The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-05-11
The James River and Kanawha Canal

The James River and Kanawha Canal
Under the heading Of the "Great Cen
trail Route from the West to the Atlantic
Ocean," the Cincinnati Commercial pub
fishes an interesting article in regard Z"
our magnificent watcr-linc. The views
presented give us good reason to hope that
the merchants and moncyed men of Gin
cinuati and ST. Louis are now SO sensible OF
the great importance Of this line to the
growth Of their own cities that they them
selves would furnish the means to com
plete it, if the French company should al
this late day-as we have no right to ap-
prehend-fail to avail themselves of the
opportunity of doing it. The Commercial
has learned that the James River ana
Kanawha canal would put Cincinnati upon
an equality with Chicago; and that TACT
once impressed upon the minds OF the
restless, entcrprising, wealthy capitalists OF
the Queen City of the West, it will never
be lost sight of until the work is accom-
plishcd. Hear the editor:
"Any one who had not previously had
his attention drawn to the fact will pro-
baby be astonishsd to find that it is nearer
from St. Louis to Newport News, near
Hampton Roads, than from st. Louis to
New Orleans, rid the Mississippi river. 1t
is nearer by one hundred and twenty-one
miles of rail from Cincinnati to Newport
News than from Cincinnati to New York.
This great curtailment of distance is en-
HANGED i'm value when we remember that
this shortest route across Virginia Is one
which can never he affected by the trosts
or SHOWS of winter, like more northern
routes. Another highly important feature
is, that this route is nothing but an cx-
tension Of the Pacific railroad, now in pro-
gress, and will convey, by the shortest and
most direct line, all the traffic and passen-
gers from one ocean to the other.
"The great Importance of this short
route across Virginia for the whole valley
Of the Ohio-includng Kentucky, central
and southern Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois
the States of Missouri, Kansas, and all the
great central belt of country running back
to the Rocky Mountains, must be sclt-cvi-
dent to any one who spreads railroad map
of the United States before him. He will
Mt glance understand how it is that II
young giant city like Chicago, perched on
the shore of Lake Michigan. far away W
in the northeastern extremity of Illinois,
can have become so suddenly the powerful
rival and even leader Of great established
western emporiums like Cincinnati, Lou
isvillc, and St. Louis. The wonderful sue
cess of Chicago consists mainly IN It's
lying on the great water line of transpor-
tation leading through the lakes and over
the great New York and Erie canal-in
short, its accessibility to the ocean. The
comparative disadvantage of such cities
as Cincinnati and St. Louis is in their
not having such easy and rapid commu-
nication with the Atlantic ocean as
Chicago. This is what they must and
rM have to maintain their position in
the race and ttdt access lies IN a
straight line across the surface OF
Virginia., Hl'ough Richmond and dorm
to Newport Ne,cS. With this short
route completed, all the pork of Cincin-
natl. and the tobacco of Kentucky, dcs-
tined for foreign market, will seek bee
line for the Atlantic ocean, at Newport
News, and there receive i'll return the COT
fee of Rio, the tea of China, and other
foreign articles of usefulness or luxury.
Emigrants, too, on leaving Europe for
America, and bound to the far West, will
soon find it to be to their advantage to
strike directly for the great Virginia port,
instead of going by more circuitouS
northern route: and thus save themselves
not only hundreds of miles in distance,
but large amount Of needless expense.
"But when these various railroads in
Virginia are completed-and five years
should see them all in full operation-it
is not the Great West alone that will be
pouring its rich tribute across the surface
of Virginia. The rich cotton regions Of
Tennessee and northern Georgia and Ala
bama will all necessarily seek that same
outlet to the ocean along the great artery
of the Virginia and Tennessee railroad.
The proposed airline from Lynchburg to
Richmond is nothing but direct continual
ton of that great thoroughtare to the
ocean. The railroad from Richmond to
Newport News will be fed by the Rich
mond and Petersburg, the Richmond and
Danville, the Virginia and Tennessee, the
Covington and Ohio, the Virginia Central,
and the Richmond, Fredericksburg and
Potomac railroads. Richmond is then des-
tined to become, and very speedily, the
concentrating focus, and yet unbuilt city
at Newport News, the ocean terminus Of
the vast trade of whole continent.
"When, in addition to the geographical
advantage of position and climate, we take
into consideration the enormous unde-
veloped natural resources of Virginia, the
unrivalled water power of the city of Rich
mond, and the natural facilities of New
port News as one OF the grandest ports in
the world, there is no limit to what we
may foreshadow of Richmond as manu-
featuring city of the future, and of the yet
unborn city at Newport News as one of
the great commercial emporiums OF the
Atlantic seaboard. If but 1.-THE of
the capital and energy be spent upon
them that have been lavished upon other
localities of far less pretensions, man of
mature age may yet live long enough to
see Richmond outyieing the great manu-
featuring Lowell Of to-day, and CONNER
cial city spring up on the shores of Hamp-
ton Roads whose magical development
shall rival even Chicago or San Francisco"