The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-12-20

o'clock last evening proved to be false alarm
| THE RICHMOND YORK RIVER RAILROAD.
Mr. Edit1r:--In closing my last communication, /
promised to examine the question-if Gas shigs
| may ever be expected to come up to Richmond for
the large amount of tonnage anticipated from the
West, so 5000 as our various lines Of improvement
| are compietedF @z,s@s.5
They now only to City Point. Fifty miles he
low down to which every ton of freight has to he
towed ia lighters at an expense of sighty-ye cents
per hoghead and other articles at similar rates: and
even 81 City Point ships cannot finish loading but
have to haul sone ten or twelve miles fut her down.
below Harrisons bar. Nor ID this all for if they draw
more than SIXTEEN OF at most seventeen feet, they
cannot then 90 to because of shadows some one
hundred miles below Richmond in James River; and
the spirit and economy OF the age for still larger
ships BY The baltimore Sun of a late date 1 NO
the sailing of built IN that city drawing 10
feet when loaded. Now, surely we oQSh not To de-
pend upon less for the transportation of our vast tom
mage. 1t must he kept Id mind that this tounag must
NOT go through second hands to New York there 70
pay and commissions; 90 direct to con.
suming markets. and il we in Richmond cannot effect
this the tonnage tvi4 not come TO Rica~ond at cK
But suppose the bars and shoals aud Crcoke I'd sces
are removed, and is feet of to be found mn
70 Richmond, viii large vessels then up to eur
| whgrvosf
Practical seameu-ship masters-ssy No. for na;
tler captains or owners like TO have their ships eble
be caught on bars at low water es, when loaded
they strained and often seriously injured And
these practical gentlemen say further that ships will
experience great difficulties in being towed by steam
boaCs (the only way they can be moved between
Richmond and City Point in narrow and crooked
rver any Consid erable side wind will press them
ashore where they must ley until the wind subsidies
the channel of the river for some 90 or 80 miles
below our city, Is too narrow TO allow steamers to
take position the river haul tn IN of =
again. the l,0oOUO OF tons per annun will require
some five or SIX ships daily to come up and many
go down river, and the grounding of one across
the channel will step all others.
And ii they cen come up, where is their wharf
room, pray?
Not at the line of wharves proposed by the Com
mittee for they say THE property proposed to be
p - IA no rt,- If ,I,
feet, about 1880 feet of which be made available
for vessels drawing eight to twelve feet, the balance
| for vessels of light drauGht.''
There then is wharfage in to u feet for sbfps
of 10 feet which ii IS proposed shall come no Nor
these ships go into the Dock for the Stp-Iock il
to have but 10 feet OF water over the iatre SILL and
vessel will even risk going through this or auy
ether lock unless .he depth of at least one
foot more tfan they draw, thst feet draueht vii!
limit the of vessels attempting to pass into the
dock. Where then will the 5, g. ana in u few years
| 70 ships lay, if they can come up the river?
| / hope the river will be improved for there will
be vessels Of less size than ships that will crowd It's
waters, but ships never zSA come up to Richmond In
deed the Committee seem to think some better pIsu
finally be adopted to take away the tonnage for
| they say
id Of magnitude to require larger vessels thar q nay
CATION about l6 feet will admit the whsryes and
when by the construction of railroad about % mites
point Is attained on James River, about 60 miles
from the city by water, IN every respect admirably
suited for port for large ships by its healthness
great depth of water close in shore secure anchors 20
| and depth of water of more than % feet to the
OCEAN"
has more than capacity enough for the contemplated
tonnage at present Next, the channel ia
deepened, this capacity will be increased 'an hun
drsd ioo; and finally, they suggest Railroad Eome
| q miles, striking the river go miles below our
city when the trade is beyond the capacity of ships
drawing about l6 feet.
know not ii any survey has been made for this %
miles Of Railroad, for the Committee do not say; nor
do know by what data they have learned that the
2 miles will reach so miles along the river pre-.
they have satisfied themselves of the fact and
| in doing they must be satisfied of another fact,
wit, this 90 miles of river and down. which
they propose ships to be towed, is very crooked Ii
| S8 miles can be saved by the e of Railroad, and
consequently difficult Of navigation, notwithe landing
| all the improvements that may be made upon it
But from the end of this proposed q miles of Rail-
road can more than 20 feet OF water to the Ocean"
| be foundf
| feel sure that in this the Committee have been
nsinformed, for by the survey of Major Stansberry
there shoals which ships drawing more than
| 10 or 16 feet cannot pass hundred miles below
our city, aud the Committee say that recent surveys
| confirm several previous surveys" and we know
that the capacities or rivers rarely increased by
ume lnasmuch as the same causes that form bars aid
shoals apt rather lessen than deepen rivels;
that sm sure not more than II feet OF water be
found far below the 60 miles; and that "more than 20
feet TO the ocean" is erroneous.
! Such being the capacity of Jane. River, limiting
| ships 70 10 or IL feet OF water, and this for all
practicable purposes only up to City Point, then
1t must be conc ded that another outlet must be had,
and where is one so GOOD 50 practicable so direct,
so exclusively a Richmond route, as by the York
River This is objected TO by the committee; first
because every ton passing in the raiiroadl is
subject 70 an additional char sc of not less than IS
Tins Is grave assertion and II true, is conclusive
against the York River Railroad. The length of this
proposed railroad, surveyed is to be So miles,
25 per ton through, is sbout 81 per ton per
| male. when know that most freight Roads every
| where charge not exceedirg cents per ton per
| mile, and there is reason why more should be
charged on this York River Road which will be Y
cens per through to York river, within 65 Iuiles
of the Gapes of Virginia, when il to get a
| hogshead on board ship at Harris0u's Far 81 10,
which is at the rate of 546 per ton, and then tie
shp is llG miles from the Capes of Virginia. In oHe
instance ton is put board ship YORK River for
~ cts. and mas 10 mics of bold straight river and
bay t. reach the Capes ihout tte necessity Of t9scGge
In the other ton Is put on boatd ship al HarrSUIIs
5dr Tor 81 l6 &nd shs has 50 miles ct crooked, shaI-
low river ~ HamptOn Roads, generally requifa
age sud 70 miles OF deep water, in all 10 miles TO
sad CaPes--a wide difference this from the aelu-
sion Of the committee, IL will be said, perhaps fhs
,owege in Lighters viii be done away, aad tht ships
! Will come up to Richmond. This have said do
not believe practicable; but II they 10 do 90
nast be by seau AID row much Will this coSs p
packages upon the York River Railroad. because oi
the frequent handling This is small 0hieetian ba-
is not applicable as well to the rairosd popos5e ~
the committee down James River, as to tHo I"iA
| Rver7
There are ether points would like to refer TO N
the report OF this committee, because i's Ps'stNiY
of high character TO give il great "elel ha
have already presumed too much upon ou' -. ~
and will close by expressing the hgpe ihat ts
| River Rairoad will be Inede, ana ihet tt' @ non'o
| stream, used for but Httie ease top s. "a ~,
| OF seuding to another State the r!ch Ptoe1os ut
| fertile banks, may be made ihe hshWS,as " @ Nn,cn
| Richmond promptly and eCohoIi.a ny pas % =
,he tounasa of ihe West-ss promptly ana econohtl-
| ally racei,,asud ratnrn 10 the West the meTchan-
disc of foreign lands, aud thsI thet poIoon o eus @
Sfate hitherto alieuin taae u La1 i."'
the facilities Of turning TO more cohgehiai markets
-,,x,y c,aopct NEW GOODS In the