The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-11-10
The Kanawha Canal Country


The Kanawha Canal Country
is the the heading Of Mr.. REDF1ElD's
last letter to the Cincinnati Commercial con-
corning the central water.line. He fairly
pitches into the country" aforesaid with a
vim and 6 bitterness that are quite equal TO
the poets denunciaton Of the bridge which
he said was not only "not passable,' but
"not even jackassable." And yet Mr.. RED.
FIELD is compelled to acknowledge that the
Senate Committee on transportation " will
abe likely to recommend two three routes
"for purposes of cheap transportation, one
"of which will almost certainly be the Ka'
"nawha route"
What q great difference there must be
between the opinions Of MIR. REDPIELD and
those of the Senate committed Fortun nate
~ for the Kanawha route, the Senate CON-
mittee's opinion is potentaud Mr.. REDfIELD's
is of very little account in the premises
Mr.. RBDp1EID goes further. aud ridicules the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad line for
being built through q narrow defle In the
Alleghauies beset with "landn slides and
troubles infinite, including conflict with
the line of the central water Improvement,
that must occasion endless annoyance.
Such extrayagant declarations concerning
a route which has won the appreciation Of
the greatest engineers of the Iand-both
for canal and railroad-are astonishing
since they come from gentleman whose
knowledge in the premises consists Of mere
intuition. Mr.. REDFIELD is Il good fellow
in his way ; but he can neither locate nor
build either railroad or canal. And we
say to him as "DEcoN SMITH" OF the
Gazette said to subaltern of the Cincin-
natl Times ''Ne sutor ultra crepiddm,"
which the Commercial says is swearing:
which We do with some earnestness in this
case. s... .g..'
The route of the Chesapeake and Ohio
road has been decided by the ablest of eDgi-
neers to be the best between the Atlantic
and the Ohio. 1t is new and has slides, but
We challenge Mr.. REDFIELD or the CONNER
cial to show another road that has crossed
the Allegheny range and united the Atlantic
towns with those Of the Ohio that has had SO
few slides. In grades it is without a parallel.
From the Ohio river to the foot of the ALLIE
shany mountains the sharpest grade does
not exceed thirteen feet 10 the mile, and the
maximum grade ascending the Alleghanies
> only twenty-nine and half feet to the
nile. The grade of the Baltimore and Ohio
abroad ascending from Piedmont to Alta
mont is one hundred and sixteen feet to the
nile, and on the Pennsylvania Central line
here is one grade not less sharp. .u..#
But our friend REDrIELD has found one
Tide, at Miler's Ferry, which he predicts
viii continue until the. whole mountain
lides down. He would as well, turn Nil.
erite at once, and jump to the climax of
prophecy by predicting theend Of the world
long with the end of this slide.
At once We enter the lists, and by way of
,ffset to REoPIELD's prophecy concerning
he Miller's Ferry slide, we predict that
clifton, which overlooks the rich Cincin-
lati, will slide down into the Ohio long be-
ore the mountain at Miller's Ferry will slide
nto New river. aa. ...s.
We repeat, no railroad through noun
ainous country has had so few slides as the
and Ohio road has had, and
lone has such admirably low grades.
Mr.. REpPlELD-or rather the Commercial
appears to be greatly concerned about the
conflict for right Of way between the railroad
md the water line in the mountain pass. A
most supererogatory anxiety. There will be
10 trouble about it. We believe 1t is in
ended to lock and dam New river; and never
vas there stream SO well or better adapted
o that sort Of improvement. With bed of
olid rock and mountain shores almost of the ]
anne nature, the damming and locking of it
will be work Of the utmost ease, and when |
lone of durability equal to the solid cliffs |
hat frown down upon its way.
But why misrepresentation isparage great
'oute-the best between east and west |
which has met the universal appreciation and
dmiration Of the scientific world, and which
t is predicted by the dispanger vii! be ap-
proved by the Senate committeeY Why do
t at all; and, above NIL things, why should
uch disparagement come from Cincinnati ?
We say that that city in peril. 1t is |
threatened from the lakes 1t Is threatened
" Louisville and st. Louis. They are be.
ow it in tue river line, but above it in the
inc of commerce. When the Chesapeake |
nd Ohio connections are completed the
rade will leave the river at Louisville and
weep on eastward, passing Cincinnati =
ong distance south Of her. That. which
ewes ST. Louis by rail will tend towards |
he lakes, and the idea that anybody ia Gin
nnati should oppose the central watcr.line, |
Which is the impcnemble she'd for the pro-