Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-03-27
LIEUT. MAURY AND THE "GREAT EASTERN"
OBSERVATORY, WAsHINGToN,
March A. 1851. (
JSo. Roprx McDASlEL, Esq,

LyHch6nTg va:
Sir: Your note of the 9TH Instant, with it's enclo.
sures inviting me to the proposed Railway Conven-
ton ut Bristol, Tennessee III April next, has been
received Pray accept my thanks for your polite
ness.
This convention has for its object the establish
ment of line Of mammoth steamships between
Great Britain and the waters Of Virginia. The
successful cnmplishmrnt oi such Il measure would
be great achievement, and one from which would
be dated a new era in the commerce and business
relations Of the States concerned.
By the construction OF proper works OF improve
menf, Virginia might place, in the category of back
country 10 her seaport towns large, fertile and
very productive portion OF the Great West. By
completing the COvlnGtOn and Ohio Railway, anu
bringing il in connection with other internal i'm
movements of the State, New York herself would
find il TO send by to the Chesapeake aud
thence by river, canal and railway To the mouth ot
the Erie and Ohio Canal at Portsmouth on the Ohio
river than she now does by her own system Of in
! ternal improvements More than half OF the dis.
lance from New York via the Virginia routes to the
West lies along the untaXed highways OF sea and
river, which, at most, are shut up by the frost Tor
only Is few days III any year, and H. comparison,
therefore, with the route from New York via the
North River, Erie Canal and Lake, is much more
available Consequently, the completion OF the
Covington and Ohio Railway would offer TO the
owners of the Great Eastern and other traders
the most direct and favorable route that commerce
can possibly have between Western Europe and Onr
West.
The establishment Of lines of regular traders to
run in connection with The avenues of trade which
have been actually opened by your people, and com
menced by your State, would bring the merchants OF
Europe i'm direct communication with m exceedingly
rich and well cultivated portion ol the country. The
peupl. who nlIabit il have much TO sell, and many
wanis.
W. send tu England annually. something like forty
million pounds Of tobacco nearly all of it is grown
in this part of the country. We sent abroad last
year of wheat and flour the equivalent Of twenty.
Ave million Of bushels. VirginiH with her back
country lies under the best wheat growing latitude
and exports largely Of this cereal.
OF corn, there is now annually grown in The region
for which the internal improvements OF Virginia al.
ready completed or commenced will afford drainage
and supply, not less than five hundred million bush
es; and the export of Indian corn Is u large Item
among the statistics OF our commerce.
All the hemp of the country comes from this re-
gion, and through the Virginia and Tennessee, the
Danville, the Petersburg and Weldon the Raleigh
and CASTOR Railways with other roads which, WIN u.
their connections, stretch TO the Southward and to
the Westward, convenient market ways and the
channels of profitable trade opened With the cot.
ton growing States. Among the mountains which,
in these latiludea, divide the waters of the Atlantic
from the waters Of the great Mississippi are copper
mincs and mineral treasures of great value.
The climate of these mountains ia most salubrious,
and from their sides springs OF healing waters gus
ont the kind and diversity Of their mineral ingredients
pnparting To them medicinal virtues OF rare excel
Ience In short the mountain regions which the ac
tusl and propossd lines of communication will bring
within the reach of the travelling public are destined
TO hold both to the old world and to the new, the re-
lson of q great Santarium.
II onv one wishes to see what can be done for old
seaport towns that, like those OF Virginia, have little
or no direct foreign trade, by connecting with them,
through net work Of railway, a large, fertile anu
rich back country, let him look at Hamburg and Bre'
meu-the extent of their raw8ys-and examine the
statistics of their trade with the statistics oftheir
trade twenty years ago, when these roads were moi;
and when such has realized the vast increase oi
this trade let him examine the back country for winch
the merchants Of those cities have become factors,
nn, compare il with the back country, It's resources
and p.ople, their wants and habits, which like I'm
movements on this side would connect with the sea
I,orts of Virginia. When he has doue this Then le
will begin to perceive what room "e ha'eior ou''"'
ing up trade ssn
The first line of steamers to Bremen was consider
ed by many as "A visionary scheme; but, III connec'
tion with the railways, see how business win tle
IIanoverian seaports has increased Much more
abundant for such increase are the elements which
lie dormant in this shouI be- nay in this must be back
country to the fine harbors of Virginia, which only
require little display of the right sort oil spirit 10
call them forth. - =,
great physical and natural resources o ths part Oh
The country and in presenting for their consideration
your rapidly drawn sketches Of its prospective and
nresent value hope you will he able to give them
assurances rlnt the Covington and ONO Railway is
to be pushed forward vigorously TO completion, and
tina, by the time they can get their ships ready
this work will be Also rehay " o''h au CARRY 'o'
them. i,
You have my best wishes for the success of al
your laudable enterprises
have no doubt that the proceedings of the Bristol
Convention vii! be both instructive and interesting
hut have very little hope of being able 10 be present
al it. Respectfully, &c, NJ. r. MACKi.
THE STEAM MUSE.-Las evening at sundown
A Ia Mail oE
sniandJ steamer ST. Nicholas threw our city into
spasm., by the sudden and unexpected turning loose
of the steam piano, called the Caiope She steamed
short distance up the river, and made the water
IN the Ocean Wave" "Rory O'More;' and then
Ss.,. surnino Lnwn 10 the tune of ,.CarrY me back