Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1852-01-09
RsC.sMUNB EaQU1isER.
FRIDAY ilOHS!&i:. JANUARY 8. is"~'
RICHlIUND HiREOh-

Nsye been stioulaIy interested in the report :" Lieu
Howard Sansbury T. s. Civil Engineer, OF January Zolf
1887 appended thereto This document commenos l'se L
the reader for the plain practical and Sie"
taken OF the navigation Of The lower james River; ana lux
roc,cabiy of opening the channel 10 admit vesstls Of III
teen 10 serenteen feet mater TO the port OF Richmond e
proposes frs; 10 redgc channel through the Richmond
har nine feet decp low water and then to employ Inc ma
chimes in giving uniform depth of nine feet at low water
or fifteen AT high such parts OF the river as require "
This he says be effected with greater ease ana expea
tion Than been imagined. Exclusive OF the RICHMOND
bar and ubou, hundred yards between 1t and Warwick
nine feet of wafer found oil The way to point one mile
below tho lower wharf Rockets; and from thence te
Rockets feet and Il; least halt the distance elgh-
Thus it would require excavation below the fichnon'
bar of two fee, FOR FIVE Hundred yards and average
one foot for mil. and half the mouth Of the dock
To open passage hundred yards wide for fifteen fee
drcuoht al high tide through the Richmond bar would re
oure the of e. 27 cubic yurds and TO reduce III
bottom the river this uniform depth 10 the mouth OF IN
canal uock III 400 yads Some rock is found in the bee
Of the river Rockets, ia detached masses not adherne
TO- but simply lying The bottom, which may BE- easily
broken up oud removed II would be proper 10 commence
the Richmond and the earth removed, could be
deposited in bayou separating me island from the main
land first below the city.
After completing the work jus. mentioned, he suggests
the propriey of removing Haons bar which will admit
vessels of daught TO CoXs bari end then by
ts removal latter, they come to Warwick. Har-
.sons bar s about five miles below City Point and lis re-
rnoval would be equally beneficial Petersburg Coxs bar,
or it is some called, mill Rocks" is twenty miles
be, =. Richmond; and Warwick five miles below.
"ge excavation Hatsons will require the removal Of
81 OGo cubic yards and at Coxs $4,000. This will give
.acen feet water Warwick within five miles Of Rich
,ri and fifteen the balance OF the way at high tide
The residue IL the channel 10 Richmond, the Engineer
thinks entirely practicable 10 open for seventeen feet
.rau,t of wac md tha! :ha De removed will not
ez- I'd 100000 cubic yards
L. regard 20 he cost oil this work. Lieut. S. estimates that
Two dredging machines b. built and operated one year
(~.h other expenses connected here"ith al S49UU ana
,: within that time, the channel be brought to uni
f..u d.aught Of fifteen feet, from Warwick to Richmond
In another year, expense 0O0 the machines VIII
be ,hle TO remove HarIsoas ard CUxs bars and in three
successive years thereafter the last mentioned annual ex-
pensc channel be opened seventeen feet deep Rich
ond He up the entire slO3iO and that
time requisite 10 perform the whole work with two
d-ci ug machines, will be five years. The first year we
may assume would require aa expenditure OF about
S5O0o0 and afterwards work could be carried Is
70 si4 900 per
II tie city had procured the necessary legislative enact
n.nt$ Immediately Lieut. Stansbury's report pub
sid the channe! Of James River long since, might have
y n opened depth OF Is to II feet water, and ships
81 1900 burden, might have to Richmond,
little erag". But the pulley ms been 10 wait
for Congress do tin; worS to the prosperity
Of Richmond Our city has waited long ennugi and with
ont touching upon the constitutional question Involved In
the construction o! works OF internal Improvement BY the
Federal Government advise city fathers 10 osa no
in procuring the proper enactmeas from the Lessla
;u.e authorize them I, MAKE this improvement on city
accounts by Join; stock cumpaR? in which the city may
take large interest. It world require but small capital
md nconsiiera5e toll; the opening OF chan
mel by dredging and blasting, sufficient - admit steamers
and sail vessels of the lar.cs, sZ".
We hope tina: politicians Who nave ,ho.gi tac James
River bars would SUI, purposes be.s tcf present
condition. than ;c!.c oar D. State MEANS will now see,
what body else mas sen for more than dozen year
past, that time is last approaching, when il Richmond
,es take active and .&e interest in ing deep
channel 10 her wsar:s the Safe will luke measures 10
procure other outlets u- tie .! the nieior These
outlets have been prriay made both the North and
the South ~ Railroads. ii HE lower James River
n.coua cheaper AMI better medium d lnspor;aun Tor
heavy produce Richmond the sea, by the expend
tire OF few hundred thous,nd dollars after millions
lave been expended Cara bring the trade 10 Rich
'9ond Justice the ntep: would demand Of the people VI
lis city, make the et:0r. The people here the
shippers, importers &c. AMI il they tavc confidence
in navigation he sya, the question must then
be resolved ~ Inc p.op,: the country in favor OF
ana nose mus PROJECTED
ports nf deep Every and city comes
fairly Before the Pablo, and al! have equal right TO the
aid Of the Legislature in til, construction Of such works as
will promise benefits my considerable portion OF the
Stale. If crgtcnc. policy had been pursued al the
proper Tine deep wod he at our wharves anu
the river Oiled viii eny shipping 1t NAY Eo' ys! te TOO
late to repair the loss Of time.
Oar enlightened ncg:nn ;ts city OF Baltimore, has not
been of neges,a She fds it necessary to
keep large dredging machine propelled BY steam; and sew
erai smaller by horses, constantly work 10 keep her
harbo. vi snlceat depth fox largo Vessels. fne creek
which empes into the habo has power to carry oil the
mud, which Is thrown down BY IL and consequently re
qucs the continued use q" machinery TO remove IT, Inc
government OF the United States, contributed this work
for several years but the appropriations been
stopped the has continued III. labor wi,hou, abatement
That city Increased In population il the last years
than double the amount OF the whole population Of Rich
mond the present time, proving that honest industry
its reward.
letter from Scotland, published few ago in the
Southern Era of this cry worthy Of attention. The
writer, in speaking of Glasgow, says:
"n this city situated the iron Works OF Col Napier
where manufactured the great engines f,r the Cunud
One Of these shown in process of
strucon the cynicr Of which measured LOG inches in
diameter. This engine, when completed, will cost fIo TO
ts00o0. These steamers built ct Glasgow and sent
the Clyde, which, al Glasgow is very smal-no' :"
large as the a ppomatrox Petersburg. From survey
made by james Walt Of SO years ago. it found to be-
at high tide only three feet eight inches deep and al low
tide one and half feet yet. has been so deepened and
walled in vessels of 700 500 tons ascend TO Glasgow
Does this teach lesson 10 The people Of Richmond
which should BE- needed 2"
But this is ALL From article recently published In
the Glasgow Mechanic, it appears that the first OF
January 1851 there registered Glasgow eghy eight
steam vessels IA under 100 toms; ortyeght from 100 TO
500; sixteen from 800 I00 three from 700 l000 FIVE
fion 1000 to 2o0oi and from 1000 $500 toms"
r, 4. so;J 4, M,colInch,s ca1pttee- thar
"Glasgow its present greatness TO lis advantageous
situation and fne river 10 of the richest coal and mine
raj districts in the empire. Originally however the Clyde
was much encountered by oTds and shadows, and for d
heightened PERIOD served rather excite and disnppoin
expectations than confer real nmcrcal advantages
on the CITY, Ia 1862 after several other schemes had failed
magistrates Of Glasgow purchased the ground on which
POET Glasgow (l6 miles lower The rrr stands,
where they formed har!or and craving dnck lie hst
Of the kind in Scotland For considerable period,
intercourse between Glasgow and its newly acquired
port principally on by carriages; but from
1865 every and then made TO deepen the