The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-02-12
THE DAILY DISPATCH
49,, rl.v.l.~. resrsary 70, lsss.

- i he DAlH =. 49, .- = :
: TsesAay s1srsaas, Fesvsary Y, lSsS.
bereavement or he 0ASs River.
-. An important movement IN resrrd % IN: nm.
urcvcsnent OF the Ohio river, is now taxing Ps.os'
: :. = learn from the Baltimore Americas. snons
an. western cisies sberdering On shss stream,
.,oseph Copsey. in letter addressed to the fi''s
surs Board Of Trade. advocates the conversion OF
the Ohio into great canal and 80 fAvosapsy nave
: ,he Board been impressed with ms ssews sna -
5 yu,aeuts. that they have passed resointsons mat
immediate measures should De taken 70 procure
,he requisite concurrest resolutions IN the STATES
bordering on the Ohio They have appointed M.
feplsy 10 visit the several Western cities, Tor the
purpose Of bringing about . harmony OF views a.
20 f,,e mode of improvement, unity Of action ,l ~
n. prosecution, and Of confening and co,opera'ms
with the several Chambers Of Commerce ana in."'
ential citizens IN she procurement OF sueA
ton The Board has also resolved ~ 'A.e. :. '"e
calling Of general Convention IN .me'unH.' :.
May list, 1856. In which the cenincie4A. Ss..
both the Atlantic borders ana me sfeA' A
3 valley may be equally represented.
3 W. h.,o M, seen the letter Of Mr.. Copley, bat
- ar.,;,. 10 ,bs account of 1t given by the Ameri-
r., no audes 20 the length of the river its cen
,,sI posi,ion the vast producsiveness of the region
:, trayerses, the numerous railroads that connect
/, with ali the great Atlantic cities, and It's natural
connection with the various rivers through which
r such an immense commerce flows 10 every part of
the valley of the Mississippi He states that at
least ten millions of the people are directly con-
cerued, and the interests of more than eighteen
millions would be favorably affected by the I'M
provenent. Already. IT is added NE tonnage of
H. u, IL NJ
INC ra;iroeds that trarsse the Middle and Westen
sstcs from Ees West; and 10 keep pare with It's
regular Increase seonld require yearly addition of
one read 10 those already szis,ing. oh, Virginia
Virginia where are you, that you do not provide
at least one avenue for the passage of this enor-
nous wealth.
says the American, would require only fifty locks,
pairs of locks, of average lift of 81 feet which
would create pools of an average length Of
Between Pittsburg and Wheeling. 10 miles.
Wheeling and Cincinnati. Ill +" "a
Cincinnati and Louisv ie.. .25 g
Louisville and Portland ffalls). I"
Portland and Evansville. .....i2 Z"
Evansville and Cairo. 81 s. g.
The average fall of the river from Pittsburg to
Cairo Is small fraction 44lO0 of foot to the
4 iIe There are few Canals in the world, of any
ckage in proportion to their length. From Pitts
targ to Johnstown on the Pennsylvania Canal,
IS miles, the loekage is upwards of 400 feet being
t n times greater, IN proportion to the distance,
tian would be required on the Ohio river. Mr.
topley says: - --4
s"At the lowest stage of water there ought not to
I'd less than Ave feet in the navigable channel at
the upper ends of the pools, ought the lift from
che pool to the other be more than eight to nine
feet. This would require the dams to be from IL
u 12 feet high from the foundations, and would
cause the water of the pools to rise about two or
three feet npon the dams Immediately above, thus
obviating, to great degree, the necessity of ex-
cayating below the locks. This would give a So
ries Of deep POOLS affordng safe and easy nayi-
CATION for the largest steamboats, and the heaviest
barges -,
not TO exceed eight or nine feet. Less than this
would be to multiply dams and locks unneeessar-
ry-rnore would add to the height Of the water
during high freshets, and cause the river to
overflow its banks more than II now does. A rise
of water equal to sixteen feet in the natural chan
mel of the river, would restore the inclined plane
corresponding to the natural fall of the river and
cause tho water to flow level over the crest of
the dams, except slight depression trough just
below the dams, caused by the accelerated move
ment of the water above them.
-" When that is the case the height of the food
is no greater In consequence of the dams. The
inclined plane being restored, the volume of water
In the river Is urged forward with all the velocity
due to the natural fall Of the river be it six feet
six inches to the mile. The dams occasioned
momentary acceleration In the current and nothing
more. This is sound theory, and experience, in
thousands of instances has &ttested its soundness
AL fears therefore, of increase of the disastrous
effects of high foods in consequence of such dams,
may be dismissed as groundless." III
The length of the Ohio river is 1000 miles, ira
versng country of unsurpassed fertility and pro.
dUefiyenpss The pStima cd NJ tha
tire Improvement is from $1,000. oOoto $40, 100000.
As the American justly observes. it would be folly
10 attempt to assign limits to the amount of ton.
mage that would float upon its bosom.
If Virginia were prepared to tap this vast stream
with her own James River and Ohio Canal she
would become in ten years after its completion, the
rival of New York in prosperity and greatness
Irish Secret Societies.