Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1858-05-25
From the fsRichmond Wig
The Virginia Water Line,

nc flIgllll water Lite,
A writer in the Richmond Wing, Of
March Sd, over the signature 81 T. on the
subject Of internal improvement policy Of
the State Of Georgia. takes the ground
that that State has acquired fof herself the
proud tide of the Empire State Of the
South from the fact Of having adopted
the railroad system Of Improvement in
stead Of canals. and then enters upon an
argument against the utility ofcanals gen
orally and particularly of the water line
of Virginia.
No one will deny the fact, that in some
localities, RAILROADS. may be better adapted
70 the wants Of the people than canals,
and this may be the case in anewIy set
tied country, where the rail road is the
pioneer Of civilization, particularly in our
Western and South w esterni States, where
there afeIbut few natural obstacles to that
mode of4improvement, and where rail.
roads can be constructed and worked at
q rnininm cost The railro&d lis there
made before the log cabin il built, and
the settlements go on pari passu with the
construction ofthe road. But after coun.
Try has become thickly settled, and an
artificial means Of transporting 4 large
bulk of agricultural, forest, and mineral
products Of the seaport townsis demand
ed, the question Of internal Improvement
assumes 4 different aspect. THE great
desideratum then lis, the cheapest and
best means of transportation, 1.-The public
work, that at the least cost of gconstruc-
ton can carry the greatest amount Of
freight at the least expense. This IS the
question for Virginia to consider.
The Interior aim of the wFiterin the
Wing, was to maintain the superior i'm.
portance Of tie Coyington aud Ohio rail-
road over The Water line. lie, however.
does not take the trouble to inform the
pubic IN what the superior importance
of the railroad over the water line con
lsists, but contents himself with condemn
ing the latter on the score ofits Impractical.
bility. He thinks that New River IN con-
sequence Of its barrow valley and great
fall, would be unsuitable for i lock and
dam improvement, that an ordinary rise
III the stream would render it impractical
Eble for tow boats, and that the company
would have TO provide numerous steam,
boats to carry on the trade.
4 New River has been examiaed by two
of the ablestf hydraulic engineers in this
country, and its improvement BY locks
and dams has been pronounced practica-
Eble, instead Of being dert,ies resort. is
EXACTLY the mode Of all Others that the
company would prefer, and will adopt,
on account of its superior speed and
eheapness. sst
| II" T." is very much frightened al the
great freshets that occur In New River,
and asserts thata'rise Of eight feet at a dam
200 feet long would create rise Of TWEEN
Ity-four feet at the head Of a pool two miles
long. which would produce a velocity Of
eighteen miles an hour. We do not won.
der that he should be frightehed at the
New River freshets, lifhe considers them
capable Of performing such remarkable
freak as that. First, he says that g any
Iordinary rise on dam 500 feet long
would create such rise on ole 200 feet
tinlengtll thatthe current produced would
lrender the navigation completely imprac
ticable for tow boats, If not for steam.
boats, and then he says that Z Il dam 206
feel long, of sufficient elevation to create,
lat low water, q pond of two miles ii
length, and with arise Of eight feet upon
is top, during fheshet, would produce
swell iniss uppefe end Of "a perpendicu'
lar feet, therefore the difference Of fall
between the extremes would b 16 feet
and producing a velocity Of re- miles pei
hour, decidedly too much for Navigation. :
In other words, an ordinary rise Ia the
wide partlof the river viii create an extra
lordinary rise ID the-ngrow part and pic
gsrsa, 4 rise Of 8 feet in the marrow par
Twill create 2 rise Of "a feet ins the wide
fpart. His tirst proposition only Is partly
TRUE = a rise of a few feet on dam 6oC
4 feet long would produce q much greater
rise 4or1 4 dam 2oO feet long. but would
mot produce such a velocity ii the cur,
rent as 20 stop steamboat navigation g
lRFhe other statement IS entirely at Fari
\ anceS with observation q ID experience. II
| the tFeshes Of May last at oneof the dam
on James River, which Is 384s feet lonG
land 2S feet high. the rise onItiSe crest 9
the dam was s feet and the f'se at th'
head Of the pool u miles above the dam
Il when theriyer was expanded 70 q Wldti