Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-06-02
VIRGINIA AND THE NORTHWEST
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad and its
Incompatible Advantages.
Views of Citizen of Iowa and Re-
ply of Col. Fontaigss
IMPORTANT AND CONCLUSIVE FACTS
a5 nn AND FIGURES. a
LETTER FROM COL. MUNRoE OF IOWA.


a-. DVgReUGUF, April q, 1898
j. EoNTAINE, ESQ. Dear Sir: r sent you
some days ago a copy Of the memorial and ac
companying resolutions of the Legislature of
this State to Congress, asking foF aid 70 the
RE aoer55S aRSet Bs saee lSsh i Vgn da5na
ton with your letter of the a55h of February
last, and also with the recent "report of the
Great Kanawha Navigation Company" and
with estimates Of the chief engineer of the
James River and Kanawha Company, has i'm
pressed upon me a community OF interest be
tween the threa projected enterprises, which
should make each desirou5' to pprolhote the sue
cess of the others ''- -
In addition to the great cost of the through
water line, there are IWo pTTqinlnent objections
to the slvlng oi help to that enterprise, which
ought ifpossible. to be anticipated and OBJ
viatad.
lss. lao "'."'...1oidable length of time neces
sary to complete that line, and to make it avail
able as an independent enterprise
2nd The accumulation Of interest while the
money is being expended; ~
The chief engineer OF that company estimates
the amount necessary to complete the canal on
the enlarged plan from BUCHANAN to Coyington
at $4,036, at, and the Improvement Of the nav
While his estimates as to the cost OF the lock
and dam system on the New river and Green
brier aggregates the sum of So, ,604 ,043, and
will also require from three to perhaps five
years time for its completion. While the Sec
ton from Covington to Greenbrier would re-
quire $S, ,994, ,O4S more; and if a long tunnel be
adopted to save lift and lockage, yet 81 000
900 more so that the sum required to COM
plete the water line improvement from Coting
ton to Loup Creek shoals a distance by the
water line of about 153 miles, will be $2l ,59S,
09l, and may exceed even that amount by the
estimated $1,000, 900 for long tunnel, and will
probably take at least six or seven years time.
Do not understand me for one moment to
question the merits of this great Improvements.
Were both the cost and the length of time
double the immense advantages nay the i'm
perative necessity, of such an improvement
would more than justify both
| only allude to 1t to show the Importance of
meeting in part at least, the two formidable OBJ
jections named The Great Kanawha Naviga-
tlon Company proposes to improve the navi
CATION of the kanawha from its mouth to Loup
Greek shoals, 90 miles, so as to be navigable for
steamboats, and barges at all times at an esti-
mated cost of from $3.50 900 and upwards, ac-
cording to the plan adopted.
The admirable location of your road from
that point to Covington would enable you to
carry freight from one to the other at COM
paratively low, and yet highly remunerative
rate. ..telssse.
With the canal completed to Covington, a
mixed line Of water and railroad transportation
through Virginia, wi to the extent of the ca.
pacity of the railroad, defy competition by any
other route.
Allowing l6 mills per ton per mile for rail
road transportation, 3 mills for river transpor-
taton in barges, and mills for canal transpor
tation, with charge of ten cents per ton for
each transfer, and the charges on heavy freight
from Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Dubuque res
pectively, will be as follows;
From Cincinnati to Atlantic seaport;
From Cincinnati to Loup Creek shoals 300
miles in barges at mills per ton per mile 81
Add tolls on Kanawha 80 miles at mills IS
Railroad transportation l3O miles at 16
mlls 10
Add transfers. 20
| Canal transportation to Richmond, inclu-
ding tolls 243 miles at mills 2la
| From Richmond to Atlantic seaport 125
miles at z mills (wthout transfer) .......... 81!
Total..... ............."....".....$6 OF
| From ST. Louis to same:
| From ST. Louis via Mississippi Ohio and
| Kanawha rivers to Loup Greek shoals,
| 997 miles at mills per ton per nile......$2 80
| Add tolls on Kanawha river above.... 18
Thence to Atlantic seaport as above......... 81
Total .......Sl 1t
| From Dubuque to same:
! From Dubuque to Loup Greek shoals, as
| above, 1,425 miles at mills per ton per.
mlle...... S4 81
| Add tolls on Kanawha river as above.". 18
Thence to Atlantic Seaport as above... 81
| Total .........................$8 50
The present charge on transportation from
| New York to Cincinnati is $l4; to this place
an average of upwards of $40; to st. Loui
charges, being much more than double the rat.
at which 1t could be carried by railroad and ca
nal through Virginia. --s..'s. e.
| These charges to and from New York, cal
ho rod,,aod nd ,,,ill ho .uhon foraod Ii