Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-03-19
For me CRqHHr.
TIE JAMES RIVER AND KANAWHA CANAL
REPLY TO "COMMON SENSE"

REPLY TO "COMMON SENSE"
Mes.rs Edors-A writer in late Dumber OF the
Enquirer" over the signature OF Com
mon Sense" lncus lncendol appears 10 oe very
much afraid that the Legislature will he "hoheyfus
gied " by q letter addressed TO several members OF
that body by Mr. James Lyons, on the subject of the
version scheme" and to prevent such dreadful
result, proceeds 30 enghten them and Inc public
generally upon the subject of internal improvement
From no fear that the Legislature vii be honey
fuggled" by Common Sense" but from mere re-
pect for the TRUTH it is proper that the errors in his
facts, and the sbsurdtes in his arguments, should be
exposed.
He draws a frghtful picture of the difficulties that
will have to be overcome in carrying the canal from
Buchanan to Covington, and Gays. THAT 1t enters
the mountains at Buchanan, and has 10 be locked
damned, tunneled, and built around cliffs at every
STEP"
Instead of its entering the mountains at Buchanan,
il ia exactly at that point that 1t energies from the
mountains, after having made the passage Of the
Blue Ridge and having overcome greater difficulties
than it will have TO encounter, between Buchanan
and Covington. In passing the Blue Ridge there is
an elevation of SO feet, overcome in the distance OF
really built along cf.. The greatest elevation that
has to be overcome the line from Buchanan 10 Cow
ugon is on that part of the line between the mouth
OF The Cow Pasture and CovingtoD where the distance
is l8 miles, and the lockage 29 feet or rise of II ieet
to the mile; and, instead OF being around cliffs at
Coving ton only nine and half miles around cliffs
and the balances is through low grounds. The public
will know how to value any estimate made by Com
mon Sense" when he makes such wild statements in
regard to the location Of line with which he assumes
the air of being very familiar; and they will aso
question his sincerity whsn he insnustes that thu
canal from Buchanan TO COvington az milesl will
cost s. 600 0U0 in the face Of the fact. that the sam"
work from Lynchburg to Buchanan, distance OF ID
miles, one half Of which is along bluffs. only cost
$2,l5l,962.
He appears to believe that when Mr.. Lyons made
the iatement that the Canal far has coat 600 O0
that that gentleman meant to state that the actual con-
struction of the Canal had cost that amount. Mr.
Lyons meant no such thing. tie meant that the james
River and Kanawhs Company, in the construction
maintenance and repairs of their works. and interest
upon their investment and debts for the last twenty
two years. have expended about 6,OOO,0Ol.
The actual cost Of the construction of the Canal has
been, from Richmond to Lynch6urg $3.50, 1872. or
$36 5l3 per m- and from Lynchburg to Buchanan
90 Isl 962, or 13,U39 per mile.
Now, il Common Sense" ia seeking the truth out
side of the engineers estimate, let him make this pro-
portion If 81 miles OF canal below Buchanan, through
the Blue Ridge, one half around bluffs with 299 feet
of lockage, coet s. Isl 962, what will AZ miles above
Buchanan with 434 feet lockage cost The snswer
would he-aowing 81, 500 per foot lett for the add-
tiona l35 feet of lockage-S2 225 344.
The fact lie, that Mr.. Lyons estimate Of ~ 500 Ooo,
in addition TO what has already been expended be-
- being nearly half million more than the engineer g
estimate-and although he might not be willing to
undertake the work himself at that or any other cum,
there plenty of responsible contractors in Virgil
MIA that would be glad to get the contract for the
whole line, land damages and engineering included,
at that price.
Blu. we are told that 1.-THE BILL should pass, would
have mn individual merit at leas it would keep mp IN
organization and pay the officers for the next ten
yeRra."
.C,,n,,,, Sarsap b.ra onano , tarr;hlo ha,tory
that aims with telling effect, point blank, right at the
pockets Of the President and Directors. He, how.
ever had better have saved his powder for does he
not know that the organic 0 the Company would
be kept up exactly The same, and that the directors
will etill retain their lucrative offices, and enormous
pay of about Sl5D dollars per annum, whether the
conversion bill passes or not.
Common SENSE" assumes that the friends of the
water liue anticipate magnificent results, by simply
completing the canal to CoviDgon. He Gets up this
man Of straw, and then knocks it down. and tears it
to pieces and scaters the sraws to the four winds OF
Heaven. There IL no friend Of the water line, not
even personally interested paid officer ct the COM
pany, who is 60 insane as to assume any such posi-
ton for the canal. Their object in completing the
canal 10 Covingion is that IN connection with the
Covngton and Ohio Rail Road. great central line
OF transit from the Ohio to Norfolk may be effected
through State, which will have no rival eIceptthe
Erie Canal, and which they believe will make, what
has heretofore been an Improbable work, profitable
ana tIty D5HeVe HOTcONcI, tuot W uoiHe iboJ
can eventually effect the completion of the water
line to the Ohio, and Virginia will then have public
work that will have no rival, not even in the Erie
Canal. If the canal has been failure so far, what
has been the reesonl Simply because 1t has been
stopped in the centre of the State and has never per
formed It's intended mission of tapping the Ohio.
Common Sense" says he can make figures. We
will give him some TO make. When the CovingoD
and Ohio road is completed, suppose that it throws
900, 900 tons OF freight per annum on the canal at
.Ia tha fOllo ruin
1886 900 per annum then add 25 per cent the pre-
sen, tolls on the line from Buchanan to Richmond,
for The natural increase that will by The time
that the rail road is completed, and We have the sum
Of $1,000 900 for that item put down the expenses oil
administration and repairs at 1856 QUO. and we have
nett revenue of 3GO0.00O which will he ak per
cent on the whole capital stock OF the company in
divdusl End State, if the conversion bill is pasaed
or there would be an annual income that would en-
able the company to complete its work Ia the ONO
Here, them is fair chance for the state to realize SIX
per cent. on stock which is now OF no value what
ever!
Common Sense thinks that the james River and
kanawha Company have but two alternatives ieit
One ia, if they can raise OUO O0 aud 20 ahead
and carry the work to the Ohio. This ia excellent nd
vice, which the Company would gladly follow, but foi
the riHng Inconvenience Of raising the little sum al
uded to. II is to be presumed that Common
Sense" would not give this go ahead advice, uness
he supposed that the $50 000 GOO would be prohfaoly
invested, and he must therefore have strong iatn IN
the ultimate utility and success of the water line
when completed, if he thinks it would pay the lnte-
reet on 30 large q sum.
Blu, if the Company cannot raise the $50, OOn 600,
then he advises them ito act like wise men and aoan'
don the canal where it il, and e1pend their surplus
$4,000 in making rail road from Buchanan to
Salem, which sagacious, procti,ed men would have
done long ago."
What great advantage could result to the canal by
this road He tauns the canal With being scarcely
able to compete with the rail roada md yet ne pro
pOeea to make the canal profitable ny tapping me
Virginia and Tennessee rail road at point - miles
from Buchanan and Gu miles from Lynchbnrg:
There would then be % miles OF rail road ana ~
miles Of canal against GO miles Of raj road from
Salem to Lynchburg. Are the advantages OF
the canal over the rail road 20 great that
freight will go nineteen miles out Of its way, 10 seek
fifty miles oil tranait the canal in lieu OF sixty miles
on the rail road! twill he readily granted That Enc-
hanan should have been The terminus OF ths VIZ
gina and Tennessee Road for thirty one miles OF
railroad would thus have bean saved; bet the term
nus Of the road being now fixed at Lynchourg ano
commercial relations and agencies being established
at that point, and the current Of Trade having been
Buchanan. Common Sense" certainly did not in
tend 10 pay this compliment to the canal. lie thinks
that a rail road would bs better than canal from
Covingon to Buchanan because train of cara woHld
maze two trips while boat passing through the
locks; but, yet, the canal from Lynchburg to Bue'
it, would drain the freight from the Virginia and
Tennessee koad. There must be some peculiar mr..
me in transhirping freight at Buchanan, over any
other place, TO give the canal an advantage there
which he will not accord TO It elsewhere.
If a connection at Buchanan with the Virginia and
Tenaessee road would render the canal profitable to
much greater extent, would that purpose be effected
by connection with the Covngton and Ohio Road at
Covington. The Virginia and Tennessee Road has
grades OF 60 feet TO the mile and eight degree curves
and is to be fed by other roads which extend into the
South western States. 1t taps no grest artery OF
Western trade snd its capacity for through freight
will be very meagre. The Covington and Ohio Road
has maximum grade facing West of 29l feet to the
mile, and will have more than double The capacity OF
the Virginia and Tennessee Road. II terminates 10
the valley Of the Ohio river which is great artery
Of Western trade from which it can always be fed,
and thereby feed the canal up to the utmost capacity
depended on TO supply the James River and Kanawha
Canal AL other feeders must be looked upon only