The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-01-07

COMPLETION OF BUFFERS CANAL-TnE
BULKHEAD BLOWN OUT-FIFTEEN FEET
OF WATER IN THE CANAL.
a letter to. the Philadelphia Inquirer,
from Buffers headquarters on the LIST,
announces the completion of the canal
and the blasting out of its upper end on
that day. 1t says:
The long expected blasting of the up
per end of the famous Dutch Gap canal
occurred at 4 o'clock this afternoon. To
effect it's removal, it was to be blasted
with gunpowder. AS preliminary to
this, it was desirable to diminish, as far
as possible, the mass of earth to be blown
out, and large diagonal slice, sloping
inward, was. taken off the top of the
bulkhcad. 1t was also detached from
the solid ground ON either side of it by
cutting narrow assures down to the level
of the water.
The mine was sunk to the depth of
twenty feet below the bottom of the
canal, being kept dry during the process
of its excavation and alter its completion
by means of two hand pumps and an air
pump. From the main shaft diyerged
five separate galleries, one of which was
placed several feet forward under the bed
of the river. In these galleries were
placed an aggregate of six tons of gun
powder. Fuses were prepared, and by
the first day of the new year everything
was in readiness for blowing away the
barrier and allowing the waters Of the
James to flow freely through the new
channel dug for them.
This afternoon, General Butler, with
most Of the officers of his staff, rode
down to the gap to witness the culmi
mating act of the great enterprise of which
he'was the author, and in which he has
taken SO deep an interest. There was
some delay in arranging the fuse, but as
the New-Year's sun began to redden in
the west, and somewhat less than an
hour before its setting, the explosion &C.
Cured. 1t was attended with but a
slight report and although dust was
thrown to the height of one hundred feet.
the conclusion was barely sufficient to
crack the ice on mud puddle near the
edge of the crevice.
Not having been tried by the actual
passage Of vessels through it, it would,
perhaps, be l.~sIe premature for me to
assert now that the canal is positively a
success; but it is so regarded by those
who have the best opportunities Of know
ing.
The natural inquiry of the public mind
now WILDE as to the effect Of the com
pletion Of the canal. Well. however
emlnently successful it may prove, it. of
course, will not enable us to steam
straight up to Richmond with our mont
tors. Twenty rebel cannon bear directly
on its upper end, and the river above is
barred with distractions and its channel
thickly sown with torpedoes. Incident.
ally, these distractions have done us one
service in preventing the rebel gunboats
from coming down below the left flank
OF our line north Of the James, as they
were able to do before the expected open
ing Of the canal compelled the enemy to
obstruct the river. There is abundance
of work to do above the gap before our.
gunboats can proceed much higher, but
there arc doubtless means by which this
work can be accomplished, and the ad-
vantage Of being able to commence hos
tile operations above, instead of bsiag
obliged to commence six miles below, is
selfevident.
The correspondents adds that there are
fifteen feet al water now in the canal.
auERRlLLAs IN KENTUCKY.
Tha Lof6 aville prres cnnf.;uo . cn.:..