The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-12-01

ful event ut special meeting of the Prcsi
dent aud Board Of Directors Of the compan,
are herewith presented. Mr.. Lorruine besaff
his professional career more than thirty yeat.
ago rs a rodrnan in corps OF engineers ther
engaged in the construction of the Jane.
River and kanawha canal. He was ap
pointed chief engineer of the company il
December, 1854, and filled this Office with
distinguished fidelity and ability 10 the day
o! bis last illness. His love Of truth anC
his moral courage, sound judgment anC
requirements, his capacity for accurate OBJ
serration, and his daily opportunity for more
than quarter Of century for the investi
CATION OF subjects Of hydraulic engineering
fitted him forgreat cmlnence in this the mos
difficult branch of his profession. Your line
to the Ohio river was the subject OF his re
peated surveys or investigation. Lie spent
a year Mt one time, by your orders
Oh the mountain section west Of Covington,
| making surveys, aScertaining the downfall
| of rain during succession of years., caug.
| ing the streams forming your line and those
contributing to the projected Anthony's
| Greek reservoir, which he described in his re.
| ports with all Of the detail which might he
possible after It's actual construction. His
thorough knowledge OF the country, obtained
| by this personal examination, and recorded
in reports and maps, enabled him to project
| the great tunnel by which he proposed to
connect the waters Of the east and west, aud
almost to give the specific information which
its actual survey would furnish. With that
modest Difference which always characterized
him, he submitted his proposed plan Of the
summit.leyelto to Benjamin II. Latrobe, Esq, OF
Baltimore, and when that eminent engineer
had given it his unqualified approval and
commendatiop, he reported it with such
cogent reasons for its adoption as
to carry conviction to the minds OF
tue most eminent engineers. This tunnel
line, reduced in length, was approved
quently examined aud surveyed il under the
orders of the Government the United States.
| During tho year 1872, under the orders OF
Colonel W. Z. Craghil, of the United states
corps of engineers, Mr.. Lorraine made the
detailed survey and deGniliYe location OF
the line from the mouth Of Howards creek,
on Greenbrler river, to the Ohio river, aud
| was engaged in writing the report OF this
| work at the time Of his last sickness. 1t
| may be mentioned as Illustrative OF the cha.
| racter of this officer that though bis opinion
| of this line had been 50 conclusively formed,
and had been expressed in SO maUy reports
| aud admirable papers prepared by him, yet
| when be left his Office to enter upon the
duty Of locating each dam aud lock- and
other work on the Grecnbrier and New
| rivers he said in substance, elf in the dis
charge Of this duty iud any reason to
| doubt the correctness Of my opinion about
| the line | shall so report.' This ghted
nuu devoted his life to duty with little con-
Germ for bis persona advancement, and lived
and died a consistent Christian.
The Committee on Commerce Of the House
| Of Representatives Of the United States
| during the las session Of The Forly.secoud
| Congress made Il report Oh tue James
| River aud KanaWha caual or Centra! water
| Iiue," and With this report returned for the
| consideration Of the House the bill for the
| completion Of this Waler-iiue which had
been referred to the committee. You will
observe the reasons suggested by tue COM
| mitlcc for poStpouug legislation upon the
subject matter uf this report. The subject
| Of cheap transportation TO augment anu
| facilitate the commerce Of the country was
the subject of consideration by the House OF
| Representatives OH day OF the lust session
| specially set apart for this purpose. The
dly appointed was consumed by an able dis
| cu.siOn of this and kindred subjects. The
speeches Of MIR. Kerr, OF Indiana; Mr..
stevenson, of Ohio; Mr.. Neglcy, of PENN
sylvauia; Mr.. Duke and Mr.. Terry, Of Nir-
l. yiniu, Oh this occasion in connection With
YOUR line, and the report and bill just men
toned, and resolutions OF the Senate OF the
United States adopted December IL, 1872,
and March rs, 1873, are submitted for your
| information.
Senator Cassery, Of California, member
of the select committee appointed by the
Senate OH transportation routes TO the sea-
board, reached Richmond in May last to
make personal examination Of the projected
line to the Ohio river. After an inspection
of the canal in the vicinity of Richmond he
passed on TO the line Mt Clifton Forge and
along the line to Charleston, w. Va, re-
| turning west of Clifton Forge by the saulc
| route. Senator Window, Of Minnesota,
| chairman Of this select committee OF lhc
| Senate, with Senators Sherman OF ONO
| Coukling of New York, ConnoIer ol
Florida, Norwood of Georgia, and Davis oil
| West Virginia, members of this committee,
reached Richmond in October last to hear
such evidence us might be offered i'll con-
nection with your line and, to make sucl!
inspection us might be practicable. The
committee, after inspecting tue clual in aud
near to Richmond, and patiently hearing al
! of the testimony which was offered, pro-
| ceeded directly to Clifton Forge, and thence
| over the line to Charleston, W. Va, where
they again held IL meeting TO Lear tc>ti
mony.
TIE subjects coDfided to the investigation
| of this uUle COMMITTEE urc OF vital import,
auce to the people of the whole country, ano
| the report OF the committee and the valuable
| information accumulated by their enclenl
| labors will be read with the deepest interest
You were informed by the report 10 youi
last annual meeting that additional appro'
priations were made during the hist SESSION
Of the Forty.second Congress fora more Ge'
tailed survey of your line west oil the Alie
ghany mountains and for the survc! Oh lht
Kanaw ha river. The report OF ColoneI
| Craighill Of this survey OF the hanaWna
river was transmitted to Congress ut It's lasl
session, and Is submitted for your inlorma'
| ton. n,>
The detailed survey and location Of tho
line from the mouth OF HoWards cEeek u
| the Kuuawha river was completed ny the
late MIR. Lorraine, as mentioned, ana nis uh
finished report to Colonel Cralgh!ll was coh
pleted by Mr.. James NJ. Harris, the assistant
of Mr.. Lorraine. Tue report OF Coi one
! Craighill of this last survey VIII no aouo!
| be transmitted to the next Congress al al
| carly period of It's first session.
The surveys of your line by the Genera
| Government haye been made under appro
nriatious by Congress in 1870 and the tWC
appropriations of 1872, and the reports o. o.
| these SURVEYS show its definite location IL
every part of its entire length and the eStl
mates OF the cost Of its construction. lne
full information furnished by these report: