Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1870-06-02

great advantages, being large enough
to accommodate shipping to af
ford transportation for all the sur
plus products and merchandise o
the west and northwest, for ages tC
come, and it is the most central an(
convenient point on the entire At
lantic coast for distributing the same
north and south along the seaboard,
and for sending the same to foreign
markets. Then its depth of watel
and nearness to the sea is further
great advantage over harbors further
north.
asmP R,ds dist from sea e m depth water 30 #
Boston 4" " 100 81
PI6iiia1delphia". +" +" lSS iSS g
The Chesapeake Bay affords the
finest harbors on the coast, and
moreover, they are those farthest tC
the north on the Atlantic coast thai
are never obstructed by ice. II
passes through the borders of Vir.
ginia and enters the sea between her
capes. just between those capes and
under their shelter lie Hampton
Roads and Lynn Haven Bay. To
the south all the seaport towns, as
far as the reefs of Florida, have their
harbors obstructed by bars over
which the larger vessels Of commerce
can never pass, and the extent OF
back country naturally tributary to
them, is in comparison with that
tributary to the seaport towns of
Chesapeake Bay, very small.
To the north, the harbors are lia-
BILE to ebstructions by ice every win
ter, and their approaches are often
endangered by the fogs which pre-
vail in those latitudes.
Proper lines of internal improve
ments leading from Tide water, Vir-
ginia, to the northwest, via the great
Kanawha Valley, would make Nor
folk a much better and cheaper sea-
port than New York, for Kentucky,
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri,
Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Dako-
tab, with portions also of Montana,
Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Lieutenant Maury says, that "Pitts.
burg, Wheeling, Columbus and Tole-
do, with the whole States of Indiana,
Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Nebras-
ka, with the country to the south of
them, are geographically nearer to
the capes of Virginia than to Ssndy
Hook"
All this country that lies west of
the Allegheny Mountains and north
of Tennessee is now commercially
tributary to New York, Philadelphia
or Baltimore, rather than Norfolk.
1t has been made so by the railroads
and canals which those cities have
constructed from their wharves. to
the great valley and mountain slopes
of the west
Like works passing through Vir-
ginia into this magnificent mineral,
manufacturing, and agricultural
country, would secure to her sea-
port towns their natural advantages,
line their wharves with merchandise
and produce, and crowd their har-
Dors with shipping, as they have
done those of New York, Philadel-
phia, Baltimore and other cities, and
would give to the west and north
vest one more great thoroughfare to
'he seaboard, shorter, and no doubt,
cheaper than any other railroad route
n existence.
Norfolk, with its deep waters,
spacious harbors and free outlet be-
.ween the capes of Virginia to the
Yea, occupies, geographically, what
he early discoverers thought would
De, and what Physical Geography
claims is, the most commanding
commercial position along the whole
Atlantic seaboard of the United
states. Its natural advantages make
t so.
Why, then, it may be asked, have
New York, Philadelphia and Balti-
more, each in position less favored
~ nature, so far surpassed Norfolk
n their commercial success? The
.nswer is because they at an early
lay built railways and canals to con-
Iect them with the west.
(The most of the preceding is
rom Lieutenant F. Maury's prelim-
nary report of the physical survey
If Virginia.
Now, we find capitalists have taken
lold of the Virginia Improvement,
,nown as the Chesapeake and Ohio
tall Road, and have the same COM
'leted into the mountains coming
vest, with large force at work on
ne western end of it, leaving the
Aanawha river at the mouth of Scary
reek, SO to 40 miles from the mouth
# Kanawha river, and reaching the
ohio river at Guyandotte, 40 miles
'elow the mouth of the Kanawha.
nth promise to the citizens of Gal.
lpolis. that if they will run a road
rom Gallipolis to connection with
he interior Rail Roads of Ohio. they
'lll build their road down the Kan
Wha to its mouth or to Gallipolis.
iallipolis is situated between 3 and
miles below the mouth of the Kan
wha river, in Ohio, on high banks,
ntirely above the highest food ever
nown in the Ohio river. 1t is on
he natural route for all travel from
Tashingtcn City, Eastern Virginia,
I'D the State of North Carolina, by !
ay of the Kanawha Valley, to the
est and northwest. 1t is one of the r