Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1849-11-30


is eighty-two miles, The summit is seven miles long,
and during the dry there are about four miles
westward and five miles eastward OF the summit in
all, sixteen miles artcially supplied. This summer
there has been an unusual drought but the water in the
canal has been well kept up throughout.
The particular mode OF supplying this summit is diff
erent from that adopted any other canal i'll this
try.
There are water works situated three and one half
miles from the western end of the summit where the
water elevated through cast iron pipes twenty inches
in diameter ninety six feet perpendicular height. 1t
passes thence to the summit through tubular shaped
trunk tunnel three and half feet in diameter one
mile being constructed OF brick and cement and the
sidue OF plank put together in spy-glass form.
The Big Dani, as 1t IS termed, forming the reservoir
in the valley OF the Swataa creek is eleven miles above
the water works, connecting at the water works with
the main line by navigable feeder from the dam The
dam forty feet high and two hundred feet long, back
ing the water SIX miles, and overflowing In all eight
hundred and thlfty acres
The depth Of water drawn down in ordinary seasons
is from ten to fourteen feet.
! The minimum flow of the stream, above the dam is
| five hundred cubic feet per minute.
The extent OF country drained is about one hundred
and seventy square miles, large quantity Of the down
tall OF ram is lost every spring, when the floods flow
freely over the weir OF the dam two hundred feet in
width. nave seen Jour feet depth OF water on the
comb of this dam
! The company now constructing another reservoir
further up the stream for the purpose Of storing ad
ditiona portion of what is annually wasted.
The peculiar feature in their water arrangements is
that the flow from the reservoir instead OF passing di
recy to the summit is conveyed by the navgabe feeder
eleven miles on plane ninetysi feet below the summit
and there used as poioer force part OF the
to this height by of two large water wheels. The
quantity drawn from the reservoir In twentyfour hours
1or power to supply two water
wheels Is Z, i5o, obO cubic feet
And Tor pumps at two steam
gnes,. Observation-Disclosures. 1,OO0,742
Total drawn per day. ....... 1877 COZ &c
The minimum flow in the reservoir
/ pellg. I@O,OUO
Leaves ...3 Ol7602
As the quantity drawn daily from the actual storage in
the reservoirs that when it is drawn down ten
during season, it sheWs that it has supplied water for
navigation during one hundred and days and when
drawn fourteen feet, one hundred and fifty -four days
| The actual quantity available and thrown into the
summit articlay in dry seasons, is 54S ia cubic feet
IN twenty four hours during which period the natural
feeders on the summit afford barely one-tenth of the
whole supply required.
My own estimate Of the annual fall of rain in
Pennsylvania and Ohio, for practical calculations has
always been hirty-sx inches though, in fact it is pro-
babe lew inches more 1t is proper to add that the
summit passes through porous limestone formation
and that about SIX miles IN length panked prevent
great loss from leakage.
This canal was completed in 1925, and for eighteen
years past has had to compete with the railway
running nearly parallel Notwithstanding this circunn-
stance the company out OF debt and anticipate ma
king handsome dividend in January
lnregard to the reservoir supplies on the Pennsvz-
uanad and Oao, or, as it is frequently styled the
Cross Cut canal as well as on the State Canap' Of
Ohio, can only offer at present few general facts
The g Pennsylvania and Ohio canal is SO miles long,
connecting the Beaver division Of the Pennsylvania ca
ma, % miles north Of Bearer with the Ohio State ca
nal 80 miles South of Cleveland 1t has been in sue
cessfu operation about ten years and doesot suffer for
want OF water The summit is 1876 feet above Lake
Erie and about 3os miles northwest of the.Sandy and
Beaver summit.
There are two miles of summit three miles of canal
west and two miles east supplied in part from reser-
volrs The MINIMUM natural flow into the summit be-
ing about 900 cubic feet per minute There are two re-
servons emptylng into the summit one covering ninety
acres, which be drawn down about four feet the
other covering one hundred and fifty acres, which can
be drawn down about eighteen feet. There are two
other reservoirs below the summit; but these used
Tor regulating the supply for water power purposes
the mills along the Cuyahoga river. | have not yet as
certaned the area OF country drained by the two reser
| volrs which feed the summit.
Ohio State Canal
The Licking summit on this line is about ten miles
long 1t Is supplied in dry weather by reservoir which
covers twenty nine hundred acres of which feet in
depth are available. The streams which ordinarily
flow into this reservoir afford water dry season.
have not heard that any difficulty Or w. of the
supply y 1 OF Mae Ia has ever ever been bee expert
detailed data concerning the canals last referred to- in
which case they shall be immediately COMMUNICATED to
you by mail.
Wishing success to your great work am,
Very respectfully, your ob't servt,
w. MINOR ROBERTS,
1t will be perceived from Mr. Roberts letter that there
Is nothing novel IN the plan which has been proposed for
supplying the Allegheny summit level from reservoirs
The ingenuity OF the engineer will not be taxed for any
new mode OF executing the work. With drainage
surface tar less than what we conveniently COM
mand other canals in the country have been supplied
from artificial reservoirs and shall not adopt the same
expedients with equal success?
My apology tor submitting these few remarks on the
Allegheny pass subject perhaps not properly before
me, will be found in the solcude feel for the ultimate
success OF the water line
box,o hal;o r.
water line combines greater advantages than any other
Improvement that can be devised with view TO deve-
ope the resources and accommodate the tiade of West
ern Virginia" And any one will come to the same
conclusion, whose mind is not constantly dwelling on
the connections OF towns where trade and trave already
exist and where the consequence OF their connection
may be very accurately determined from existing facts.
In estimating the value OF any Improvement we must
look to the peculiar condition OF the country and adapt
the improvement to that condition. Here we have mines
to open forests to fell and the land to clear and till;
Goals, the metals and their Ores SALT lime marble lum-
ber and products which require Tor their full develop
ment the cheapest possible mode for their transport-
ton The canal fulfls this condition. 1t affords the
cheapest possible mode Of transportation Its value
does not depend on the place which reaches, the
case with railroads, but upon the soil through which it
passes that will invite labour, furnish tonnage enrich
the State and put new face upon our domestic affairs
These are some OF the reasons why give my preie
renee over any other plan OF improvement for the CEN
trail line.
But the time has not arrived for action on this subject
any further than involves the extension of the canal
to Covington. 1t will be time enough when reaches
that point to decide upon the plan by which it shall
be carried through to the Kanawha Meantime the
policy of the company in reference to the extension of
the improvement of Covingon, is evidently that of
a mastery inactivity" by which | mean, they should
guard their rights with a vigilant and watchiul eve
resist all attempts invasion of their priority of route
and, in the language the late president ofthe company
reject any proposition looking to the surrender TO any
other corporation to the abandonment of the exc
cution by this company, OF single foot OF our line from
tidewater to the Ohio"
am, gentlemen, very respectfully,
our obedient serv't,
/ WALTER GWYNN
Chief Engineer J. Il. and K Co.
In confederation ofthis assertion we have the con-