National Republican., 1874-05-21
REPORT ON THE JAMES RIVER
AND KAMA VIVA CANAL.

Inc TcpOTL Vi tue UOlTu o. CuSluSeTSp dp-
pointed in January last by the War Depart
ment to inquire further into the cost and
pacticability of this division of the great
central water-line from the Mississippi to
the seaboard, has been printed. 1t will be
remembered that the cost and practicability
ofthis work were reported on, under a reso-
luton of Congress, by Colonel Craighill,
of the United States engineer corps, in 1871.
This report was eminently favorable, and
the numerous surveys and reports which
had preceded it had been equally so; but
as some skepticism seemed still to prevail
with regard to the feasibility of the scheme,
the friends Of the project deemed it advisa-
ble to request yet another examination, and
with this view, they solicited the Secretary
of War to appoint board of engineers to
report further on the subject. In compli-
a1ce with this request the War Department
named the following gentlemen to perform
this labor: Major General ]. G. Barnard,
colonel of engineers; Benz. II. Latrobc,
esq, civil engineer; Major General Q. A.
Gilmore, lieutenant colonel engineers; Lieu
tenant Colonel w. P. Craighill, major en-
gineers. and Major General G.. Weitzel,
major engineers.
There is. first a general report, signed
by the five members of the board, and then
remarks or letters accompanying the re-
port, by the individual members of the
board.
The character of this board, and the i'm
portance which this water-line is beginning
to assume before Congress, invest this docu-
ment with unusual interest and we shall,
therefore, be excused for quoting from it
somewhat freely. s.-
As to the question of practicability. the
board expressed their opinion in the follow
ing resolution:
RESOLVED, That in the opinion OF this board It is
entirely practicable to connect the waters of the
James and Ohio rivers y water navigation Of
seven feet in depth.
This declaration was unanimous.
With regard to the long tunnel, about
which 50 much has been said, they express
themselves to this effect:
Resolved, That the board is Of the opinion that
1t is entirely practicable to drive the long tunnel
through the Allegheny mountains, by which it is
proposed to connect the head-waters of the James
and the Greenbrier rivers. The cost OF such
tunnel "a feet in clear width with passing places
for boats each one fourth mile, would be about
S2,OOO.oOO per mile The time Of completion nee
not be over six years.
In this opinion the board was unanimous.
Touching the water supply at the summit
level, we have the following resolution,
also unanimous:
Resolved, That the board Is Of opinion that by
the use Of reservoirs on Anthony's creek and the
Greenbrier river, q sufficient supply Of water may
be had for the tunnel summit level and its depen-
dencIes, and the supply OF water is also sufficient
west Of the high level ... .-.
With regard to the proposed lock and
dam (or slack-water) navigation Of the
Greenbrier and New rivers, between How
ards creek and the Great Falls of the Kan
awha,- the board expresses the opinion
that 'tit may be expedient to adopt canal
navigation for this part of the line, with
occasional exceptions where it may be de-
''sirable in consequence of peculiarly favor
liable reaches or the necessity Of water sup
"'ply." ... ..g .r
They recommend that the canal locks,
the estimates for which have been hitherto
100 by 20, shall be 90 or "a feet in width
with view TO increase capacity for the
cline in future, if demanded" and they
remark that additional depth could there
"after be readily obtained to as great an ex-
"tent as the water supply would permit, by
raising the walls and banks -
A canal of this character would accom-
modate 100000 of tonnage, which is
more than three times the capacity of the
Erie canal. ....----
With regard to the commercial value of
the work the board remarks: 'If we re-
"gard the Mississippi river as a great north
'and south meridian line of water trauspor-
"tation, blseeting the country, as distiu-
''rguished from the Lakes and the Gulf
(which skirt the northern and southern
boundaries, we shall find that while this
"great central axis sends out to the west
''ward its numerous great and parallel
'arms to the foot of the Rocky mountains,
''by which 1t draws to itself the freight
commerce of this vast region, 1t directs
zone central line, the Ohio to the eastward
'iand toward the Atlantic seaboard, and
that the natural and shortest prolOngation
''of this arm TO the Atlantic scaboard is the
"kanawha, and, by implication, the cen