Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1859-10-24
For the Kana@ha Vale Star, 4
Coal and Camel Mines 81 Ia
nawha, Va.
BIZ 8. RICHARDSON. lEf
No. o. Y.
! HYDRoLoeY OF COAL RIVER
BIZ e ) RIcHARpsoN.
Nos.



| I#I -. ft3ifEE
IF we taks theiyalley Of Coal rifef from
q certain point, say for instaneeg above
gBriarport, on No. 6 Lock, at 30HnlIes in
length and 10 miles in width. We save a
superficial area Of 800 square niles The
entire valley compfiaesan area, a dpurse,
three times Ibis amount, but sueh wiz be
sufficient for the object we have an view.
Now, after Die ground has been ones thor
oughly saturated BY previous tsies, the
water runs.lof very readily naunediately
il falls heavy, constantly falling rain.
of five hours duratipn will give p gall OF
one inch average tarpug foat theAlRtrics
The rain gague indicates much npSe than
this, but allowances have to be Tasde on
account of currents Of dir, with deGision:.
nj gales Of Wind. which fluetify he reg
ilafity ofthe falling rain. If tbs sggre-
gate quantity of water over the sArh ace is
taken alta velocity of one mile pse shour,
we shall have 80 hours for the Alplei p
pass down the river and over the Dam !;
The current in the river itself dpsiIsg the
early part Of the freshet is 4 mSiB per
hour, but as|the greatest body If swater
before II finds its way into the riges, has.
to traverse crooked ravines, strewed with
fallen rocks and dead trees, and bther-
wise impeded in its course, by ths UNI,
derwopd and high, thick grasses 81 the
forest, its mean velocity will notie gceed
one mile per hour. The quantitY Slling
on this 800 square miles is 696, $50. 900
cubic feet, computed as folloWsiI multi
ply 484o square yards 10 the adFe By 9
square feet 10 the yard this sby $40
acres 70 the4sauare mile, divide 4his by
II inches for the foot and multiply the.
prodtlet by the3n0 miles, and tIe quo
,lient Equals tile above eubical sqaanlity,
now divide this again BY 80 fosl iiLssve--
locity, and we ind there must be 90, !
23l 1865 cubic feet Of water passing down
the river perlhour, To meet this great
volumerof water, the waste way capacity
between the abatmenls of the DAN must
be 254 feet, surprising it to rise soniy.A
feet, which we consider the fmakiimum.
{ safety guageEspefnt, . for a Dam con-
.structed -of timber. The top Of tile Lock.
should neEekbe leSs than q inches above
this, forisholId the waterrise high enough
to run over intotll Lock cham Der, The
,nsvigationIofIthe river. must Be stopped /; a
matter that Woald operate seriously
against sthe general traffic, especially HE
that Of The coal trade, for when theiyaters
are at their highest point, then is tie time
tel run out the loaded Boats, and Barges.
Now tile width between The banks ofI
Oeal river Al the places most advantages
lot the ereetiouTof Locks and Dams, is
not sufficient to obtain the required sec
tiQnal area above mentioned, viz. 254 feet
by 4, OIL 1916 supertieiaE feety RECOURSE
then, must Or should be taken 10 pbain
auxtliaryfaid 10 pass off 8the effiaelM wa
ters, SO AZ 70 keep the navigation, Oh ny
This can easily b effected By introds acinS
waste gates; which, on being drawn i'm
mediately a rise commences in the liver,
would 81 reduce the water in tlse Upper
pool that the flood water could4npt sceus
malate sufficiently high to exceed the
gpase point Of the dam.
\ For example theH. let us take one III the
aanls--say No. 6--before the late acci-
dent occurred. But before reducibgSt til
figures, We will give the formuf5e .olscal. |
culation4: IN the discharge of Yatef
throughiia rectangular aperture iikeIliat
of q dam which is open 10 THE sufsace. !
Che velocity varies nearly as the square
root " its lall or height, and Che qnsnlily
discharged per second equals two sEifrds
the velocity due. TO, Its mean shightfF; forI
allpWanceIh has 70 be made for the coalraec
tidn Of the passing fluid according 10 theI
form ef the orifce, which, inEthisscase,
the ep.eficiept will be reduced ta5. L Il
hence the following rule Multiply thei
Sectional areal Of the dams capacity inI
feet, BY ths[sqaare root of its fallik feel,
aad this BIZ Is, l-ttben two thirds tlIe last
product equals the quantity discharged
per second In cubic feet.
The waterway Of No, 6 dam was orig.
inally#l5o feet, and It's navigation gusgs
point feet its efficiency, therefore, was
as follows by the above rule: y I
4)<l50)<4)<5 1x60x60S<2t
49, 49, -- = 4 1858, con cuhtc
Gfeet peg hoAr.
I'M The quantity required to pass 8ser i'll
was % million feet per hour, therefore Il
Showed adeieiency offs, 543, 666gfI; be-
Ing only So percent ofl9What was ab Solate.
y required 10 render the works SAFE And'f.
in working order; when tbs aieayyIl
l,,t s,,,.,, II \, TAlona L. af5S1 ~