The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-10-25

C1sA1s AND RAtlncAps.-we had desirn-
ed saying something spon the following
statement of Mr.. McAlpine. formerly Chief
Engineer of the Erie Canal, but now Of the
Erie Railroad; but for tbs present It least We
prefsr to publish It along with the sensible
AID proper comments Of the Lynchburg vir-.
ginian, whichsucceed It. We invite the at
tention Of our Norfolk contemporaries to the
subject. The Albany Argus says.
Mr. McAlpine states that t'the freighting business
of the New York canals exceeds the combined busi
ness Of all the Canadian and Pennsylvania canals,
and the New York and Pennsylvania and the Bal
fmore and Oslo Railroads by 40 per cent and that
the Western business done by the New York canals
is three tsafs as great az the aesTsgdts tasfness o.
all tke other lines and also that the chief part OF
the business done by these lines is local traffic OF
the country through which they pass. he cost OF
transport by these routes, az stated In. lne sss
port limits the extent OF their companion Ior ,ne
trade of the West and hence the rivalry Tor tnls
trade il between the water lines leading 10 NV
York and those leading to New orleans. Wno"
the enhancement of the Erie Canal hcomp,eteo,
the cost Of transport will be so mucn reoucea 'na.
the nraducfs of the West can be brought to the
New York market from as far Is the confluence OF
| me Ohio and Mississippi rivers cheaper than %
New Orleans Whenever this 10 DONE II VIII ado
to the bushes of the New io,k canals tne tane Of
ltuckv Of one half of the States OF Illinois ana VIA
aons;, and olthe whole of the Western Mississippi
valley above the mouth ofthe Ohio"
| Upon this the Lynchburg yirginian makes
the following comments:
The facts stated by Mr. McAlpine should arrest
the attention of the Improvement men OF Virginia
The operations of the New York canals vs.. rail-
roads as here reported are conclusiveo OF the grea
ter cauacisy of canals for the general business OF
| trsnsnortaiion The main element OF this advan-
| tare is their acknowledged adaptedness TO cnesp-
| err rates of transportation But Is the concluslon
| of Mr. McAlpine based on a correct hypothesis,
when he saws that the enlargement OF the Erie
canal when completed will add to the business OF
| the New York canals, the trade OF onefourth OF
the States of Ohio, Indiana ana kentucky, OF one
half OF the States of Illinois and Wisconsin and
| of the whole of the western Mississippi Valley
above the mouth of the Ohiof' lie there no other
possible avenue tor q water connection between
| the Mississippi Valley and the Atlantic, than
through the DeItas of the Mississippi or the arti
cia channels of Ohio and New York; So Mr.. Nc
Alpine seems to consider. Perhaps he il justified
In this conclusion by the profound apathy with
which Virginia regards her great natural advan'
tages over N. Y, any other State to open di.
rect water line eastwardly between the Mississippi
and Ohio valleys and the ocean. AZ BY the touch
Of magic wand she can will It and the waters OF
the great west with their fleets of boundess
| wealth, are turned through her borders into the
Atlantic. And Ii can and will be done. We look
to the lines of railroad now rapidly approaching
the internal lines OF western commerce as the pio-
neers which will surely develop the necessity for
this great work. by illustrating the truth OF their
own insufficiency to accommodate the vast accu-
mutation of business which they will encounter.
Produce now seeks New York from Cincinnati
through the improvements of Ohio, the Lakes and
the New York Canals. This is during part Of the
year. During the remainder of the year-the
| winter months-it is stationary, locked UP, until
| the opening OF canal navigation, In some of the
Lake ports: With equal and more direct facilities
through Virginia to the ocean from the Ohio River
why is it that tonnage from the Lakes would not
return by the same channels through this outlet,
| especially during the winter monthsf
| Would IL be unreasonable to suppose that .
| thousand barrels Of flour in Chicago or even
Cleveland, designed for Liverpool would, during
| the winter months, be forwarded to the Ohio
| through the same channels through which produce
| from the Ohio passes Northward In the SUMMER
! And would not water connection between Nor
folk and the Ohio offer as cheap or cheaper facili.
ties for shipments to Liverpool from the waters of
| that river, as now exist between the Lakes and
New York. We know no reason to the contrary.
But we have design to discuss this question at
the present time. Admit the practicabiIity of
water line to the Ohio, and every one must con-
fess the Importance of Its ultimate construction
and without word of dissent, either, to the grand
| policy of an immediate railway connection. There
| will be business enough for both