The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-05-24
FROM RIVER TO SEA,
The Proposed Kanawha and .yames
River Canal Connecting the
Ohio with the Ocean,
ITS INCALCULAHLE ADVANTAGES

ITS iSCALCULAHLE ADVANTAGES.
Letter from L. Q. Washington. Ia Louisville Con :
ricr- Journal
| RICHMOND. VA. Nav Il. 1879.
| -FOUR readers are already aware that the
| senate at the last Session of CONGRESS m.
pointed committee. headed bv Senator
" ndom, Of Minnesota. to investigate th,.
great subject Of transportation in all lis
aspects, including the question of aid bv the
Government to The canals and walrr.Iuc,
which arc proposed, in order To give cheaper
and more c'acou> transportation for inc
great agricultural produce of the West to TN,
Atlantic scaboard and European markets.
Fms committee have not been idle, but have
already done good deal of work upon some
OF the questions intrustcd to their inves
| rgation.
| THE WORK PROJECTED.
They have now before them the docu.
mentary evidence relative TO the practica
bllty and cxpcdicncy of the Niagara shiI
! canal, the james River and kanawha cana
from Richmond to the ohio river. the
Gtorcia line ud the CooSs, Ocmulrce, and
other rivers to savannah, aud the ship cana
nj the mouth Of the Mississippi river: and
they haze also adopted a resolution pro.
vlding Tor personal INSPECTION by the com
mlticc of these several watcr-lincs. They
were especially anxious TO visit the Virgins
route, but II WIS not deemed practicablc fol
the body Of the committee TO make the yiSi,
before the summer. MIR. Window seemed
to think that il could be arranged for July
As Mr.. Ca>Serly>S engagement required hin
~ be III California at that time, hc resolved
To MAKE VISIT AT oScE
to the more important point of the great
Virginia lire. embracing especially the pOr
ton which has not been completed, though
often surveyed. Senator Bayard, though
not one Of the committee, accompanied MIR
CaSscrly uron this inspecting tour. The,
senators were joined ut Richmond by Colo
mel Darlington. the President Of the Cana
Company, the United States engineers il
charge of the surveys and reports on the
subject, and other gentlemen, including
your correspondent. and Il good deal OF
ground was gone over by tlIcm in the limtct
time which Me>>r>. Cas,crly and Bayard hal
at their disposal. The two senators
| CAME FIRST To RICHMOND,
this city being ut the head Of tide watc)
navigation. and where the completed cana
| utS'lj>. lItth liUt Sly lUdI tIltSI SfIiltlliil
met a very hearty wplcolnc in this locality
The leading citizens We'd in attentions Il
| them, and the only limit upon this hospi
taiity was desire To lei them have sufficient
time for their examination of the work a
this point, aud the resources and capacity o
! Richmond. in which naturally they felt
deep interest. The first evening was drvo
ted 10 Il ride to The lr,Siu, locks al the canal
.fpt,.
ago mt much expense, aud after this to III,
celebrated flour mills. the Trcdegar .lror
Works, and some of the most intcrc>tn.
historical objects in which Rirhmon(
ahoundlS. The following day the party went
| AN EXCURSION UP THE CANAL
for few miles. noting the It neral character
of the work. and making Il visit to the gran
tie plallieS. the Wr>'lam lrom-W FORKS, ant
enjoying the tine scenery of the river 'Itmc>
This brief excursion afforded Il full view o
Il watcr-power which is probably rnsur
passed in America. and which. added to othcl
advantages. will unIucStionably make thi
one of the leading manufacturing centres U
the United States. Next followed an cX
cursion down the James river in the boat o
Colonel Walter Turpin. who was assigned
by the United States Engineer Bureau tt
examine the eastern division OF the water
line. and who is a!-o engaged in supnrinlcnd
in. the removal OF the instructions III tn,
james river and clearing out the channel
The river has now thirteen feet depth Of wa
ter, but the appropriations already made b,
the city and the United States. in equal pro
portions, will probably secure fifteen OF six
teen feet, and with little more llberalily OF
| O. I h.sli l
no difficulty in ccttin" depth Of Cightrcl
feet. The vast and rapidly extending cN
port and lmI,rrt trade ot Baltimore is don,
witha depth Of only sixteen feet OF water
and there seems no reason why the hcav,
freghts both of the canal and the railroad
which centre here. should not be shipped
directly at Richmond. In our route down TIT
river we passed the new freight dclol allt
wharycs of the Chesapeake and Ohio rail
road, about a mile below The city. funnc
Is now brn. built at the expense of the cit,
through Church Hill To adlnIt of the ship
mcnt at deep water. and il will be com
| pyctcd some time in the summer and hCior
the road is entirely ready to DO Il fun bust
ness. Drcwry's Blulland Chaiiu's Blull wcr
next PASSED, and finally our little boat wen
through
| HE IEIEhh ~ ~ - i'ii WI
cut BY Butler in The war. About live OF y!
miles are saved hy this cut, which tlnn,!.
take it, lie over 100 yards in length. II is,
am informed. a real advantage to commerce
and is one OF The few good things iullc
has ever done. Whatever his sins. the Nlr
; yinans owe linn debt they are bound [,
acknowledge for supplying bacon 10 Lee,
: army when it WAS terribly hungrrcd. ant
Ear tintr : ,rip.l which, ,Ibiln IL aid
no harm whatever in Il military point q
view. has served To >lfai~htrn and improy,
their chief outlet to the S,a Tor Il rclnInrr,r
which promises to pour Il It'd" OF wc.l!
through the old Commonwealth. We wondc
! why job 81 apparently easy WAS 80 Ion" il
being finished; but ii Is not easy after all Il
die dirt while shells ale falling about YOU
cars.
JAMES RIVER AND KASAwHA.
The canal is completed and in full opera
ton from this point rid Lynchburg aud til,
lanes river to Buchanan, Il distance of 1876:
miles, including 1893 miles of canal and So
miles Of slack water navigation, all in goot
working order. The cost of con>tIuclin:
This canal WAS SIC. 43G. 500. All of this work
buildings. dock, locks, &c., Virginia tender
to the Federal Government is Il free "iit
provided the Government will complete TIT
canal to tue Ohio river, and. after rclmhurs
ing their outlay, charge only such tolls a
are necessary to operate the line and keep
in renar The generosity and fairness "
The pruposiliun none cln dispute. We'll dio
the pure and gifted Michael Kerr. "
Indiana. DECLARE last Winter in the House .
REPRESENTATIVE thai no scheme ever came he
fore Congress so clean and so free from al
ioblery and corruption us this. The c9ntro
and nanno e,nent of this canal Virginia doe