Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-11-14

for q barrel of Hour would rrlc by the Virginia route
at the first going ofr. 1t world require some time FOL
these rates to reach their minimum; Tor the business
would be new, and experience would hHvc to slled IL
light before individuals would be fully prepared tc
enter and occupy this magnificent field III competitor:
for its business and riches. Therefore, we Will sup
pose that during the first five years, competitors WI
be- feeling their way, and that during that time The
charges by the Virginia line will be New l ork rates
minus the tolls by Canal, which average III mills pei
ton per mile, minus EXPENSES IT keeping rnad bed IL
repair. which average lis iNills per mile. Tll.
would give per ton per ME, IT, Virginia route, d.
mills per canal, and loo pei railway; or 3 "A the ton
from Portsmouth, Ohio, Ia City Point. These nre thu
actual rates Of close mnncpoiiea. !hey are double
the computed rates Of open competition. Still there
is margin enough to have them four times ms great
and then the Virginia route will enter the lists upor
equal terms as TO cost, but with tho advantages OF dis
lance and the mildncss Of winter, greatly IN her favor
But what will, | fancy, most surprise you Ill III,
above table, is the statement. that from Portsmouth
r,a the Virginia route t" City Point, and thence by
Norfolk and Sea to New York, the distance is actual
" less than it is by the Ohio Canal to Lake Erie
thence by Lake, Erie Canal nnd Hudson river To \
York. 1t is the route which Dducc takes. II is Ell
tircly by water, nnd Is the q route that Gun com
pete with the one through gInla. W hen l haV'
occasion 10 allude TO ii again will call 1t the waite
route.
Now, contrast, as to gcogro heal features, the wa
lCT lUutt DttN ecu .NCh i".Y "Il4 4 lii'h' "ii
the route 10y Sea and through Virginia, between thu
Nv" In the first place, the route through Virginia is la
miles shorter. In the second place. the route through
Virginia offers 4l0 miles of seq and river transporla
ton, which is the cheapest transportation i'll thu
world whereas the route through the Lakes offer
but $50, or $50 miles less of this cusy transportation
over natural highways. And, i'll the third place, tn,
Virginia route offers 2G3 miles less of artificial high
way.
,,,,t n,t l.In,,,,,. prn "a frli,ty from tbngp NprN
strikin. facts therefore, let us rc-state them:
Distance Esfw,cn .Nrw York and POrtSmOHN r1a T0irr
route Mr0ngh the Lakes lTS miles
Eia the Sea through Virginia 80 8"
OF natural highway $50 miles. 40 niles
In favor of Virginia route aE3 miles of internal i'm
provcment.
OF the i65 miles OF internal improvement, by thu
Virginia route, 2lO has been finished by digging thu
James river canal, leaving III to be done. i tlt
6SS miles of internal Improvement on the Lake route
none remains to be finished it is all canal in actua
operation.
'Tllc canal in Virginia will, we may suppose, aiiort
transportation as cheap as that on the New York m
the Ohio canal. Subtract the 2iO miles OF this cana
from the 6SS by the Lake route, and there re-
main i4S miles OF finished canal by the Lake route
against exactly h~alf-within one mile-ot that dis
tanre, of unfinished railway BY the Virginia route.
Now, suppose the Ohio canal had not been com
menced, and that only as much Of the Erie Canal wa!
finished ~ of the James River and kanawha-24'
niles-and thnt the remainder by the Lake route
WAS lust in the condition of the remainder OF the |lr
yinia route.
Assuming this to be the case, and that your being
New Yorker instead Of Il Nirginian, were called on L
decide whether il would be most advantageous iM
New York TO complete the water route ny Duiidiit
44S miles of canal, or the Virginia route by building
only a2j miles of double truck railway-how woult
you decide!
Two miles of canal cost more for construction ant
quite Us much for repair rs one mile Of railway.
Then the Lake route il TO be frozen up i've months
in the year; the Virginia route never, or not mor'
than 20 days at most.
The ship navigation between New York ana Nir
rinia is less dangerous and more easy, and the winds
are fairer for it both ways than by Lake on tho othe'
route. .
In the case supposed, this Virginia route would af
ford So many and such superior advantages thu Ne"
Workers and OhiOans themselves would come and IN
stat upon being allowed the privilege OF putting II
these 22j miles of rail road link, II their lake r0ut'
had not already been completed.
As it is the PENNSYLVANIA canals to the Ohio open
little exrlicr in the Surfing than the Erie; and tn
Spring is the harvest time upon the Prnnsy,lvanl
works, for then New York sends ttnt way anu pay
OH the average Sli.T0 the ton.
But suppose the railway and canal were Tree;
have shown that the minimum cIargc for freight be
tween City Point and Portsmouth would oo aoou
$3.50 per ton, and that the maximum, evena at m"hopo
ly rates, would not be more than twice that sum- I"
about 1924.
Now, if we allow 8 mills per ton by sea between
City Point ind New York, MS the average ruling ra'
for that voyage, we shall see TINT produce from III
Ohio will be delivered in New York certainly 10
SS.0I, probably j. 10 the ton. -,
You see ] have estimated the sen freight at 8 mill
per ton per mile. The New Workers compete 1t ut
tn !: and you may perceive what a liberal estimate
mills is, when I tell you that vessels are now carrying
pine wood from the Chesapeake and selling III It New
York for less than it is now costing in Washington
City.
Ii seems then that our native State has il still in ne
power 10y prompt and vigorous action, to turn IN
commerce of IN empire throliSh her borders ana CIV
it tn her seaport towns.
1t would be difficult 10 estimate tho amount Of ton
mage that would pass over this virginia route, III
railway and canal being free for goods OF all SORTS
Suffice it to say, | should be within bounds, If were I
set il down, for the fifth year after the completion q
the work, at not less than one million oft"ns Of throug
freight. 1t is now miles through the Erie Canal.
The New York improvements draw oil from Ill
Ohio country three millions, and they can operate on
~ for seven months in the year.. virginia, therefore
would, from the beginning, have Il monopoly ot III
business for five months, which, according 10 the Ne,
York ratio, would make two millions of tons for tn
first year, if there were conreyanccs for 1t.
Now, being satisfied that there Is business for III
road and canal to do, w come to the question how
this work 10 be supported!
Let lis first see what It's support IL Ia cost.
According. to the annual report Of the State Eng
nccr OF New York, 10 the Legislature, 1854, the ave.
ngc expense Of Keeping the road beds oi that State !
repair, was exclusive of buildings and taxes, SOL,
p0r mile, which says he, exceeds that OF the preceo
ing year nearly 50 pr cent
The average cost ut k.cp.n. the road bcd of tn
Boston ami Worcester railroad IN repair, az dete!
mined by the result Of eight years, WIS soOO per mi
per year.
The expense Of keeping in repair tho road bed f
a double track il, il VIC except the supcrstructIr
mt murp than II ID fnr a einrlp trnrk. and the unnui
expense OF the superstructurc, iron, &C., is, by I'll
average Of ten New York roads. 1886 per mile, o
for double track, Sl67 80. Now a. S652.l3 is nearl
50 per cent greater than usual, the fair average f
road bed and fences would he about $3.50, say $jl
per mile. Then for iron double track md all, "
make il in round figures $6,u. But, To be on the sH
side, and include all contingencies, such ~ polio
let u. add onc-tlird more am! make il SSOn pc
mile, OF iur the repairs of the whole ronl s2s0,0UD
year.
According 10 the showing of The james River m
Ktiawha Company, the annual rXpc,srS-u l todd.
nj kyr,,i;i. and supporting iiai w"rn il ; iri the r!l
ar for the .IU miles SyU,tvo. Total annual expects,
S2J6,H0O.
Now. let us see where this S-o6.Gb is TO come from
IL il possible, think you, 10 get 1t from travel on til
road, for we may tax passengers and still leave II
road Il great free trader.
The Erie sail Road has been in operation thrt
years. II carried last year the equivalent OF %'l,U
through passengers.
The Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road is also just con
plcted. lis annual receipts from passengers are soIn'
thing like two millions Of dollars, und l suppose Il
the passengers upon it would be equivalent 10 atlea
100000 through passengers.
The Central Ohio Railroad, after the completion
only II miles more, will connect with this Marylan
road and bring to II the flint year, according 10 est
mates, lo0,0NU.
Now, by the Covington and Ohio road, thence vi
the Central aud Alexandra, is a nearer route 10 Wast
lngton from Cincinnati, st. Louis, and the whole r.
| zion tlereQDuut. than IL ia yin RnlSiDnra and Obi
Railroad, or any other road in existence.
MOrsoYCr, the Nirrinia rnutn would intercnnt a