The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-11-30

0,o.aa frnm Richmond to Point Pleasant VIII
"a .ss miles. The total cost of lis cons'rnc-
.;on will not exceed twenty millions OF ooi-
,ars The canal is now completed from Rich
,,,ond 70 Buchanan, distance of 100 miles,
st cost of about forty thousand dollars per
mile.
The total elevation above tide to be
overcome in crossing the Allegheny is 1916
feet The following is the elevation of some
of the principal points on the line;
Lynchburg, above tide s slS feet
Buchanan, 80
The S1mmit Level. above tide, 1916 81
The Mouth of Greenbrier, 1,a'4
Mouth of the kanawha. 2-
The elevation to be overcome after the ca
nal reaches Covington, is only 600 feet, which
may be accomplished by means of about 20
locks; or, if the plan adopted on the Morrls
canal, in New Jersey, bepreferred, by the use
of seven inclined planes, of 100 feet rise, on
each side of the mountain. On this Morris
canal, as appears from an editorial article in
the Railroad journal of the 5th inst, inclined
planes are used as a substitute for locks, wih
coaplete success These are, in some cases,
as much as twelve hundred feet in length,
with an elevation of one hundred feet, and
REQUIRE, for the passage of boat OF 100 tons,
only three and half minutes of time, and one
half the quantity of water required for the
locks. The cost of the inclined planes, and
the machinery necessary for their operation,
is only one-third that of the common locks.
Only two attendants are required for each
plane, and the annual expense of their main
tenance, is moderate in comparison with their
utility.
The number of lock keepers at present be-
tween Richmond and Buchanan, is eighty
four. At the same rate, for a like elevation
the number required on the whole line would
be 340 At Sl50 each the salaries of the
lock keepers would amount to 1000, or
one -thirtieth of the annual expenses. The
cost of repairs of the canal during the past
year, was only S43s per mile, and the ex-
pense of the general administration OF the
company, including salaries of officers and
agents, averaged $500 per mile. The ex-
pense of maintaining 463 miles of canal at
the above rate, would be S299, 100. This is
of course a most liberal estimate. The an
nual interest on twenty millions of dollars,
the cost of construction, is Sl,2oo,o0o, and
the total annual expenditure, therefore, 81
100000. The tolls upon $4,000 tons, trans
ported 4s3 miles, at one cent per ton per
mile would be 81 500, $50. The quantity of
water required on the summit level for the
transportation of $4,000 tons, conveyed in
G,42O boats, Of fifty tons each, would be g.
$4,000 cubic yards; or, one-half of this
quantity, if the inclined planes be used in
Stead of locks.
It has been 8scertained, by the most care
full investigation, that the mountain streams
emptying into Anthonys Creek reservoir
will furnish an annual supply of 2so,oOo,0ot
of cubic yards of water being Il times the
quantity necessary to pass $4,000 tons
through the locks, or 50 times the quantity
required with the inclined planes.
ter are required, in order to pass a boat eve
ry six minutes in every day for 365 days.
The tonnage that could be transported by the
passage of boats, containing one hundred
tons each, every six minutes throughout the
year, would be 100000, and the revenue
from this amount of tonnage, transported
463 miles, at one cent per ton per mile,
would be S42,31G,sG0. We do not anticipate
this amount of revenue on tonnage, but we
only wish to show that the quantity of water
Tor the supply Of the summit level will be
sufficient for the largest amount of business
that could be desired by the most exacting
opponent OF the water line We only require
for the reimbursement of the stockholders,
an annual revenue of one and half millions
of dollars, and the transportation of through
tonnage Of less than the half of million OF
tons Can any reasonable mind doubt the
practicability of the construction of the ca.
nal, or Of its productiveness, when com
pleted
In recent contribution to the Smithso
MAN Institute, on the subject of the physical
geography of the Mississippi valley, Mr.. FL
let uses the following language: If an En-
gineer had prepared plan of improvement
contemplating the excavation of canal a
large as the Ohio-a thousand miles long,
thousand feet wide, and seven feet deep-an
the excavation of reservoirs, capaciou
enough to supply It with water it would b
easy to demonstrate that such a work is feS
sible, and that the cost might not be create
than the actual value of the river which no.
connects the seaboard cities with the Missi
sippi, and floats the commerce of ten {
twelve of the States of this Union
The construction of a canal from Buch'
nan to Charleston, on the Kanawha, less tina
2e5 miles in length, viii bring the city
Richmond i'm direct communication with til
immense extent of inland navigation.
In the report of the Commissioner of p
tents. it has been estimated that the Wester
rivers afford development of 1864 milk
of steamboat navigation. How shall "
avail ourselves of the full benefit of this rie
commerce, estimated as possessing yalu
of more than &a2o, 100000
Can this result be accomplished by NEAR
of a railroad al0ne1 In the same article [