The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-09-18
Airbmonh Qispattt.
What they say of the French Contract
AhroaA.

Circumstances connected with II, and remarks
that while il is hardly possible that travel and
light articles requiring rapid transmission
will ever be diverted from the railroad, it is
nevertheless certain that She railroad cannot
compete with the canal in the carriage OF
heavy articles, exemplifying the truth OF this
proposition by observing that the Erie Rail-
road, which was 10 dry up" the Erie Canal,
has not only failed to do SO, but is itself gasp
ing for existence II next ailndes to the bound
less mineral resources of the region through
which the canal is 20 pass, there being WITHIN
il coal lands several millions OF acres ia ex-
tent belonging TO a foreign company, by whom
i, was pure has ed at a sale made under decree
OF the District Court Of the United States, be-
sides those belonging to the French Company,
and TO other companies and individuals. 1t
then says
Just at present the country is too busy attend
ins IL the election campaisn to give very coke at
tention 10 cana or railway enterprises. There is
not much that be done. before the fate OF the
Union - settled. one way or another, for tour years
at least and in the meantime We merely call At
teutIon to this new scheme for the purpose OF in
curing how lar IL will affect inter as city.
If such a work is ever finished a bale of cotton
from Memphis could reach the Atlantic b, route
three or four hundred miles shorter than any now
IN existence. A bale Of goods from Liverpool
would reach Cincinnati a. as much l.ss expense rs
the cost OF TRANSMISSION from Lape Charles to Bal
tmore. and from heelins to the month of the
kanawha, to say nothing Of one or two extra
LANDINGS. 1t may be that Richmond or Norfolk.
or both together, are about 10 start IN new race,
and If small part OF the canal predictions are
veTibed they will distance ali competitors What
10 Bait more going to do Are to he left high
and Dir, pom the shoals wrecked by the tide that
bTIngs fortune Ia our sster cl'le~-our railroad,
which has cost so much money and furnished
theme 10 many scribblers, 10 rust away IN spite
Of 'advantsTe ous connections, 'throuR h freishts,
AND DETERMINATIONS = And are all oar coal mines
TO shutu our non works 20 stop their CHATTER,
and cease their meanings for tariff with little
g.. r.Ngap ty.Rnn q N
principal thoroug hisres, CLOGS Ing the nefaIlous
cIty raIl~ay-no tonser used-and are zoe outsld
who have built II TO be involved In the rum That
seriously, how ever, If thas Virginia canal is
fixed fact. have gCt 10 de100ethIng D prevent
a loss That is thT eatenlns enough. Competent
seoingists tell US that there 10 magnificent coal.
and plenty of IT, al along the western end OF the
proposed canal. II Viii take C. good many hard
bows to klli Baltimore, but she may be badly hurt,
nCtwlthstandlng.'
Now, we do not wish TO see Baltimore killed,
or even injured in the slightest degree. HeI
enterprise and public spirit Of which she has
manifested q greater share than any other city
in The Union, except perhaps, Savannah, en-
title her 10 ii better fate. But II Is manifest
that she will not be able TO contend with us
for the trade OF the great West, when once
this canal shall have been completed to the
Ohio. The movement of so many millions Of
tons as this canal will inevitably bring TO the
East will, beyond all question, create at least
Two mighty cities upon the eastern waters of
this State, viz Richmond and Norfolk. The
vast wealth and population which will accu-
mulate there, Will act As magnets 10 draw the
products Of the country in that direction
The aim Of a large portion of Virginia, here
1ofore has been to get 10 Baltimore on account
Of its superiority in wealth to any city of
which Virginia can boast. The aim of all
Virginia, hereafter, Will be to get TO the great
cities of Eastern Virginia. Roads which have
been draining Virginia for the benefit Of Bal
timore heretofore, will hereafter be used to
drain Baltimore for the benefit of Virginia.
The entire West and Southwest will have
tendency TO converge upon this canal upon
acommon centre.
Baltimore received her first start from the
Cumberland Road. The railroad made her
what she is Now il single railroad TO the
Ohio river could make such a city as Balti-
more, what may not a canal TO the same river,
seven feet deep all the way, admitting vessels
of five hundred feet, and charging but two
fifths of a cent per mile Oh ton of merchau-
die do for Richmond and Norfolk J The Ut
most capacity of the railroad in question does
not exceed, we should suppose, Gj0,000 tons
coming cas- twardto Baltimore on the main line.
We find, upon examination of the report of
the stockholders and directors for the year
1859, that it fell short of that figure. Now,
nine years ago, Col GWYNN, at that time Chief
Engineer of the James River and Kama wha
Canal, reported the capacity OF the James
River and kanawha Canal equal TO the pas
sage Of 2929,Go0 tons per year, allowing ten
minutes for the passage OF each lock- 3I3 work
ing days and 60 tons TO the boat" In other
words, the capacity of the present J. K. and K
Canal is equal 10 that of five such rail-
roads as the Baltimore and Ohio. What will
il be when ii shall have been made seven feet
deep; when the boats will carry 500 instead OF
Is tons " hen it will take but five minutes
instead OF ten, TO pass the locks, and when the
working days Will be 800 ms tead of 3l3 1t is
impossible 10 estimate it. 1t will, in fact, be
80 great that we may be allowed, without sub
jectiug ourselves 10 the charge of inexcusable
exaggeration, 10 describe it as unlimited
Three hundred and forty thousand of the
tonnage on the Baltimore Road consisted of
coal, upon which the company sustain dead
loss, reaching as high, sometimes, $780,
900. For the transportation of this coal g. As
per ton i. paid. Now, allowing the canal TO
be- when completed, 500 miles long, at the
maximum charge for tonnage contemplate
a Hills per mile,) coal will only pay, from
the Ohio here, 81 per ton. But, most assuredly,
1t will not be put up To the maximum. II will
not, we presume, be put higher than two mills,
which would give 81 for the whole distance
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Transports
as we have seen, $4,000 tons at d great loss
France alone will take from at least J, 800 900
OF tons, to say nothing of the coal trade that
will spring up with other por tons of our own
country.
II is not necessary to dwell upon the adyan-
tages which Baltimore has derived from the
trade she has opened with the great West
through her railroad. They are sufficiently
palpabie 10 sight. She had about $4,000 inhab-
ltants thirty years ago, and she has 100000
now. We cannot, however. pass over a trans
action recorded in the Baltimore San, which
we conceive 10 have d special bearing upon
our own case. At the annual meeting of the
stockhClde and direct tors of the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad, resolution was offered
by Mr.. GARRETT, the President, to empower
the Committee of Finance TO aid the en- terprise
now on foot IN that CITY for establishing a line
Of steam packets to Europe, with the sum OF
S5O,OUU, and it was carried by acclamation.
Mr.. GARRETT introduced this resolution with
statement, that the large supplies of agricul
tural products brought over the railroad had
furnished the foundation of an extensive trado
with the Northern and Southern cities which
had been carried on by numerous Hnas of
sieamers-that these enterprises having proved
profitable, there could be no room TO doobt
that others directed TO Europe would prove so
Akewise-that Baltimore offers superior at
fractions for direct trade with Europe, from
The capacity 81 her railroad and the compare
hveiy low rate Of freight to aud from the great
central regions OF the West aud Southwest