The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-08-18


nopula,ion rot exceeding $4,000, and Gias'
cow has one of at least 450,000! Well, lei
Glasgow be tainted with not being "sed'
Dort." What need she care for that!
An accomplished engineer Of Richmond,
who feels deep interest in the progress oil
Richmond, and deeming that the facts con-
corning the deepening Of the Clyde OF
Glasgow would be interesting to us, and
help to stimulate our people In the import
ant enterprise Of deepening James river,
wrote to Edinburgh for such information,
and through his friend there procured the
following letter from an offic!a! source IN
Glasgow, which we lay before our readers
"CLYDE NAv1aArIoN,1
GENERAL Managers OFFICE,
GLASGOW, July 31st, 1871.
Sir,-In reply to your letter of the 2oth
instant. asking for Information respecting
the CLYDE, am to state that:
/. The depth of water available for ships
at high water, spring tides, is % feet.
2. The rise of spring tides is 10 feet. :.
3. The length of river under the Jurlsd'c'
ton of the Clyde trustees Is lSH miles.
4: The cost Of dredging, per am apnu dasr Is
N0U.OOV Oh WHICH sSA~1NNN3 ~~~F
enlng and improving, SlS, 800.
5. There has been expended by the truS-
tees for all purposes about 60, 00o,oW:
- 6. The revenue last year was Elsa 33:
7. The ordinary expenditure, including
dredging, Esq, 440; interest on loans, 4O',-
666-E124 Jos. Surplus, G59,9si.
8. For new works, on which there was
expended. including sums paid tor lana
and dredging, Sl36,557.
We have numerous plans and reports
which might be consulted at the ofnces OF
the trustees, but which cannot well oe sent
out. The mode adopted Of improving the
navigation is simply that OF deepenlns py
means of dredging. widening, and stra'gnt'
ening the river, whereby, from It's being at
comparatively recent period winding
stream. iordable at many places, and al
some not more than $50 feet wide, it is now
400 feet wide, greatly Strengthened, and
capable of being navigated to ana from
Glasgow, by vessels drawing y feet OF
water.
The disposal of the stuff dredeed Is au
important part Of our operations. For
merly it was all laid upon the river banks
and fields adjoining at great expense, but
about eight years ago the trustees adopted
the plan of carving it out to sea by means
Of steam hopper barges, with hinged Dot
toms, the barges being capable OF carrying
from 800 to 400 tons.
We have now fourteen Of these barges,
costing about 5000 each, and although
the first cost is thus large, the saving effect
ed thereby, as compared with the cost OF
dcpositing on land, is very considerable.
The barges are loaded by the drcdgers, aud
can be eDptied in five minutes. The guam,
tity of stuff lifted from the river last year
was OF, 200 cubic yards, and rs 1t is pro-
fn q
water at least. at neap tides, there VIII
still be several millions Of cubic yards TO
lift, besides the ordinary dredging required
to maintain the navigation.
The river banks are preserved by stone
walls, sloped up to the level OF the ground
adjoining.
AT Glasgow the river is converted into o
harbor, being upwards OF Al0 leet "iue,
and lined with quays for mile anu nu'
on either side, with q tidal BASIN, or DOCK:
entering from the harbor, the quaysSe oi
which is $50 lineal yards.
Additional uuayage is at present being
constructed in extension OF the narDor,
and we are about to commence the con-
struction Of a tidal basin, or dock. which
will afford nearly 5000 lineal yards of add.
tional quay space. These works will cost
about million and half sterling"
So that Glasgow expends more each year
in keeping open the Clyde than Richmond
has spent In the aggregate from the begin.
ming Of her effort to deepen the channel OF
James river to this time. The people oil
Glasgow are not satisfied with the present
depth Of their river. They have now Is
feet at low tide, and are going to increase
1t TO II feet; and so her harbor, already
shelteriug large ships from all parts of the
world, Is to be capable of admitting larger
oLes, and her quays will be heightened te
double their present extent; and so, fur
thermore, Glasgow, with her nearly half .
million Of people, will in a short term o
years probably have her million.
With this example before us, what ma.
we not expect to make of Richmond il W
but emulate the energy Of the people Z
Glasgow
We have larger river than Glasgow ha!
We had depth Of water before we con
menced dredging of eight feet more ut 10,
tide than the people Of Glasgow had On
that more than offsets the rise OF tide {
ten feet against ours Of foe feet. If, begir
ming at nothing, Glasgow has low-wate
channel Of thirteen feet, what should b
our low-water channel when we began wit
the channel Of eight feet?
It will be seen that Glasgow, owning hi
quays, is receiving an annual rent exceed
ing in amount the annual cost of keepin
open the channel, together with the int
est. Richmond has no such resource ft
reimbursing herself.
Taking another view in the compariso
OF the two cities: Glasgow is manufae
turing town, and SO is Richmond. Blu
Richmond has the advantage not only i
the superiority Of her water-power, blu
her adaptabllity to a greater variety o
manufactures than Glasgow. We have tn
great Touring mills and the tobacco man
ufactories-two grand departments which
will no doubt be rapidly increased In cam
city. Glasgow exports no -four, and doe.
nothing 70 speak Of In tobacco. Her chic
manufactures are in cotton and iron, in al
their varieties, for which the facilities her.
are greater, in some respects, than in Glas
gov; for In cotton temperature is import
ant, and for this reason cotton can b,
worked In Richmond better than in elias
Cow. The great iron ships that are builtil
the Clyde have afforded emplo ment for al
immense population. Why may not Rich
mond become the builder OF steamships
For the convenient and cheap supply O
& the material there is no better locality fol
i earring on the business. 81