The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-05-08
THURSDAY EVEN'G, MAY s, 1873
names River and Eanawha Canal
Inspection.

through the Ohio river, in the west, ue-
voted the day yesterday to such an inspec-
ton of the canal, between Rockets and the
Five-mile Locks. and of the river as lar
down as Dutch Gap. as would give the Con-
gressional Committee of inspection accom-
panying them full understanding OF the
character of the works here, and their I'M
portance, in a national point OF view,
to the trade and commerce of the
county. About fifty prominent citizens OF
Richmond were invited to accompany the
two gentlemen of the committee now here,
the Hons. Eugene Casserly, Senator from
California, and 7. f. Bayard, Senator from
Maryland-on the excursion and at ten
o'clock in the morning the party lett the
Packet-ofice wharf, at the foot OF Eighth
street, and proceeded, by passenger boat,
as far up the canal as the Powhatan Iron
Works, at Fiye-mile Locks. The day was |
not suspicious, but the accommodations
were complete, and the party evidently
enjoyed the superb scenery up the river,
as well as formed most favorable impress
sion of the advantages to the commercial
and manufacturing interests OF the country
of this great work.
The party consisted of Messrs. Casserly
and Bayard, Mayor Kelley, Colonel Charles
S. Darlington, president of the James
River and Kanawha company, Major W.
. P. Munford, acting engineer of the COM
pany. Major II. G. Turpin, chief engineer
of the James River improvement, Colo
mel II. d. Whitcomb, chief engineer of
the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, Mr..
Abram Warwick, VIM. Ii. Haxall, Colo
mel II. G.. Cabell, Hon. j. Amber Smith,
Hon. w. P. Burwell, General W. F.
Bartlett, superintendent Of the Powhat-
an Iron works, and some twenty-five or
thirty others, including few gentlemen
from abroad. In going up to the Five
mile Locks, the attention Of the party was
particularly attracted to the many fine
granite quarries opened and worked on
the banks of the canal, and the splendid
water power capable of being utilized on
this side of the river for nearly the entire
distance. The fall of water from Lock
No. 9, which has itself fall of but sixteen
feet, to where the canal reaches the river at
Rockets, is fully one hundred feet, while
there is scarcely point in the whole dis
lance that factory might not be erected
with twenty or thirty-feet head ofwater to
drive its machinery. The whole distance o.
some four miles and upwards might be
made one continuous line of factories, dri
wing as many spindles as can be counted II
Lowell, Manchester, Lawrence, and Soutf
Hadley, all put together; and the grea
advantage of this water-power, as com
pared with those we have named, is in tn
fact that it lies right on Underwater
where the products of the loom
or of any other material industry
may be shipped to all parts of tn
world, or sent by cheap transportation t
all parts of the United States. This ad
vantage of the Richmond water-power
makes all the difference in tn
world in its utilization, over an
similar power situated fifty, sixty, 0
even hundred miles away from a
available line of water-carriage. For n
water.power is worth anything IN thes
days of steam engines and perfected ma
chinery, where the cost of transportln
raw material and manufactured produt
back and forth by rail, exceeds
amount the difference betwee
the use Of steam and watt
as motive powers. The James rive
rapids might run to eternal waste,
situated hundred miles away from an
line of water carriage; but as it is, IL
value of untold millions in wealth goo
idling by our city, only waiting to be ha
messed into the traces of material indust,
to make the future Of Richmond more 81
rious than that of ancient Balbec, or q
the "cities of the Plain"
But this portion of the water-power
the James is but small fraction Of VIII
may be utilized, on either side of t
river, for distance of twelve miles abo
tide-water at Rockets. sgaa.
In passing up the canal you come first
the fine granite quarry belonging to WI
II. Haxall, and now rented and worked
the city. This is less than mile from
city, and almost within its limits. 1t
very fine quarry, the quality of
granite being pretty much the same as tt
OF which the Washington Monument in t
city is built, and of the same gene
character as the Westham Quarry gram
owned and worked by Messrs. Andrew
Ordway and Green, who are now supply
tie granite for the new Treasury build
in Washington. @ 2. 49,
Next above Mr.. Haxall's quarry is t
which is being worked by Mr.. Rob
Morris, of this city, and known as Exa
quarry; then comes the New York 6
Richmond Granite company's works,
perntended by Mr.. Michael Hayes
Richmond and Philadelphia Granite wor
under charge of Henry Kahn, superint
dent; and the Windsor quarry. owl
and worked by Mr.. Gustayus A. Walla
Just below the Powhatan Iron wor
which are situated at the Fiye-mile Loo