Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-01-10

have considered il due TO the interests oil the
company TO prepare body OF amended fesuia-
tions for the navigation and management OF the
canal, which will be submitted 10 tue consiaefa,
ton of The stockholders.
The Tariff Of tolls, having been reisrrea pach
TO the directory by the body oil s'ockhoioerS d
their last annual meeting, accompanied WIN
power OF regulation, subject 10 .iie NAHUM
limit Of the rates al that time existing, The SUB
iect has received from The board that high degree
OF attention and consideration, which are emf
nenty due to IFS magnitude and importance
Looking to the responsibility Oh me STATE lor inc
liabilities ollhe company to considerable amount
and to the manifest objects OF the Legislature "
the passage of the act authorizing an increased
tariff of Tolls. The Board OF Directors ielt grea
reluctance 10 make any change whatsoever, with
out The clearest evidence of the expediency OF Inc
measure. They therefore, decided 10 postpone
anv material action upon The tariff, until ano-
Their year should shed its light upon The subject,
But, recently, upon full investigation OF all
the evidence laid before them, aided by NE re-
suits OF this additional experience, they nave
been impressed with The belief, that IN view OF
the present depressed state OF prices for me cne
staples Of the State as well as OF The counteracl-
ing measures OF rival lines The existing high
rates of TOLL are calcalaledlo diminish The amount
of tonnage transported on the canal, and that
regard 10 the revenue itself dictates The policy Of
some reduction in the principal items Of The Ia
riff. They have, therefore, decided, that unless
The body OF stockholders should otherwise order,
there shall be a reduction, 10 take effect on The
18th of this month, upon bar iron and tobacco,
from 4 cents to 81 cents per ton per mile; upon
wheat and flour from 3 cents to2a cents, and up
on all articles now paying i've cents TO tour cents
Although all reasoning from analogy upon
this subject may he attended with danger least
discriminating circumstances may be unknown
or overlooked, yet it is due 10 the directory to
state that their present views OF the tariff are sus-
tanned by the course of measures aud OF opinion
which have prevailed upon the Erie canal. The
tolls upon that canal were reduced in The spring
of 1888 so as 10 operate on the trade of that year;
but again in the following winter, 50 as 10 have
bearing on the trade Of 1894; and yet, the amount
of tolls in 1885, exceeded the amount received in
any previous year. The opinion has been re-
peatedly expressed by the highest authorities in
that State that The increase OF business on The ca
nal, which followed Immediately i'll the rear Of
these measures, although doubtless due in part o
other causes was in n considerable degree the
effect OF these reductions Of the tariff See re-
port of the committee on canals on so much Of
the Governors message as relates 10 canals p. IS
%, 80 and 81.
3 Second Grand DiriSon Of the Canal
The only works which are now in use upon
this division, are The two old State dams in The
pass Of the Blue Ridge, and the guard and outlet
locks connected together BY short section OF the
old canal hy which The batleaux are passed
around The Northern extremity OF the upper dam
In the month of March last, The gates OF the
guard lock al this point were found TO be in bad
order and very much decayed; whereupon car.
Lotto lv
lendent of the upper section Of The canal, and
these gates were promptly repaired and again
put in good condition.
In The course OF the last Summer, The navisa-
ton at the pass OF The Blue Ridge suffered SINH
lar interruption from the effects of extreme low
water. with tina, which was experienced on The
line of the canal. The inconven fence however,
discovered itself soonest at the mountain, III con-
sequence OF The greater Leakage OF The two Old
State dams upon that part Of the line; which ap-
pear never 10 have been properly sheet piled upon
their upper sides, and have suffered very much
from The progress OF time and decay.
In the last week in July, the river fell about
three feet below the top OF both OF these dams, IN
consequence Of which, The balleaux could not
pass, for The want Of water, through the guard
lock al The mouth Of the North river, or through
the chute in The lower dam. A proper amount OF
force WAS lillliltutdtcIl JidLCu HhHSi q 'hih"i
Superintendent, upon both OF The dams; and as
soon as practicable, BY means Of gravel and
hrushwood the leakage was arrested and the ma
VACATION restored. As | passed by these works
on The 9th of August on my way 10 The West,
found The water again running over the upper
dam and, as ] re-passed them on my return
Eastward, on the Both Of September, found il
running in like manner, over The lower dam. In
walking along the top of the lower dam, is |
went TO the West, perceived that there was no
stone whatsoever in several Of The cribs; il hav
ing apparently been washed oul b. the power OF
The water passing under the dam at the time OF
high iiooGs.
Considerable dissatisfaction having existed
both in the West and in the East, in consequence
of lie interruptions 10 The navigation by the leak
age of all the six dams across the river during
the very extraordinary drought which prevailed
during the last Summer, it may not be amiss that
I should quote from the New York pamphlet, 70
which, for different object, reference has alrea-
dy been made in another part OF the report, the
most conclusive proof that our case is not pecu-
liar, and that precisely similar inconvenience
are no untrequcnt occurrences upon the line oil
The Justly celebrated Erie canal. In communi-
cation addressed to the committee on canals IN
the month OF March last, (at page % OF the re-
port ~ one of the engineers Of that Stale, Tor the
purpose of urging upon the committee the very
great expediency of an immediate appropriation
by the Legislature for the prompt completion OF
part OF The new and enlarged line OF canal, in
order that il might be substituted Tor portion Of
the old line al The mouth of the Schoharie creek,
gives the following information by the present
canal. the Schoharie creek is crossed by means oil
a dam. The boats have 10 pass through this
dam, and during extreme high water are detained
above and below, by the closing OF the guard
gates. These guard gates are closed at such
times for the purpose Of preventing the water
passing into the canal in such quantities as 10
overflow the banks and cndanger the navigation.
Further detenlions are also caused by extreme
low water. In consequence Of the leaky condi
lion OF The present dam, there is not sufficient
water in the pond during the dry season in Sum-
mer 10 float heavily loaded boats and often very
serious detentions are caused in consequence
The same remark applies 10 The Aules creek
dam, three miles above. 10th oil these dams are
dispensed with by the new line The annual de-
,eniion at these two dams amounts TO about six
days. This causes very serons interruption TO
navigation and the consequcn, loss 10 forwarClers
during single season is probably nearly suHi-
cient 10 pay the whole COST Of bringing mo use
the new line"
Permit me here 10 ask the question: before IT.
sumo The thread Of The report if the six dams
now across James river, and The few 10 be found
upon The line Of the Erie canal, built as no
doubt they were, by the most able and faithful
engineers OF the time, and regarded in their day
as masterpieces Of workmanship and skill, il This
very small number OF dams in The two states have
been found 10 be the sources of SO much trouble
expense and interruption, what sloppages, what
DELAYS and what vexatiouS losses and disappoint-
mcnts might we not expect, from continuous
chain of locks and dams throughout the whole
line Of James aud Jackson's rivers embracing, 10
say nothing Of the portion Of The line below Mai
dens Adventure, fiiy.seven dams between that
point and Lynchburg and ninety five between
Lynchburg and Covins,on; making in The whole
no less than one hundred and fiflyiwo dams!
The new line OF unfinished works between
Lynchburs and The mouth of North River re-
mains as il stood at the period OF the last annual
meeting, with the exception, however, Of the IN
avodabic waste and dilapidasion Of The inermedi-
ate time Imposing this very interesting portion
Of the company's property under momemlary re-
v;ew canno, Int advert Tor an instant 10 the verv