The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-09-24

hxnbe cost oftbe custom house ia New York or Boston
and may effect object. for which, contend II twenty
millions applied, and it could be accomplished BY
the money would prove 10 be just and wise national
that this small Amounless than the appropriation we
made Tor custom. house the other day 10 Bansorfor
ihr accomplishment Of an object in which the western
Senate that the experiment VIII CHI is proposed may De
allowed TO proceed. intend myself 10 speak upon ali
.sss subjects win great dhdenee am not perosps
just conclusion; but from all SEE and from he exam-
nAiioas made by others. the conviction IS strong IN my
ons a. hass ns Sdees which eom%snas ITSELF 10 me by
reference to Nature itself for considering as some eng
neeu Of the world have done INA, rivers are 9nly made
great channel OF the river would be supplied for the de-
hciency oil water the uncertain season oil the year. b.
reservoirs CONSTRUCTED a. ,,s mead nope, under these
the Senate reay entertain very little doub OF the
compli-hmeni Of the project
Mr. BRIGHT Wien this proposition was introduced,
and the memorial OF the individual who proposes to per
form this service was presented 10 the Senate. il sruk
my mind as unfayorsby IA il could have struck that
any member Of this body looked upon il very much
in the same light OF those gentlemen who pleased
then, a. now. 10 denounce it as hunbug. The Sen
ale, however. entertained the memral. and referred i
to q select committee, upon which | was placed After
reading the very learned and scientific report OF Mr. FL
leths ar,ng hiso, Of tie result of his experiments
with ID. Tor his concusionsI came to the con
clusun expressed in the long report made by our chair
man, the honorable senator from Kentucky.
believe j. be demons rased thai the PLAZA proposed
il practicable, and that II neither experiment nor
one Of the humbuxs Of the day. The advantages thai
would result to commerce, should we succeed throw
ing into the Ohio river sufficient volume OF water TO
insure leas, three eet in the channel at all OF
the year. would he incacuahe, saying nothing OF the
immense advantages that would esnt to trade and COM
merce on various rivers Of the United States that
certain seasons Of the year navsabe Tor the
Of water Il will cost but ~ .oo0peihaps esaio max
the necessary surveys and calculations am willing to
giveit If ut subsequent session GAIA be furnished as
Ikeleve there and will BEL showing tue practical
bity and probable success OF This undertaking. then
rename Tor Congress 70 say whether The national treas
ury shall aid 10 improving upon this principle And
Iu0 not ee that subject my self 10 The charge OF ncon
sistency or extravaganza in supporting this amendment
To order surveys made TO test the value Of grea pro-
posed improvement aud TO appropriate money afterwards
70 cary out, are two distinct and substantive PROPOSE
tons.
gress in reference 10 various measures that deem inf
nely vsonary than this, and Of less importance to
the country Al large, shall cheerfuly vote for the
communication OF The committee.
Nr. BENTON viii ask question Of the chairman
OF me committee or any member OF it. and pract.
junction Of The rivers at Psburg 10 give one inch al the
Mr: UNDERWOOD. can perhaps give the gentle
will diminish the column OF water started at Pitts
burg scarcely anything, because you enlarge the surface
very little by the addition Of three or four feet To- the a
ude of the stream aud, therefore, the dmnuton from
evaporation, which goes on there beyond the supply OF
the channel, artificial or not at the same ratio will
hardly Be anything at all Now, sir. if you throw of
three feet Of the altitude at Pitisbug that three feet if
You keep up supply continuously, will give You nearly
the addition OF three feet at the mouth of the RIVER from
Piles, which is this Al Psburg The angle Of descent,
in the general plane Of the country at the of from
one loot to three fes per mile as soS advance towards
Pittsburg il begins to diminish continually until you
reach the fails of the Ohio at Louisville and below the
falls Of that place down the mouth of the river you
n n
per mile.
Now the principle is, that. inasmuch as you diminish
supply. you increase the altitude, and, in that way is
fact well ascerlaned by engineers that BY the addition
OF three feet Of altitude in the river Ptisbug. you will
have nearly the same addition at the mouth OF the river
owing 10 The difference in the plane which the wafer
passes and the difference Of velocity occasohed by the
Mr. BENTON. asked question, and have not got
an answer quite pointedy as wish it, will there
fore bring my knowledge to bear upon the subject
of water may be diminished One is by solar evapora
ton-evapoation sed by the SUM- absorption by the
sand than which nothing is more thirsty and the bed Of
the Ohio is we'll supplied with that artIce; another By
expansion, by the river widenng and the fourth way
by The quantity taken out for The last item viii
will not dwell upon, nor will dwell upon single item
but that Of expansion That is the practical question 10
which must look and il admits OF but two data 10
upon; is the breadth OF the river at Piitsbug and
without undertaking say what the fact is about this
uatier will assume that the difference is i've TO
that H. that the ver 10 Two humid ed yards wide al Fits
burg, and thousand yards al the mouth oil the
Thus would take, without losing drop b. evapora.
ton, absorption, USE five feet al PtsDurg to make
one foot at the mouth Of the river
Mr. President, have arrived at the lime in the
sion when we have great deal Of business 10 close up
This an experiment which have brought forward
suddenly, and think may be well TO vote upon IL,
and then proceed 10 something else.
MIR. UNDERWOOD A word in reply. do not con-
slider that nve feet al Psburg. II the s but
two hundred yards vice. will give but loot at the
mouth Of the river where the river is thousand yards
wide; that IS, that the mouth OF the hve lin,
wide as ~ nj Piis0uig, and II will therefore equue
i've feet rise al Psburg 10 make rise oil one o0i
the mouth Of the Thai result rs perfectly certain,
you base upon nothing but ihese prcfples But the
error of the calculation IL, thai the does
not take Ia ali The clemens ntce-saTy TO arrive
rect CONCLUSION II he will recoect that The tall at the
mouth VI the rver only al The uf about inches
10 the miIe and the tall al Ptsbug The OF Two
feet TO the me and then make estimation 10 the
9uanuy of water when will pass the tall OF two
feet per mile, and also the FILL " four Debes per mile,
and bring that estimation into the cacuaIIon hen he
Will approximate 10 the result, which precisely
have stated IT, You viii have nearly amount
M BsSYYS S The difference Of velocity !. made up
BY the absorption and expansion.
Mr.. DAVIS, OF Massachusetts There can be no
doubt ~ Mi about the praceablty Of this matter, proyi-
ded there are the means OF reservng the TINS
matter 10 the question 10 be settled There is nothing
u all an experiment oil this kind II has been
very often brought the Test, IL know ledge, IL
streams OF much less importance and consideration Than
the 0hson seans where the mill power has been
than doubled by rese,ving water. Nov, SIR, The only
uuesfio0 whether finl, The trIhuiary