Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-02-08


lents, capacity, serious minds, comprehendns
the necessity of finishing what is begun, in or
der to achieve the greatest results from this
grand undertaking.
CAPACITIES OF THE ERIE CANAL AND or T!E
JAMER RIVER AND EASAwHA CANAL
The capacity Of the Erie canal is five millions
Of tons, and will be seven milohs after the
projected improvements, according to report
OF Mr.. MacalPne, chief engineer OF the State
Of New York.
This canal is 80, 80 and 20 feet wilc-aye.
rage 60 feet. Its depth is ), q and Z feet.
It's locks arc 10 feet long by II wide.
The capacity Of the james river and Kama
wha canal, according to the new scheme, will
be, at the least, - millions of tons.
Its breadth is and will be every where 30
feet and its minimum depth, every where also,
+ feet
Its locks are l20 feet long by 90 wide, and,
upon more than two,flths Of the length of the
works, they will be 200 feet by 30
NORFOLK.
touch now upon one Of the most important
points of the question. know nothing better
to do, Monsieur lc Mnistre, for giving an exact
idea Of what the port Of Norfolk naturally is and
the advantages 10 be drawn from it, than to
cite the opinion of Commander Marry Of the
United States navy, chief Of the national ohser-
vatory at Washington, and whose name be-
longs to the scientific world. In ] very inter-
esting work published in 1854, under the form
Of letters to his son. Commander Maury de-
scribes the commercial advantages Of Norfolk
in these words:
"AS to the natural advantages Of position,
depth of water, and accessibility by land and
sea- NoVoLK HAS no COMPETITOR AMONG THE
SEAPORT TOWNS OF THE ATLANTIC.
midway the Atlantic coast line of the Uni
ted States, Norfolk is the most convenient be-
cause the most central point where the pro
duce of the interior may be collected, and
whence it may be distributed, north and south,
right and left, among the markets Of the sea-
board.
ats climate is delightful 1t is exactly Of
that happy middle temperature where the trosts
Of the north bite not and where the pestilence
Of the south walketh not. It's harbor is com.
modious, and as safe as can be. 1t is never
blocked up with ice, and as to the cgress and
ingrcss between it and the sea, it possesses all
the facilities that the mariner himself could dc.
sire. 1t has the double advantage of an outer
and inner harbor The inner harbor is as
smooth as any mill pond; in it vessels lie with
the most perfect security, where every natural
facility imaginable is offered for lading and un-
lading Being ready for sea, the outward
bound trader dropping down from his snug
nooring, and approaching the sea, finds a
storm raging from outside. The outer harbor
then affords a shelter until the fury OF the gale
is SPENT when the white-wngcd messenger
trips her anchor, trims to the brcezc and goes
forth, rejoicing on her way to the haven where
she would be.
Moreover, the prevailing winds in the
parallel Of Norfolk are westerly winds, which
are fair for coasting and for going seaward in
any direction. a little to the South of that
parallel YOU find the Northeast trades, which
are fair winds for the inward. bound Norfolk
vessel.
'Then there is the Gulf Stream-thas
mighty river in the oCean-upon the verge Of
which Norfolk stands 1t flows up with 4
current which, without the help Of sweeps,
sails, or steam will carry the European bound
vessel out Of Norfolk at the rate Of nearly one
hundred miles day, directly on her course.
Then at the sides Of this, and counter to it,
are eddies which favor the same vessel on her
return to Norfolk These hamSe her along and
shorten her voyage by many a mile.
"SuCh are the natural advantages Of Nor
folk seaward. Let us look ashore, and cOnSid-
CT them landward You will better appreciate
these by studying them in contrast. There
FORE we will compare them with the natural
inland advantages Of New York.
"a bay Or harbor :~hich is conveniently ac-
cesSible to the sea, is supposed to offer natural
advantages for commercial city, in proportion
to the fertility and extent of the back country
that is tributary to it. The back country that
is naturally tributary to the city Of New York,
is confined to the counties that are drained by
the Hudson or washed by the waters of the
sound. And if there were no such things as
internal improrements-no way in the interior
by which produce and merchandise could be
transported from one water shed 10 another
the people for whom New York would export
and import would be those who live in the val
ley Of the Hudson, or who inhabit the shores
of Long Island Sound.
Now contrast the fertility and extent Of this
country with the back country that is tributary
to Norfolk. Both shores Of Chesapeake Bay
are tributary to it and this magnificent sheet
Of water is the natural receptacle, also, OF the
drainage and surplus produce Of the valleys Of
the James River, the York, the Rappahannock,
the Potomac and the Susquehanna, and with 4
perfect network OF creeks and coves that ndent
their shores. The back country, therefore,
which, without portage, is naturally tributary
to Norfolk, not only surpasses that which is
tributary to New York, in mildncss Of climate,
in fertility OF soil and variety Of production,
but also in geographics extent, by many square
leagues the proportion being as three to one
in favor Of the Virginia port.
"But there are such things as natural por-
tages, by which commerce even in rude state
may pass from one river valley to another on
its way to the sea. Now let us sec what por.
tions Of country are nearer to New York and
what to Norfolk, assuming that if these natu-
raj portages be equally improved, oil that coun-
try which they will bring nearer to Norfolk
will be tributary to Norfolk, and all that they
may bring nearer to New York will in like
manner be tributary to New York.
Therefore, to divide and ~ off this back
country, turn to the map; stre IN string up
on it from Norfolk to New Y":i, and make q
dot half way between them. Now seek point
on the South shore Of Lake + ic that is equi-
distant from New York and Norfolk draw a
INV hoiAi lIlS wv " tiiio VO1Htl w " III
have dividing line of distance between the
two places, every point alon; which will be
just as far from the one place as the othg---
You will find that this line rms through Del
aware, and cuts Lake Erie near Cleveland,
Ohio.
"Thus you perceive that Chicago, in Illinois,
and St Louis, Missouri, are actually nearer to
Norfolk than they are to New York even by an
air line You see, moreover, that as between
New York and Norfolk, the natural advantages
here arc greatly in favor Of the latter. TnE
MOST OBJECT WAY TO THE SEA THROUGH ETHER or
THESE PORTS, FROM MOST OF THE LAKE. COUNTRY,
AND FROM ALMOST THE ENTIRE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY,
LIES THROUGH VIRGINIA. The natural advanta-
ges, then, of Norfolk, in relation to the sea- or
10 the back country, arc superior beyond COM
parison to those of New York"
shall add nothing, Monsieur lie Ministrc, to
the extracts and translations above, the opin-
ion of Mr. Maury being authority in matters Of
this description.
Norfolk may become the head of The rail-