Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1845-09-08
RAIL ROADS AND CANALS.

RAIL ROADS AND CANALS.
I, Is lsuicuarly important To the people Ut Virginia
Ut This ,:ne, that the claims superior advantage, Sc
~ by The specive advocates of these rival modes Of i'm
prosemen, should be in,egeny and satisfactorily sci
lied, before recommence old works, devise il
which the interests Of the State deeply involved
Originally our predictions were in favor 81 canals
where circumstances favored their construction alihoug
means Of orming jus, opinion were exceedingly
nesRre. They indeed SO still, But such as they
are. feel compelled 10 question The accuracy fou first
conviction; and have therefore laid before readers
occasionally those facts that have into posses
sion, which have had tendency 10 shake faith in
heir sound Among these facts has been the appa
rent success Of the Reading raj road in Pennsy lvana
between Which and The Schuylk canal there has been
fv some Tin past active and energetic competition
lsr the trade. Il is denied that the tonnage
he Rad has rapidly increased within The last ,wolvs
sasnhs, while that IN the canal has diminished in the
ratio But the friends Of the canal assert, never
thrless that the road has been dong losing business
and that il submitted this loss for the purpose Of
breaking dawn the canal II is CHI ,rged, too that it is
ia condition Of hopeles' pecuniary en''rris'n'at, IN
despite Of its apparent prosperity and TINT II has been
compelled 10 sell its binds in the market in order to pay
its or linary expenses. These statements (whca are
made by Charles Elicit, Jr., Esq. who is deeply nte
rested in the Schuylk canal but who, we feel assured
would make assertion of The truth of which he is not
ss.isfsi have h,d the effect of drprecianI the value
Of the honds Of The ralo1d comrny, which we are told
fall i2 per in ten days. anI npDn the stock alSo,
which is nnw quoted a, SIS. The rail Rad company
has preserved profound silence hereloore but. innng
that il can no ger do so with safety it promises To lay
hefoe the public speedily an expose, which will present
its condition in = much more favorable light. With
this controversy shall of course have nothing fur
,her TO do than 10 te its revelations and results We
have now adverted 10 it, simply because have here.
tsfrs cited the effects Of the rivalry between the two
companies evidence Of the Superiority OF rail-
reads canals, for heavy transportation; and
10 object not To produce IMPRESSIONS
subject Of S" much magnitude, but rather guide the
public mind 10 just conclusions, Ne have felt it due tn
jnscr and To the Importance Of the Interests involved in
tho ultimate decision oi The mooed question, to state
briefly the view ri IL taken by the opposing party.
We will add however. that the Of the rail
read over he canal in this instance was only one and
not the ST striking If the facts upon which relied
To show tie superiority Of the former mode of improve
meni The great fact which has arrested attention
10 ths-ttat in no single instance, far Inform,
oa extends, either II, Europe or America has canal
hesn urur,ed in the vicinity ol rail road while on
ths uher hand there cases both sides Of the At
linc, in which, alongside Of the hest canals raisroads
have been built, aud have prospered. This fact if it
d"es ao Genlonsde that ra loads possess advantages
the canal, goes far - produce impression
asls To them. and nniav"tnbe In the rival system. In
the Last number of the American Rail Road Journal Ter
Example, We meet with a statement which cannot iai
In an i'm M, an bea 4 SAWS
"Thr great topic now .nder consideration in England
appears +" be The tnisg 81 canals into ra,rays. The
canals rm Liverpool To London, through Chester Bir
mihpham aud WdIvprhamp'on, are il is said, to he turn
ID tito 'aIlaay The proprietors Of iese canals hav
ing htr"ne satisfied that they compete
fully with railways, lave the wise conclusion
h be their allies They have therefore formed
federation with zach other. unite all these canals into
o"e contiguous group of canal Railways The is
In hs lr out, and The anal be filled up in part by lev
eng the banks New capital is be raised and then
they are 10 be allied with the present railways, which
are IN aid in furnishing five millions serlIng and thus
avoid rivalry Thus il is (ad,ls The Rail Road Journal J
with canals having rail roads alongside of them, with
few exceptions, {he Erie canal viii be an except ion, y
they must yield in the manner that stage coaches
h,vr yielded to railways. The Journal qnoes in ad
diirn from an English paper which. advertng 10 the
freg"lng scheme of converting canals into a allNay,
says. This ia truly gigantic scheme, but have
Teason 10 ktnw that il is not the only Il The kind
similar h'enInn being enterlaned by the canal pro-
pretos in the southern and western part of Eng land in
the district Of the great Western railway" These,
and similar facts. which have before noticed cannot
fail I" duce strong impression the public judy
sneni. and, 60 far in Virginia are Concerned IL
make Us ausc before We begin 10 tunnel the Allegheny
and To Iu aid dam New River it'll a view To a con.
tnuous water communication from The Ohio river tt
Richmond.