The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-09-18
The Erie canal, with narrower area for

supply, in single year took eastward six
and half millions Of tons, of the value Of
more than $500 ,000,0 900, and it is perfect
ly fair to reason that at least that amount
Of tonnage will be contributed to the Vir-
ginia water-line. ! am satisfied, and |
venture here to-day to predict, that in the
due time the whole practical capacity of
the canal, estimated at 100000 of tons,
will be filled to the last ton. | may live
to see it.
Then it is most true that an immense
portion of the products of the
| west, in their movement forward
| from the area of production to the sea-
nocrd, must pass through Virginia's do
main. '"0
And being once inside of Virginia on its
way to the sea what is to become of it :?
WIN 1t stop at any city on the way, except
the small amount of actual consignment for
a very limited local demand?
| VIII Richmond arrest it on the way :?
considerable amount will of course 10
coastwlse from Richmond TO domestic mar
kets. But this growing city, just begin
ning to emerge from obscurity, has neither
dock-room, nor wharf.-the nor river
room to send of the immeasurable trade of
the canal, even if there were no connection
with her Of the Chesapeake and Ohio rail-
road.
| In the striking activity of trade that will
inevitably spring up from the supernatural
dant tonnage of canal and the railroad
combined, delays will not be tolerated in
| getting it TO the seaboard. For two rea-
sons that trade always implicitly respects
| wherever very large accumulation has
gathered il will be in haste to get to the
| deep water on the seaboard, if there he
there city with deep water and good har-
| bors; and those reasons are because, first,
| at such point ships are loaded with all
dispatch, which saves interest and expense.
Secondly, because, at proper shipping
point, with deep water shipments, may be
made cheaper, because, the largest class of
merchantmen, the class that most profta-
at the wharyes, and take off the accumula-
ted cargoes to the foreign markets, it being
well understood among shippers, that the
larger the size of the ship the cheaper it
can take the freights, because it costs but
little more to work the largest sized ship,
than it does one much under its dimen-
sions.
These considerations of commercial pro.
fit will drive forward to the deep water on
the seaboard the vast volume of trade that
shall come in sweeping rush down the
canal.
To illustrate practically. does the tonnage
of the Erie canal, that has made the state
of New York the Empire State, and New
York city the Empire city of the Union,
stop at Albany or Troy? Does it not has
ten down the Hudson to New York, with
out breaking bulk, and speeded in its tran
sit by the putting steam-tug? And why?
Why. but that New York has good har-
Dor and deep water, and is the point on the
seaboard most eligible for shipment to the
markets of the world?
And so it will be with the gathering mil
lions of the j. r. and X. canal. The great
bulk of tall Of it not consigned on spe-
cial demand-will be sped down to the
James by the canal boats towed by steam
tugs, without the breaking of bulk, until it
finds an inviting point of aggregation some
where on the tide-waters of Virginia, and
at that point, no matter where, whether at
Yorktown, or Newport News, or Norfolk,
will rise up 'scity by the sea- that will
become the wonder of the world, and
eventually rival New York city herself-a
great market town, not for Virginia only.
but for this whole great land-a grand
depot for the collection of exports, and
an entrepot for the returning imports, in
whose harbor will be seen flung to the
breeze the commercial flag of every nation
on the globe. -
Sir, when we turn to that indestructi-
BILE movement of Clinton's genius, the Erie
canal, how can we be skeptical? Won
Hroi1o hoe hoay, ,tp xuoy1r oh Il nc
trade, none either artificial or natural,
moment compare with it. Results have
come Of it stupendous to contemplate,
seeming more like tho romantic tales
of eastern story than the versions of sober
reality, and yet as "fxed facts" as the
rising and setting Of the sun or the ebbing
and flowing Of the tides. Its daily bust
ness is 10000 tons. Its tonnage requires
5000 boats to move it, which placed in
row, would extend from Albany to Utica,
a distance Of eighty-three miles. Its tom
mage in 1865 was six and a half millions,
and the money value more than $500, 000,-
600. Its net earnings from 1886 to 1871,
after refunding its cost, was $72, 1000, 900.
Those surplus earnings contributed mil
lions upon millions to the treasury of the
people Of New York, and helped to send
the blessed lights of education to every
hut in this broad domain of the Empire
state. The statesmen of New York call
it "a part Of the greatness Of New York."
and well they may, for it is part of the
greatness not of New York only, but of
the Union beside.
Well, gentlemen, why may not our ca
nal prove as wondrous? Why may it not
follow in the track Of its illustrious prede-
| cessor? Why may it not build up great
city on the tide-waters of Virginia, as the
Erie has at the mouth of the Hudson?
| There is none whatever, for what has been
| done once may be done again and hold
| further, that our water line will be the re-
cipient and conductor of even larger bust
ness than the Erie canal, eighth wonder of
the world though it be, and magnificent as
has been its exploits, and | will assign the
reasons:
First. The Virginia canal is open all the
year, the Erie only seven months Of the
twelve. This advantage, which can never
be neutralized, vastly augments the capac-
ity of the Virginia over that of the New
York thoroughrare, great as the latter is.
Secondly. The Virginia line has the
more and more copious sources Of supply,
for it almost mechanically bisects the
great producing region of the interior, or
from the Rocky mountain to Richmond /;
The Erie canal has no such broad and &C.
cessible region for supplies.
| L.