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

between the cx.,enes oil hrsvi'y on the enc
hona aud a mirnteness oil deiail on The oihef,
have seen enough 10 convince me thai, IN re-
ports OF this kind il is safer ~ cir OF .ne '"'e'
size. hoo
Before passing 10 my conc ad'ns op,e' ~,
leave 10 advert 10 Two occurrences why" ~ 80.
seem properly TO belong 10 either ol ne heaus
under which have chosen 10 arfahss'"e N'"'''
Of this mmunication.
The first is that as your proceedings al inc car
Cd meeting OF stockholders in May iasl, leil .he
comnapy wi,hou, a secretary, The hoard apPo'n.-
81 Mr.. Christian o. GerbcIdne, who Tor many
wears had been the principal cie'N ~ VIZ
campaay's office, 10 fl tina; vacancy, anu .na''
having presented his official bond IN liic Ffescl'u'
cd penalty, with surees satisfactory 70 'ne
h. Is now he secretary and fsca officer OF lie
company. 49,, ,ho
I.cei.la,urc adopted "resuulions changing inc
lime for masins and providing for printing me
annual reports If pubic officers and Others 10 oe
laid before The General Assembly" which were
furnished 10 me on The 18th oil This month by tue
Secretary OF The Commonwealth. These resnlu-
lions, with The accompanying teller oil maj uhcel,
fApp. P.l | beg now 10 communicate "nnou,
comment further than that, not having coinp'e'.u
my report al The lime OF their receip lurn'shea
the Executive, through the Second Auhhor, WIN
The company Tor The past year, As Iudsen ne
might consider Of sulliciea. interest 10 be adveTen
10 in his forthcoming message 10 the General AS
semhly: and that in order TO enable your presId-
ibo officer hereafter to comply with The require
mrnls Of The first resolution il will be necessary
tor The stockholders 10 direct The hsca year oil me
comrany 10 be closed on The 30lh OF September
instead Of The 3lsl III October.
w. PLANS AND PROSPECTS Of THE COMPANY.
The stockholders having, BY their proceedings,
evnccd the prevalence in their body, OF dihefenl
scnlimsnls at different times IN regard 10 Inc
mode OF connecting The eastern and western wa
ters which constitute The principal portions oiihe
company's line OF improvement, and their policy
in This respect appearing still 10 be unsettled,
take occasion briefly To recaptu!aic those pro-
ceedinss, EoI, indeed, with view 10 Invite any
present action on The subject, but 10 exhibit The
present Indefinite stale Of lhe question, IN order 10
facilitate such future action relative 10 II as, or
farther investigation, they may be inclined 10
take.
The plan adopted al The first meeting OF the
company in May, 1885, was 10 carry on The i'm.
pFovcmenl by canal more or less alternaled BY
The pools OF dams in The rivers IRON Richmond
TO Coving,on; thence by double track railroad
10 some point on The KanaWha below The Great
Falls; and thence 10 the Ohio by an improvement
| OF the Kanawha, so as 10 make il suitable Tor
steamboat navigation. This plan was in &C.
coIdance with The provisions Of The act OF incor-
poraton.
AT the fourth annual meeting. in December
1883, The extensive western surveys executed IN
the conrse oil the year being mol yet complete
neither The president nor The chief engineer then
in office recommended The fnal adoption OF eiIh.
er of The routes which had been ordered 10 be ex-
amined; but they chose Tor The basis OF The esii-
mates, and strongly minated as The ore finally
10 be selected, the rou;e from Covinglon up Dun
laps creek 10 Inc mouth OF Fori run, thence
up that run 10 The eastern entrance Of tunnel
terminating on The western decliviiy Of The Ale
shany al Tuckahoe creek, thence down Shat
creek 10 Howard'> creek; thence down Howard's
creek 10 Greenbricr river; thence down that stream
10 lis mouth; thence on The cast shore OF New
and Kanawha rivers 10 Loup creek shoals be-
low the great falls oil the latter. They also re-.
commended The suppression oil one Of The tracks
oi the railroad; which recommendation was
adopted by The stockholders, and afterwards sane
toned BY the Legislature
! Al the 1;h annual meeting in December, 1871
The President proposed 10 substitute The railroad
Is, a temporary portage ol27 miles, To DC formed
by placing Macaiamized surface upon The
company's turnpike from Covin.lun 10 Green
brier bridge; thence by mixed system Vi canal
and >lack-waer navigation down The Greenbier
to It's mouth, and thence down New and Kama
wha rivers In Lcup Creek Shoals, by sackwaIer,
tor The navigation oil steamers towing canal
boals. Also to improve The kaMawha from
Lonp Greek Shoals 10 lis mouth, with view 10
steamboat navigation, and tie lowage Of canal
boats. This plan contemplated the ultimate con-
version of The whole improvement into con-
iinuous water line from the head OF tide To the
Ohio by substituting al a future daY, Tor the Mac
adam zed portage across the Allegheny, canal
from CovingIon up The valley OF Dunlap's creek
IL the mouth oil Fork run; thence up that run 10 a
summit level oi 5! miles, (ahout onchai Of il
laruueh tunac) terminating on The Soulh fork
OF Howafds creek thence down The valley Of
lha, creek 10 lis junction with The Greenbrer.
This chance in the plan ot The wvlKs was adopt
Cd BIZ The s.nt ltho!ders, who directed An aFpica-
lion 10 be made To the Legislature Tor lis sanction
| nf the same and Tor The means OF carrying II
out. The application was accordingly made, bu
did not result in any legislative aclion.
At The lllh annual meeting in December, 1895,
The stockholders declared il 10 be their opinion
that 'lhe connection between James river and the
| Ohio. should be a continuous railroad They
also directed lha. application be made 10 the LIE
sislaure for The means 10 complete the eastern
and wes.crn connection, and Tor release 81 The
com9any from any obligation 10 carry lis works
beyond Buchanan, exccp; 10 complete The i'm
provemen OF The kanawha river from It's mouth
10 Charleston This application was also made
la, With 10 letter success than that lasl above
mentioned.
This was the state OF Inc question al The pc.
| ricd OF your last annual meeting, when The late
President, now the chiel enc neeT Of The company,
clearly expressed The opinion lha, line water line
was mos, cypejient, provided an adequate sup
nly for The summit level through The Allegheny
mass could be Obtained. He further stated that
| althou n he entertained no doubt as 10 The accu-
racy of The data from which other engineers had
declared such supply TO be practicable, yet, as
his opinion, based merely upon theirs, would
mol be entitled TO any additional weigh,
on ether side of The question, he demand
ed further time, and the opportunity Of per-
sonal examination Of the ground, before making
any recommendation on the subject Let il te
| remembered that engineers Of high character and
acknowledged skill have reported The PRACTICABLE
lily Of supply for The summit level BY Two diff
tcIent methods from GIeenbrier river. The pcs
sihjiiy O. its being fed II, m New river has also
been believed by some; bu no instrumental sur
yeys. that am aware OF. have sanctioned The
idea. As these modes Of supply, however, in
voved very great expense, another one, promis'
ing 10 be cheaper has subsequently suggested IT,
self; which is, by means OF dams and reservoirs
in the neehborhood oil the line, for The purpose Of
retaining the waters OF The monna IN streams and
lhe drainage Of l30 square miles Of surface Al 4
height sufficient for the supply oil the level. This
plan received favorable report from MIR. Gill
after personal survey in The winter of 1912
bu, The survey moi being completed al The lime Of
the presidents eth annual report which treated Of
this subject, and The question having never since
, been asiaed, the report OF The survey has not
been communicated. | now beg leave, however,
respectfully 10 preser, ii App. @ as documeE,
we'll worthy Of their consideration and deserving
, to be published with their proceedings
In order 10 ascertain with greater precision the
adequacy Of The supply from The source last men,
toned, five guages have been established al diff
ferenl poin's on The Allegheny Pass, under The
charge Of persons competent 10 keep an accurate
register Of the daily tall Of rain throughout The
, year Besides this, measures have been ordered
| TO ascertain The average volume and velocity Of
, various mountain streams intended to be resorled