The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-07-07
lanes River.


with the theme of this article, yet It's very
pres, interest aud importance is suca '"a'
should he always welcome-always tue sun.
iecs of unfaling attraction. wa.
AS simple and effective way " Illus
.-o,;rc the yery great value OF THIS sdmira-
ble river to Richmond we have more
Than once asked the reader what would
-, R,lt,more give for such stream wash
inc her borders? This city stands at the
no;,, where its benefits are available ia the
HIGHEST degree; where the RAINING stream
meets the tide; where..we have. the water.
mower, and where the sea>going craft can
come, bringing to us the commerce coast
wise and foreign, and whence they can con-
yey the products centred here to all parts OF
the world.
In the matter Of the deepening of the
Lower James river TIE public aaterest Is be-
coming stronger than ever. Tkere is now 1T
teen feet OF water tethe Chesapeake and Oh'o
railroad wharves, and we haze no doubt that
under the present management it will not De
nany months before ships drawing sixteen
feet can pass from the Rockets wharVes 10
sea. ..r....
It il evident that this grand Improvement
ia attracting attention elsewhere; for certain
journalists, speaking from dispositions
: averse to the prosperity Of the river COM
merce. have uttered views unfavorabe 10 the
improyement. One thought the river very
D obdurate and Inclined 10 mud, and the other
very sagaciously cenjectured that 1t wouid
p; take meaey to clear away the bars. They
: are very sharp observers, and their wise
opinions quite surprise us all. Thes are
mite encouraging. We are satisfied that II
}. the improvements were not IN most pro-
u missing condition the concern OF our ifien"'
would not have been aroused.
e Some discussion recently took place IN re-
e GARD TO the refusal of the Towing Company
& to fighter some -four down the river TO
L chin at City Point. The matter was settled
Z by the ship taking on her whole cargo at the
u wharf at the sugar refinery and going beau
s;fully out of the harbor to sea drawing four
' teen feet of water. That IS fact that can
not be gsinsaid. The processes OF deepen
ing the chanuel of the river are going on
l. with brighter prospects than ever.
Maior WHITcoMB is bringing to bear upon
} the river the large fund of useful information
he acquired 10 his official tour Of inspection
on the Continent. He is observing with care
the effects on the channel of the system OF
u jetties now adopted on the river, and is
! greatly cheered by the results. The bed OF
ID the river is in some places SO compact tha'
dredging is unavoidable; but there are parts
u OF the river where shallow water exists thai
by the narrowing Of the channel with Jettles
u it may be easily secured out, and thus perma'
4. 1ently deepened.
u Sixteen feet from Richmond to sea settles
Z the question as TO whether Richmond shall
e sc grand point OF concentration and OF dis
! tributou of the produce of the latitude II
h which she stands from the Chesapeake tide
VI to the Mississippi valley; but she can, at an
u expense not TO be compared with the I'M
u mense advantages that will follow from it,
u get twenty feet to sea.
We hesitate not to say tha. the improve
! ment Of the Lower james river is 4 long
4 way the greatest work ever undertaken iol
% Richmond. We my felicitate ourselves
e that in Colonel CRAIGHlLL, the engineer on
l. the part of the United States, and Major
, WulTCoMB, the engineer of the city, We have
L the very best men that could be selected,
J and do not doubt for a moment that they
) will improve the liver in the very best and
most enduring manner. We have not u
y doubt now that we shall be able to get all
the water that is needed for toe floating OF
the Immense commerce that We have every
reason to believe will concentrate at this
civ