The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-05-24

advantages OF I water connection by the
James and kanawha rivers between the sea
and the Mississippi Valley.
THE PROPOSED EXTENSION OF THE CANAL
follows up the James river to its tributary
Jackson river; thence by Fork run to the
main ridge of the Allegheny mountain very
near the point where it is crossed by the
Ches .peake and Ohio railroad; there the
engineers propose to cross the mountain by
a tunnel $40 miles long at d summit.eve
of 100 feet above tidc-waier Here the
canal ceases. and becomes slack wuier to
Lykcn's shoals. on the kanawhl, elghty-five
mills from its mouth. First, Towards
creek j. TO he damned and utilized, next the
free current of the GreenbrieI river. then
hr New river. and lastly the kanawha river.
From Richmond to the mouth of Fork run
is 4G3 miles: from this point to Howard
creek, including the Allegheny tunnel, II CLIO
miles: from This to Lykcn'. shoals. on ths
kanawha river, l2l miles, and thence To the
Ohio. s. miles, making total Of some 4S3
miles from Richmond to Point Pleasant, at
the mouth Of the Kanawha. The plan OF the
engineers contelnplates an enlargement of
the present canal so as to give uniformly
seventy feet width of water-line, depth of
and twenty feet long by twenty feet width.
In order to give the necessary slack-water
navigation or the New, Grcenhrier, and
kaawha rivers. some tifty-fyc dams Will be
necessary, varying in height from twelve to
forty feet, and from two hundred TO six
hundred feet in length. From Lykcn' ;
shoals, on the Kanawha. the plan is to have
the fall Of water cq,alizcd by low dams at
regular intervals, with >luccs to permit the
passage of vessels.
TIE TOTAL ESTIMATED EXrENSE
of the work. includin" the enlargement OF
the canal already completed. the tunnel,
Iockin. and dammin" of the New and ka-
mwha rivers, is SIT ,032.2G2, and this in
cludes IN allowance Of ten per cent. to cover
contingencies.
lawn. but Il very brief time Mt their dis
ruS;l, Mc,SrS. Ca>scrly and Bayard, accom-
panied by the engineers, went to the White
sulphur springs by rail, and from there 10
he town of Charleston examined the line oi
The propuscd water route.
THE CHIEF PROBLEMS TO Re SOLVED
are the tunnel, the invitation cf the narrow>
of New river. the quantity of water to be
secured. and. lastly, the navigation of the
Ohio. II i Il striking proof Of the feast
Iity of the Virginia walcr-line that the
dtlrlr ut Cun~lc> ~aCn who have recently
examined the subject have all been satisfied
in respect 10 III" work from Richmond Ia
the Ohio river. and seem To hesitate ouiy H.
Ia the placiirlbIlty Of improving and using
the Ohio river. That the Western States
will allow this great artery of inland com
mercr to remain much longer unimproyed is
hardly credible when il is considered that
even in its present state its commerce is OF
greater value than the entire foreign com
mercc of the United States. Weare, therefore
remlttcd TO tie question of he james River
| and kanawha Improvement. The proposed
tunnel. to minds uniformed. seems iornl-
dahlc Obstacle. but modcin science cares no
thing for long tunnels. and engineers havin.
solved. in the Mount Cents tunnel, Il tai
more formidable problem than the proposed
tunnel through the Virginia Allc"lmnies. are
believe. already about to make tunnc
over twelve miles miles through the st. &c
thard mountains of switzerland. Certain i
i that the engineers say That the tunnel Ell
he completed in five years. They are equal
~ confident
AZ TO THE SIACK-wATEE NAVIGATION
oi the New river by locks and dams; an,
here, again, experience confirms their thee
rieS. for already in the upper portion OF TIN
romplctcd watrr-lipc we have dams in tn,
hradWatrrs of the james river which hay,
been subjected to Il test fully Is formidable
| ~ those of the New river. even in its cXcer
tional prrnd, of Hood. The lower kanawh
part of the line is easy, and the lurni>hin!
rf the requisite quantity of wafer tor tn
canal is very simple matter OF Observation
and measurement OF the Grecnbrler and II
tributaries. all the engineers concurrlng II
nronouncing the supply sufficient. The re
mining questions are those of the eNpens
and s,lprIior chcapneS> of this water-llnc
its necessity to the West. These leave to
future letter.
oS TIE CutsArEAKE AND ONO.
But must not omit TO speak here Of tn
SINGULAR beauty aud interest OF our ralroa'
| tria from the White sulphur Springs Il
Charleston. in West Virginia. The road fol
lows the romantic valley ot the Grrcnbrie
river. and. like all the mountain portion o
the line, IS wonderful triumph OF engineer
inc skill. Colonel Whilcomb, the cng'nee
| who planncl ii. is a quiet. unpreienGln"
sensible man. and he may we'll suffer IN
reputation [, l." decided by this work. Leav
in~ the valley Of The Grccnbrlcr river W.
nrt thc Sew river arraycd in all the ma.le>l
| ot tln highest lrC>hrt known for many years
and bearing on its angry. impctuous Hood Il
the West. cur iron horse Rugged the Dauk
Of this deep aud rock-bound canon, the rive
flaming beneath Us in scenes OF lnlJest
md beauty which formed rcrpetul
attraction 10 the eye, and the lofty WalI
rising in grandeur on either sldc {
th, stream. We passed the noted pcnt
| ON these cliff, the famous "liawka Nes',
u rcrpcndirullr rock rising up some 100
| 500 feet: the "Pnpc's No.e,' and othc
pnjuts of Interest. The route paSs"> Detwec
these hi"h hills and rocks 80 tl''t il Is III
possible TO see beyond the adjacent collntr.
| il Is literally IL clnon, and it seems ~ II III
| earth had been rven 10y some Titanic tore
| 10 admit the passage OF this noble STREAM
the only one. ! believe. which. rising entire
IL cast beth of the Blue Ridge ami All
| rh.uy chain oi mountains. plcrcco them h"t
| and liStlainS I'LL obstacles III II march 10 lol
| the great father of waters. Bil' THIS sccllcI
| to be appreciated must be seen. There
| uotliuo equal to il east Of the Rocky Moul
tains. II Is not one view, but 30 many tin
| nature seems prodigal ofcimrm>, aud the ey
| Is actually surprised with delights.
| CONVICTION AND SENTENCE OF A CoL0RE
| MAS FOR MURDER. - The It. Mary'S Beacon
| I.conardtown, s.. Mary's county, Md. stat,
| \ Il