The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-08-19
The Extension OF the sahaa ~
toil--ke,ter frOm Hon. a. Aa'
STUART. IT., ~ 1919

STAUNTOS, July ~ 1o'''
General Joseph Il. anderson
NV Dear Sir,-Durlng the last session Oh
the General Assembly We bad seVerai CON
vprsat,ops on the subject OF constructing
e;,bnr q railway or canal from Bucnanan.
tho nresent western terminus oil the James
R,yer canal, to Clifton Forge, so as 10 iur'
nish nm unbroken line Of communication Tor
heavy lrcights from Richmond 10 tue ONO
river. We concurred in the OPINION that IL
was matter of vital interest TO virginia
tba, this deficient link In the cham Oh com
munication between the East ana west
should be supplied at an early DAY.
The oaly question on which any oouot was
then entertained was as to the relative merits
and cost of the construction OF railway, or
the completion Of The clnal, between Tue
two points above referred 10. Tue lnctiha
ton of 10Y mind at that time was 10 iavof Q.
n rail way. because thought IL Woulo cost
less. anC could be more promptly constructed.
Blu. [ have recently had fuil conversation
with Major Edward McMahon, gentleman
OF high character and great Intelligence, Wnlcn
has caused u change in my opinion on tha1
subject. Major McMahon was one OF the
principal contractors OF the canal west OF
buchanan, and executed large part OF tue
work that has been done. have learned
from him that SSH, 094 have been expended
WIS. Of Buchanan, and that an expenditure;
Of ABOUT 81, 100000 will complete the canai
to Clifton Forge. The expenditures Wnlch
have been made were at u nuiAber OF points
between Buchanan and kayser'S hock,Wnlcn
is twenty-five miles west OF Buchanan. Inc
work done on this part of the line, ana wn'cn
is now useless and going TO decay, consists
Of oo
1st. Ten locks Of best masonry, each l0o
feet long and Ii feet wide, constructed 10
pass boats dra wing Eve feet Of water.
81. The Dasoury for the piers anu aout
ments of three trunk aqueducts acloss james
river has been done.
Sd. One tunnel, 1872 feet long, 3G feet VIDE
and 30 feet high, has been finished.
4.h. Seven hundred and eiguty.tWo feel
of O tunnel, which when finished Will be l,3ol
feet long, has been eXcavated ana secured.
5tb. AN oullet.lock constructed with
view OF connecting the village OF jackson
eight miles from Fincastle) has been M
iShed.
9Th. The foundation for the Cabell dam
has be, n built and raised to ordinary low
water level; also the guard-lock at tn point
7th. The foundation Of the dam at the
Old Forge, thirteen miles west OF Bu'
cbapan, has been laid and raised to low. Wa
ter mark, and the guard'lock at that point
completed.
Sub. Several stone bridges, and culverts, and
several miles Of toW-path conStruc ed be-
tween Cabvll dam and Old Forge dam. and
also between OLD Forge dam and Lock No.
| 16, at the junction of Craig'S creek.
9Th. A large amount Of excavation and
costly suslalning-|alls have been finished al
| various points along the line.
Major Mcmahon says that all this work
| was done IN most substantial manner, and
| is now in lair condition. He estimates that
| it has not been damaged to the extent Of two
| per cent.
In answer to my inquiries, Mpjor McMa.
hon stated that in bis opinion 1wo.thirds OF
| the work remaining to be done to complete
the canal TO Clifton Forge (say Sl,OOO,OOo
WORTH could be done by convict labor.
Major Mcmahon also informed me that the
caua,-surveys having already occupied the
bes. line it would be difficult (without con-
siderable increase Of dis.ance) to find an ELI
riDle route for railway without encro ch-
ing on the chartered rights of the canal COM
pany.
In view of these important facts, Of which
had no accurate information until my con.
yersstion with M1jor Mcmahon, am now
dis posed to thiuk that we ought to direc! all
our energies to the completion Of the canal
to Clifton Forge.
1t is hardly possible to over-estmate the
importance of this work to some OF the best
interests OF Virginia.
the State has already expended about ten
millions OF dollars in constructing the canal
from Richmond to Buchanan, distance oil
two hundred miles. She has also expended
say five millions of dollars 10 building the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. The object
which she had in view when she commenced
these great works was 10 secure cheap
freight line between Richmond and the great
West. This Object has been in part accom-
plished. We have cheap line for the trans
portation Of heavy freightS from Buchanan
to Richmond by the James River and Kama
VIVA canal, and We have a railway with ex
traordlnary capacities for cheap transporta
ton from the Ohio river to Clifton Forge
the grade going eastward On the Chesapeake
and OHIO railroad between the Ohio river
and Clifton Forge nowhere exceeding 30!
feet to the mile. But unfortunately as TIT
trains pass eastward from Clifton Forge the,
have TO encounter grades of 70 ieat PEI
mile.
The advantages OF tbe low grades from
the Ohio river to Clifton Forge are thus rem
dered Of comparatively little value by tbt
heavy grades to be encountered east Of Cliff
ton Forge. =.
do not profess to be accurately posted or
this point, but have beca Informed that 8
! locomotive which can draw train of q
cars over grade OF 29s feet to Clifton Forge
can draw ONLY IL cars over the heavy grade.
east OF that point. Thus the capacity OF an
engine to transport fregbts east of Clifton
Forge is about one.half Of its capacity to
bring them 70 that poiat.
Ii is:proper to remark, however, that the
same Inequality does mol exist in regard to
westward.bound freishis because the grade
OF the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, for -
miles ascending the Allegheny mountains
westward, is go feet pr mile. But as most
Of The heavy freight consisting of coal,