OF the canal consequence Of which,
Tie nj and pudding of the cnye and aouedct
hr ahaA
hons upon which they situated and Transferred
Of and thus executed irregular
periods less detached from each other according
The irregular periods OF completion of the mechanical
works with which they were Connected The late
nou and dispersed SITUATION ui these Jobs Of earth
work causing them be brought less frequently under
eyes of the Supcrntending Engineers-nlany OF them
were not faithfully executed and upon the introduction Of
the water, had 10 be repaired renewed by the
pany's bands"
Now Of surprise that more breaches did
when work ,hus done ? SuT,y-surey
there required bot slight "disiw5ing make
breaks, aud this work that thirty fre tOrfy
IhOSsAhd d0liars per mule.
Again, page 10Th and llth alt should be reelected
a-o that records uiber shew that large proportion ii
these echanca had but the shock
at two Of the highest and dc-Oing .rehrs by which
che Valley OF River been visited since tine me
bic year Of 1885" In consequence these iroshes the
report say there O3 breaches. "Culvers
uncovered and the pudding of the culvers aquc.
ducts was extensively washed of and deranged by the de-
suucuve current which swept down the cyels"and
tber says these hastily recovered and with indieT
ent materials.
"FrUm the statements which have been made it would
seem reasonable (says the repOr 10 expect that breaches
would occasionally take place hese weak and vunera.
BILE points,, and vet but fifteen Gid during tie whole
year, ~ Cahs IN this miserable condition. III miles long
aud the little Steamer making but Is tips in the year l.
charged with doing IT this mischief.
Tine above extracts plainly and elaborstey show that
up 90 the time the Steamer commenced runuing, tie
soory III the consi-the puddlnr-ihc enbankmcnts-in-
deed the whole structure Of the canal de
plOrabe condition, ard that breaches therefore might
looked for hourly yet does the Steamer appc8
than all these weak points disappear and
destroying tie canal, for the report snys-page Ilh al
though Jsn Of the causes BE- Otherwise explained
mud other causes may hare operated yet on inspection
al the evidence ud before the board with IL m,
facts which have been stated leave doubt ,s
principal cause II the greater part II this mischief
The Directory aud Officers Of the Company at least
FIRMLY impressed with the belief that prucpdl,
produced by the violent agtItOn OF the water Ut tie
which took place during the contest 81 speed between ,
horse PaekcB and the steam packet in Ut Oh,
lest s-oeou"