The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-08-09
JAMES RIVER rnpRoyEmEyr7
operations of tbs United States and
City Engineers.
Ehe Government Determined 10 Have
an Etghteen.Foot { hammer.
What has been Done and is to be Done
INTERESTING DETAILS.

sented to the Council on Monday evening.
a1oro the most interesting, complete, and
satisfactory exhibit of the work done in
lurtherance of that great and Important
enterprise that has yet been laid before the
public. he Council very properly or
dered that 1000 copies be printed for dis
trlbution among the people. In the mean
time, the abstract presented below will be
found full OF interest, embracing as It does
the gist of the reports, extracted with q
great deal Of care.
Distinction must be made in the outset be-
tween the work done by the CITY Commit
tee, composed Of five members of the Coun-
Gil and five other citizens, selected by the
Chamber of Commerce, under an appro-
priation made by the city government, and
that done under the direction of Col. w. P.
Craighili, by means of liberal appropria-
ton of the United States Government.
With the same great end in yiew.-the
opening Of the port of Richmond to upob-
structed dnavigation-thee engineers in charge
harmonize and work with ieference to each
other, while the general views of the CITY
Committee coincide entirely with those of
the representatives Of the Federal Govern
ment as to the best mode of accomplishing
the object.
What has been done by the City Com.
mittee will appear in more intellieibEc
form further on in this article, facts and fir-
ures being given together, with little COM
ment. The report of Colonel Ordway, as
chairman of the committee, says of the pro-
gress of
THE WORK UNDER THE CHARGE OF THE UNITED
s. STATES ENGINEERS
that the committee takes great pleasure
in noticing its advanced state. A letter
Is communicated from Colonel Craighill
which tells OF "facts accomplished and re-
suits in contemplation that should cause all
OF us with confirmed hopes and renewed
vigor to press forward the great work, as
so much Of the prosperity of our city de-
pends, not only on its successful, but its
speedy completion" The letter referred
to Is then given in full. 1t announces
(under date Of July 14th) that Prof. Mail
lefort has removed the sunken vessels, &C.,
near Drewry's Bluff, so as to give clear
channel-way of not less than $50 feet in
width and Is feet in depth at low water,
which is very important step in the i'm
.proyement of the river. Prof. M. has also,
under the contract with the United States
Government, removed the wrecks Of three
schoOners ut Warwick, the wrecks of the
Gallego and Plume ut Graveyard Reach,
and about forty piles of an old bridge below
Aiken's. Under another contract he has
entered upon other removals, as follows !:
AT Drewry's Bluff the remainder OF the
steamers jamestown, Virginia, Fredericks-
burg, and Beaufort, the schooner Wythe,
the brig Marcus, and parts Of several re-
naming stone cribs; at Wilton some 40 or
90 piles, the remains of an old bridge, and
part OF Il steamer. Under another contract
with the United States Engineer Depart
ment the American Dredging Company, Of
Philadelphia, will soon complete their
work Of opening the cut off at Dutch Gap,
giving depth of eighteen feet at high
water, and q width of not less than one
hundred feet. Under another contract
with the United States Engineer Depart
ment Messrs. Kalenback IL Barton are about
to open channel through the rock at
Rockets Reef, giving depth of eighteen
feet at high water, and width Of one hun
dred and twenty-five feet. Colonel Craig
hull has no doubt of the successful compile
tion of This last, as of the other steps.
Commenting upon this letter, Col. Ord
way calls particular attention to several
points therein which are of great interest.
First, that while the original idea of re-
storing the channel on the south bank of
the river ut Drewry's Bluff has been ac-
compliShed, and Il channel-way Of 250 feet
width given, it has been determined also
to remove every vestige of artificial OBJ
struction in the river. Also, that in the open.
ing of the Dutch Gap canal, and cutting u
channel-way through the rocks at Rockets
Rect, the standard eighteen iect deptb) has
been adopted on the part Of the Govern
ment. Colonel CraighilPs valuable services
and uniform courtesy In his intercourse
with the city officers are spoken of in teIms
of high commcndatiOn.
HOW MUCH MUD HAS HEN RAISED.
Capt. Minor, the engineer In charge of
the city work, submits 4 statement OF the
amount, In cubic yards, of mud, stone, or
other matter removed per day, as we'll as
the gross amount, from the bar since the
present engineer took charge, and up to
ist July, 1871.
From Trents Reach the daily average OF
mud removed was 212 cubic yards; dam
eerous snags, 2; gross amount of sand,
"a. 200 cubic yards. The present depth of
the channel.way here is II feet width, Is
feet; length, 1887 feet. Throughout its
entire length it is distinctly marked 10y new
buoys. r-, Il.
Al Rockets the daily average Of sand re-
moved was 227 cubic yards; stones averag-
ing / ton each, I; logs, 4; gross amount,
IL, TOO cubic yards. The present depth OF
the channel here is IA feet; width, lO0 !;
length, $50. .
At Richmond bar the daily average Of
saud removed was 495 cubic yards; stones,
.,vcrauino half ton each, 5; gross amount
of sand, 1880 cubic yards. The present
dentb of the channel is Is feet; width, %
feet for !, $50 feet, and 90 feet for 800 feet
length, 1 $50 feet ; and all distinctly marked
bv spar buoys.
The gross amount removed in all opera
tions was 1870 cubic yards. The engl-
neer recommends that the work pe con-
tinued with energy, and accompanies the
recommendation with some practical sts-
gestiOns. -, 49,.
In Trent's reach work was SUSPENDED lor
ton days on account Of the Ice and 1resnets'
and there was suspension OF sixteen uhys
mt Rockets from the same causes. DutlhS
fine suspension Of the work by Ice the Jug
boat Somers was actively and successfully
engaged in keeping open the chahAel-may
and assisting our commerce In other ways
At Richmond bar, during period OF lhlrty-
nine DAYS, six days suspension was neces.
sary for repairs of machinery. FROM Inc
1st of September to the 10th OF November,
1870, no work was done by the machinery
in the actual improvement OF the rIYer, u
suspension for repairs being neceSsary'
During this time the tug Somers was occa,
sionally employed in assisting The United
States and other engineers LII the work OF
surveying the river.
EMPLOYEES AND THEIR PAY.
The list of the persons employed by the
committee In the prosecution or the Worh
makes the following exhibit: In the eng-
peer's office there are four persons, with
salaries per month as follows: Engineer,
5000 a month clerk, $40; tide-observer,
$50 office-boy, $40. On the tug +. Somers
there are five persons: Captain, $125 en-.
oineer Of tug, $G5: fireman, $40 wheels
ADMIRAL Newport there are six persons:
Engineer. S75 and Xc. for each cubic foot
raised : fireman, $40 and same commission