Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-05-10
MISCELLANEOUS.
From HE Jpmchester Vu'gilian.
GIGANTIC SCHEME.


Charles Elicit. the Brunei of america constructor of
the suspension bridges the Nagra and over the Ohio
at Wheeling, has brought frwaFl the m magnificent
Of lis many great objects. lie proposes maintaining at
all seasons sufficient depth Of water in the Ohio and lis
chief branches by Of vast reservoirs in the go9es
Of the hills and mountains on It's upper course.
lie estimates that raise the surface ot the water
foot throughout the while Of the river. will re-
quire volume equal to one Thousand times FIVE millions
that is, five thousand miiliOns-of cubic feet"
"a reservoir capable Of holding and furnishing sup
Ply sufficient for this purpoSo-tha i. fur raising ne
whole surface Of he river midsummer one toot-woud
he about miles long, mile vide and one hundred
feet deep--which is certainly very nconsderable
lake
"There are many p ints-some within my own llnowl-
edge, and one just bef,re my wndow-wbere re.
sarvoir seven miles long, ana Of thrice Ibis capacity,
coull be formed for pss than quarter of million Of
dollars. HE contents Of such reslvor, discharged
gradually into the Ohio by either the Allegheny or Mo
nongahel4 way TO raise and m1ntaIn the surface a
bout foot above low water mark at Pitts5nrg would
keep the upper portonso the river supplied with this ad
dtonal depth Of IL inches for 80 days, and It's effect
would be sensbIy felt as far as the Mississippi.
But depth of fire feet he thinks should he ensured;
and ur this purpose he proposes twenty dams each coy
erlnG two three square miles and l21 feet deep
These would maintain sufficient water for the largest
steamers for one hundred days. If good positions be
ectcd, on the Allegheny, Monongahea, kanawha, Sc,
the whole requisite number clud be built for some t0m
millions moderate sum truly for 50 great object
The elevation of the Ohio would not be the only bene
fit The reservoirs being upon its affuens, which are
much in want Of improvement, the water passing
through them might in obviate the necessity
Of locks and dams.
Mr.. f. allows little or nothing for the cost Of the
land to be over,wed as il for the most part of small
value.
1t difficult in this age Of mechanical progress. TO
pronounce visionary any project bearing the signature OF
an engineer of Standing Such men have reduced eve
fy effort in their professions to question Of dol
lars and That the sole objection made % tic
prartcabty Of scheme toIled some years since f'f
building railway ifor London to Portsmouth capable
oftranspm1g 10 miles overland The heaviest freghted
ships There be little doubt but that within year
hence the electro magnetic Telegraph will be extended
across the British Channel We may then look for its
crossing the Atlantic.
IL the present instance, cost is far from being prima
ry objection. It is not commensurate with the object ev
to the extent Of rendering any tolls or returns i'm
portant. There have been built in the Union over
GOUU miles Of railway at cost Of some l5O, OtOOOO
The trade Of the Ohio and the lal embarked in it may
be safely down Of more importance than that OF
all these roads put together. Surely, them if the great
burden weighing upon that vast interest be
moved for four five millions, about thirteth the
above named sum- the thing is worth the exert;on Of
much larger fraction Of The energy expended in building
the railroads. The dficuhe in the case (supp1sing
Mr.. Eietts estimate just, or nearly 500 are in truth
pecuniarv but abstract 1t would require combi-
nation Of cOunses and effts, and adjustments Of inter
extensive and spread over greater extent of
territory than has been effected for similar purpose
in this country.