The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-08-26

ern commerce. The steam-tug and barge
system has risen up to bring rivers into
renewed utility. The system converts the
river into sort Of railroad, the steam-tug
being the locomotive, the barges the freight
cars, and the rivers themselves the track.
The barge trains are run on time schedules,
the trains leaving and picking up barges as
they pass wharves. Stationary and NOV
able elevators are also provided in the West
for transferring grain from vessel to vessel
by steam power. Thus water transportation,
which had well nigh gone into disuse under
the completion of railroads, has assumed
new Importance, and canals are again COM
ing into favor.
The navigation system Of the interior of
the continent has its centre near the mouth
of the Ohio. Within convenient distances
from there debouche all the great branches
of the Mississippi. Due east Of this centre
almost is Norfolk, the central harbor and
the finest harbor on the seaboard, with the
best approaches from the ocean to be found
along the Atlantic. These centres seem to
have been made for each other. To unite
them by continuous navigation it is only
necessary to make seyenty-6ve miles Of
canal in Virginia between the arms of the
James and Kanawha rivers. Cut this
canal, and the Mississippi river and its vast
system of navigation is, comm ercially
speaking, emptied into Hampton Roads.
The advantages of water transportation
are, first, its cheapness, the cost on canals
being only five mills per ton per mile, while
the lowest cost on railroads is fifteen mills !;
fact which enables canals to bring grain
to market from regions at least twice as re-
mote as those reached by railroads. Water
transportation transmits a greater quantity
Of produce than is possible by railroads.
4 single canalboat on the Erie canal, hold
ing 2l0 tons, carries as much freight as an
entire railroad train of twenty-six cars,
each carrying eight tons. The canal is O
public highway, open TO all, and open to
use by every person who may be able to get
few hundred dollars to invest in boat.
Such arc some of the considerations pre-
sented in this report, proving the necessity
of opening this central canal across the ter
ritory of the Union. The cost of compile
ting the work will be S40,000,000. The
time estimated for its completion is four
years. The completed works of the present
company Tor rather of the State) are esti-
mated at 10000, 900, and these would fur
nish a sufficient basis of credit for securing
the interest which would have to be paid
until the work began to pay revenue.
The committee, in their report, recon-
mend the work as of the highest import
ance and recommend that memorial be
presented by the National Board of Trade
to Congress asking for aid, On condition that
all private interests in the former canal
company be extinguished.
Mr. Porter, of Louisville, is also here in
the interest Of favorite enterprise with
his city. IF line he stretched along a map
from st. Louis to Norfolk it will touch
Louisville, Covington (ncar this place., and
Lynchburg. Arailroad constructed on this
line will bring Louisville within 593 miles
of Norfolk. Mr.. Porter is here to say that
if Virginia will agree TO take q road from
Covington to the Burning Spring, on the
State boundary, Kentucky will meet her at
the border with a road from Lexington to
the point of meeting on the State line.
Gear that Virginia is too poor to do her part
of this important work but it is certainly
desirable that Norfolk should be placed
nearer to the West than she is. The COM
mittee have adjourned, and some Of them
left this charming spot.-COrreSp0ndent
Telr York Times.