Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-02-24

The JAMES RIVER AND hASAWHA CANai.
The report of the Government engineers
who surveyed the line Of the James River and
Kanawha Canal has just been printed in Wash
ingtOn.
The original capital Of the company was
81, 900. 900 of which the State paid 81 900, 900
in old works, and, of the private subscriptions
there proved to be insolyent 1886. leaving
S.. g2G. Gli4 as the actual available cash capital
All beyond the capital thus realized has been
money either borrowed directly from the State
Treasury or on bonds guaranteed by the State
on which the company has been required to
pay interest from the day it was received, be-
fore it was expended, and OF course long before
it began to yield any return.
The actual cost of construction OF the James
River and kanawha Canal, including the IN
conpete works above Buchanan, has been
$40. 1876 500.
The estimates ui the company > engineers
fix SO. 900. 900 us the amount required Tor COM
pletion Of the canal to the Ohio River valley,
but the estimates OF the chief of United States
engineers and the Secretary Of War, based
upon the surveys Of United States engineers,
concluded December 1870 are that il will re-
uuirc, in round figures, $4,000, 600. All JOIN
in recommending that this amount be furnished
for the purpose The State Of Virginia now
owns. with very small exception, ali the
works and other property Of the canal--prop-
crty which cost her more than Slu,uO0.WW. She
proposes to transfer her ownership together
with I'LL the interest Of NIL other persons or
corporations in the cana to the United States,
provided the Government will complete the
canal rs L national WORK; and only require from
parties using it sufficient toll to keep the canal
:. +, ,,1.,, Hhp
estimates of the Government engineers contem,
completion of L callal ~ feet water surface, and
depth of feet
On the line of the proposed work Is L Iurnel
nearly rjqht mites in length. The chief of en-
ginecrs General Humphreys, speaks Of the pro
posed great tunnel as follows:
The recent completion of the Mont Gems
Tunnel in Europe, and the rapid progress now
made with the execution Of the Hoosac Tun-
mel in this country, with the experience gained
in these works, and the improved facilities
daily coming into Use for carrying ON such
operations, induce lis to approach such an un-
dcnaking as the making of the Lorraine Tun-
mel. not only without apprehension Of failure,
but with a feeling Of assured certainty OF success
1t is no longer an extraordinary, but al ordinary
undertaking. The Lorraine Tunnel: By the
last location, derived from the survey Of 1870:
will be IS miles in length The length Of the
Mont Cents Tunnel is !! miles; that Of the
HooS,c being ~ miles The Lorraine Tun-
mel, from the circumstances Gifts position, will
take shorter time for its execution than the
Mont Gents and Hoosac Tunnels. although
longer than either Of them.
1t is argued that the proposed canal is abso-
luteIy necessary to furnish cheap transportation
for the products Of the West to the seaboard.
and also that there is no antagonism between
the interests of the canals and railways, each
having their appropriate functions to perform,
and EACH while accomplishing these, adding to
the business of the other