New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-12-22

should teach that any other mOde o.
reaching the seaboard would answer the
same or even better purpose. We can
impute no other motive to the Republican
than want of reflection, and will show
that journal that the substitute which it
proposes for the Mississippi is made
quate. A late report from Major W. P.
Craighill, United States engineer, gives
the latest and most favorable estimate of
the construction of this route. He says
The canal, az at present constructed, has
width at water line of fifty feet, and
depth originally of five feet. For the new
line these dimensions were considered too
limited, and consequently the surveys were
made for o width OF seventy feet at the
water line, and depth of seven feet, the
enlarged locks to be one hundred and
twenty feet between the gates and with
twenty feet width of chamber. To cross
| mountains the following plan is recon-
mended by Major Craighill, commencing at
the mouth of Fork run, ascend that stream
by canal of the dimensions just given,
with six locks of twelve feet lift each to the
summit level at seventeen hundred feet ABOVE
tide. 1t then pierces the main range, pass
ing under TuckahOe and Hates mountains
by tunnel seven eighths of mile long,
with n section of fitV-twO by thirty-four
and half feet, being forty-six feet wide at
water line aud seven feet deep. 1t emerges
into the valley of Towards creek, which it
descends to the GreeHbrier by three looks
Of ten feet lift each
From this point the canal ceases Except
two cases, where short sections occurl, and
q continuous slack water navigation Is pro
iected down the Greenbrier to New river,
and down New river to Liken's, on the
Kanawha, eighty five miles above its mouth.
To effect this will require fifty five dams,
varying in height from twelve to forty feet,
and in length from 200 to 600 feet. These
are proposed to be built of masonry, and
provided with locks, etc, of sulta-
BILE size and dimensions 60 pass YES
sells from one pool to another. From Ly-
ken's shoals to the mouth of the AanaWha,
open navigation is proposed the fall
throughout the length being equalized by
low dams at Eegular intervals, having
sluces to permit the passage OF vessels
BY this route the distance from the Ohio
river 60 the seaboard is 609 miles. The
James river, however, is navigable up TO
Richmond, 100 miles from the sea, tor yes
sells of 1000 tons burden.
Now the Republican proposes 70 take g
shipment Of bulk grain by tow and barges
sia Cairo up the Ohio FLYER 60 the mouth
Of the Kanawhas then 20 follow che slack
vateE navigation Of chat fjves until is
coaches che Allegheny mountains There
Che corn begins 70 ascend by series OF
locks Till it reaches che summit Of seven
eeen hundred feet above tide Il then
descends by another series Of lock steps Of
this lift ct is said s'the greatest life be-
tween Greenbrier and Govington, The por-
ton Of Che fine SO be supplied from the
summit level, is fourteen feet and the
locks being one hundred and twenty feet
by twenty, we have three hundred locks
by one hundred and twenty by twenty by
fourteen Crossing the mountains with
these three hundred Jocks the grain passes
by canal to the James riveg at Richmond
where we are informed
The river is navigabIe for Vessels OF 325
| tons to Rockets, a 4ittle below Richmond
| At the city there are twelve locks OyeEcom.
| ing an ascent of eighty feet, and cL connecting
| the tide water with basin on ShOCkC4hiIlo
! From this basin proceeds a canal Of twenty
| five feet wide and three feet deep for two
miles and q half, which then enters the
| "A
| three locks, overcoming an ascent OF th1rty0
fouE feet, and d short canal which leads to
Westhamo at the upper end OF Great fallso
The supply of sEater to be collected on
the summit Of seventeen hundred feet
above tide is shown by calculation, 20 be
sufficient to pass the commerce.
We have no wish to ridicu1e 8 work
which Will be- in its wayo very useful,
but we wish the Republican, 20 reflect.
| Here is an artificial line six hundred and
nine miles in length. seven feet in DEPTH
seventy-fve feet in widtho 1t crosses the
mountains in % latitude and az an altitude
subject to be frozen in part during the win
ter It lifts the produce Of the West with
three hundred locks ovec an altitude Of
seventeen hundred feet above tide Now
compute she time which IL will require
! &C. transport sixty elousan6 bushels or
about eighteen hundred tonso along this
extended line We have noS space for
more than very general estimate There
would be five days Co che mouth of the
Kanawha, six hundred and nine miles at
| two and one-half miles an hour
would be twenty -gous days. allowing no
stoppageo Then this freight would see
quire six canal BOATS az $50 Cons each,
and each SoaG would require certainly
thirty minutes 20 pass aiook. This would
make the following formula: Gx3G=j80z
3O0=3} days. Here would be an aggre.
gate OF more shan thirty days. exclusive
Of cost and time Of transfers. Il is plain
thai sixty Thousand bushels Of corn sent
from St. louis by way Of New Orleans
could have been sakeN down in one cow.
shipped IN one vessel. and delivered at
liverpool in twenty-five days. when the
shipment estimated would but Sc on the
james riyey. naYigable for vessels Of 1926
sons IN thirty days. We have not done
with this aerial enterprise. Suppose any
one Of these three hundred locks break {?
Should any one Of these $orty-6oos dams
! give ways Should &he summit supply Of
water be oyeresdmate9 Oy the water rats
! get undes the ge8eryoiSe Any one Of these
accidents. and they may Oecus from any
mountain s'aterspout. might !eave the
cargo of ST. Louis corn stranded amid the
peaks Of She Allegheny. :heEa 60 await al:
appropriation :Eom tie company fog Che
reconstruction Of the woEk. With SegarC1
-, Ia. frery