Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-11-30

increased both in oversccrs ana labnFc!s, anu ST.
milarly employed during this and The next year
II will be proper here to notice certain works
undertaken during The year, which are mol au'
verted to in the reports OF The superinlendenss
The first is The excavation oil straight oi'cn
from Beagerdam aqueducl 10 James river, ol oi-
mansions adequate 10 the discharge oil Inc creek
when swollen by the hishes, treshets. The work
| is now in course of construction by contractor
Another is the construction of culverl under the
canal Just below Harvies basin, in The City OF
Richmond 10 carry off the branches and drainage
OF the valleys South and East OF the penilen!iary
In This work the Board have agreed 10 cooperate
with the corporation oil Richmond and The mana.
GERS oil the peniienliary, provided The cost TO The
company shall not exceed 200. This work has
not vet been commenced. Both OF these works
not only commended themselves 10 The board as
measures OF economy in The reduction OF liie an
nual expenses, but were urgently demanded ny
| the peiehborins nha bants for The removal oil al
legged nuisances calculated 10 engender disease in
their respective vicinilies Besides these, The
chief engineer has been requested 10 furnish The
plan and estimate Of a new towing path bridge
across Tye river, in place Of he present dilsp-
/ dated structure.
AS The attention OF The chief engineer will for
a long lime be necessarily divided between the
| lide-waer connection and the extension OF Tie ca.
nal above Lynchbu,g, and This Circumstance VIII
call Tor his trt quent transit between hose woihs
The board have thought proper 10 request MN 10
have a vigi'anl eye upon the canal and 10 report
from lime 10 lime whatever in The condition or
management OF The works may call ior Ihe &C.
lion OF the board, with view 10 the PIE Vcnon OF
| disasters and The reduction OF the annual expenses
The stockholders must be aware That The con
! dilion of the canal between Richmond ard Lynch.
! burg has been greatly improved anti IS gradually
| improving. by The natural seil!emen; oil lis banks,
by The repair OF weak points disclosed by brcachcs
| and by The substitution OF permanent stone s;fuc-
lures instead OF those OF a temporary character
originally rcsoited 10 THESE causes will proba'
bly, render il practicable and eIpedien', at no DIS
lant period 10 place The whole line unde! TIE man.
| aeement OF one superintendent, operating WIN a
| sufficient force Of ovefseers and lahoIers lie
simplfed organization, il is believed, will be IN
ticduclive of greater system, uniformity and Geo.
! nomy in The management Of the works, than are
! now practicable.
The gross amount of tolls collected from The
| canal during The past year has been 1903 ,605 90
| being an excess over The Tolls Of the previous
year Of S32 4l6 %. This favorable result being
10 some extent attributable 10 causes not likely 10
recur annually, cannot be taken as indicative oi
the rate Of increase Tor future years.
The tariff Of tolls adopted by The stockholders
\ on the DIN OF fcUIudIy ICff " hbh 80 Po''3
D. 1928, has been slightly reduced upon few ar
licles which it evidently excluded from The canal
Although, fora notorious cause, il is upon high
| er scale than il will be eXpsdieDt, 10 MAINTAIN
| when The improvement sha have penetrated lar
Their into the west, il has been acquicsced in hy
the public with less complaint than was an.itipa.
ted
During The year The board have found j, neces-
sary 10 Introduce few changes in and additions
| 10 the regulations heretofore adopted Tor the 60
vernment OF The canal ard deck, which are here
with respectfully communicated (App J) TOR
sanction or rejection By The stockholders
| The wan, OF The south side and Rivanna con-
necion sill debars the sections Of country emit.
tied 10 Them from an equal participation in The
benefits Of the canal, and depriyes The comrany
of an amount ot toll, which, from satisfactory
estimates heretofore made, would, il is confident
ly believed more than pay The interest on the cos,
OF their construction. | bring this often reiieTa-
led subject again 10 your notice, as in duty bound,
leaving 10 your teier judgment the question
whether any action shall be taken upon II or act
The Blue Ridge Turnpike and Ferry
These works have been Under lie charge OF
an overseer, Mir. MoeIick, with ferryman and
Two laboreIs. The turnpike has been KEEP! through
out the season. and is now in excellent order
A new "fal" is required al The ferry. This The
overseer has been directed 10 procure wihou! de-
Law. The receipts during The year have Teen
| Sl21S 65, and the expenditures 9l9 90, leaving
a nett revenue oil 10y %
The completion OF the canal from Lynchburg
10 The North river will doubtless diminish the re-
ceip,s from these works to less Than the amount
required 10 keep them in repair; in which case II
! will be eIpedient 10 abandon them 10 The coun'
ties through which they pass, To be kept Up by
them or not, as The proper authorities may deter
| mine.
The Narigaiion from Lyned5nrS 10 C0r1Hgtoi'.
This is still confined to the bed oil the river,
and subject to all The Inconvenience and dangers
| which have attended it ever since The Blue Ridge
canal was broken up Ii will he seen in sub.
sequent part of The report, tina, The navigation oil
The part OF the line formerly occupied by that ca
nal, is expected 10 be opened in all OF next year.
WHEN this desirable object shall have been
achieved, perhaps il may be sale and proper, 10
reference 10 the censure so long and unsparing'y
showered upon the company Tor breaking up The
canal, 10 remind The public that The old work was
abandoned, mol merely for The purpose Of being
substituted by new and enlarged canal but be
cause, by reason Of its dilapidated stale, the in
come derived from it, though equal TO what il had
ever been, was inadequate 10 keep lis decaylng
structures in condition fiji for use.
II is, Of course, understood thai no revenue
whatever is al present derived from The waller
line between Lynchbnrg and Covinalon-and
that, consequently, nothing can be expended on lhe
river navigation between those points.
The Hesicrn Improvements.
The Kana1cha Turnpike extending from Gov.
ngon TO the mouth Of Big Sandy, with a
branch from Barboursvile 10 Guyandolie, an as-
sresate distance OF 208 miles, has been kept in
lis Usually good condition throughout the season
since the commencement OF repairs upon il last
Spring. During tour OF observation upon these
improvements last Summer, in company with
the agent who mas them in charge, the chief en-.
sineer OF the company, and Colonel Eonduran Of
The Directory, had The opportunity oil seeing The
portion OF the turnpike on This side Of Charleston,
Just after rain Of several days continuance,
and when the diIiiculiies 10 be encountered in lis
supernendence were more apparent Than they
would have been under circumstances less pTeju-
dicial 10 the appearance OF The work. These dif.
fcnllies arising chiefly from the nature Of The
soil and the lack Of good materials Tor the con-
s,ruction of permanent road-bed, arc so serious
for greater portion Of The line, that The turnpike
could scarcely be kept in passable order, aid a
the same time yield nett revenue, unless under
very judicous and economical system Of
management Among other things, worthy Of
notice in The system pursued, are The practice Of
keeping materials on The way side ready Tor pack
ing The RUS and flli,g The cutters occasioned by
The travel in rainy weather, al all points wnere 'hey
arc likely 10 be wanted; The organization oil io;ce
OF oyeIseers and lahorers residing al convenient
distances along The read, and when mol wanted by
the company, occupied on their own farms or in
their own workshops, but holding themselves as
minu,e.men subject to The call Of The agent, and
in the event OF a casually while he is a, dis
lance, always ready 10 Turn oul on The instant
| make the needfnl repairs and return 10 their prl-
va,e occupations thus forming GORDON of useful
centres al suitable posts, and subec,ing the com.
pany 10 no expense but for the labor actually per.
formed by lhem-and lastly, the practice OF pur'
chasing fresh supply Of draft cattle every spring
and selling them off in The ial, (Which is mol IN.
frequently done at profD BY which means the
stock on hand is always young and healthy, and
the serious cost of winleling them is avoided.
The operations of The company's force upon
the road will be seen in sulicien, detail in the &c.
companying report of the agent. (App. K The
receipts at The TOLL gates, after dsducting commits
siuns for collecting ard The proceeds of sales OIL