The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-24

annum Dy the lower level VI tiIe NlIe-ulut
tunnel over the two-mile tunnel at higher
level will, on a supposed amount of ton
mage, represent capital of S5,257 ,349.
From the Greenbrier river to the Ohio il
Is proposed to establish slack-water navi
CATION by means of locks and dams. The
estimated cost of the Improvement, with
canal from Richmond to the Greenbiel
river, (seventy feet wide and seven fee
deep, with locks 120 by 20 feet,) and slack
water thence to the Ohio, is stated thus:
From Richmond to Fork Rnn.............el4,7sl,s 1854
From Fork Run TO Greenbrier, .xcu-
sive OF tunnel. $3.50, 49,
Tnnn6l $500
..own Greenurler and New rlvsrs....... ls2!a,A
Ten per cent. contingencies. ........... 2's'e ~
Observation-Disclosures. 81, e22, 20
Say, in round numbers, $50, 000, 900.
The distances are 243h miles from Rich
mond to Covington SSK miles from tina
place to the Greenbrier and 200 miles
thence to the Ohio-making total distance
from Richmond to the Ohio OF 1858 miles
But the change of route from the leve
originally decided upon to the Lorraine
tunnel below, saves 3h miles Of actua
length, and forty-seven miles of equatet
length, in saving of time, working, an6
repairs.
Fork Run, where the nine-mile TUNE
begins, is about seventeen miles from Gov
ington. But Mr.. Huron seems to have re-
duced the length of the tunnel from nine
to seven and eight-tenths of mile. &c
estimates til it will take six years to COM
plete this mel, and that the balance OF
the improN ment having to wait upon the
tunnel, it will take six years to put the
central, water line in full and complete
operation.
Say that the round estimate of this grand
Improvement of water line giving COM
munication between the Virginia tide and
the West, -including the vast area from the
lakes 10 the Gulf and the entire width oI
the Mississippi Valley, covering watel
navigation Of some IL, 600 mileS,-alnounts
to $50, 0OO, 900, will not it be one of the
cheapest Of all attainments ever secured
by the Federal Government:
We find in this important document some
valuable statistics and estimates, illustrating
the great consequence of this central water
line. Mr.. HURON gives comparative
statement of the cost of transportation by
tho lake route and by the James river ant
Kanawha line.. He selects Dubuque as The
western point, and he shows the advantage
OF the James river and Kanawha line to b.
Iwenty.nine cents per ton, nOtWlthstandln;
that the lake route is t,rO hundred and forty
one miles the shortest. That is quite enough
to prove how infinitely superior is the Viz
ginia route in all distances approximatin:
equality.
The western people are fully aroused t.
the importance of this water-line. W.
trust that Congress may be equally impress
ed with its value to The nation. In the Ian
Qusge of one Of the documents covered by
the intelligent and concise report Of Major
CRAIGHILL, the central water-line &" offers
"channel of communication more free tron
distractions arising from climate or {;
"public enemy than all the rest" And
Major CRA1GHILL strikes the keynote Of
the argument in behalf Of this great work
when he says:
GAS our great and growing country ex.
psnds, in accordance with its magnificent
and manifest destiny, toward the n orth and
toward the South, and its eXtremities de-
come more remote from each other, it will
be well to have some great national work
In the geographical centre, attracting
thither public attention and interest auo
capital, and consequent strength anC
power, and binding to it and to each other
by these strong cords the distant e&
tremes.'
This concise and comprehensive para
graph is u text for discourse. 1t is sollt
cornerstone upon which the statesmen
the land may build an enduring temple
It Is, indeed, their policy to strengthen tn
centre in order to hold the extremitie
firmly together, and bind the Union il
harmony Of interest rs we'll as feeling. Ih
old union of patriotism and sentiment-Ser
timent inspired by common suffering anon
the States in common cause, and gene
raj Jubilee ut the achievement of u geners
triumph--has passed into another polite:
phase, in which the nation, we may say
has descended from the sentimentalism an
poetry of land Of expansive forests an
grand rivers, to nation of power in nun
bers and in wealth. Heroism and poetr
ruled the first stage; wealth, number;
and force predominant in the second stag
of the Republic. These are the elemen,
upon which we must now rely for the unio
OF the States and the people-the combin,
tion of the Great Powers Of the nation-t
achieve the highest glory that is attainablt
And when those who control the Govern
ment fully appreciate the only way to thi
noble end-the establishment of equalit
among the States and people, the develop
msnt of all sections, the strengthening AM
the facilitating of the wealth and commerce
of the centre of this great land, that it ma.
harmonize and hold together the extremes
they will learn the way to secure tht
grand destiny which lies before thu
uation-the failure to accomplish which
would show that we had been incapable Of
fulfilling the mission which is given to ell
great nations Of the first type of man. TO
fell In this would be disgrace to the North
American republic (whose population is
made up OF the best blood ofthe European
natsonsl, and would be to future agesan
pnaecountable fact In history. Let us hope