Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1875-03-04
The Extension to Clifton FORGE.


tension of the benefit of the James
River and Kanawha Canal TO Clifton
Fore. on the G. & O. II. r.. BY
means Of n Railway from Buchanan
along the valley the James Riverto
Clifton Forge. This project is.one
of immense Importance to Richmond,
which will give her the control of
the heavy shipping trade from all
this country by a channel which can
not be diverted into any other,direc-
ton. The C. & o. r. t., has been
tapped by the b. & O., at Staunton
and by the Pennsylvania Central at
Gordonsville, but the route proposed
can have no other outlet except BY
Richmond. This route would be
almost equal TO an all water.route
from the Ohio to tide water on the
james. BY the sectional canal boats
on trucks. and inclined planes at the
entrance Of the canal, bulk cxain
could be loaded by an elevator at
Huntington into the cars, and not
transhipped until is put into che
mills, or vessels at Richmond. The
same plan would carry the Coal di-
rect from the mines to the market
without change. We remember
very well when a great part of the
immense traffic now done by the
Pennsylvania Central e. Il, was done
6y means Of the sectional canal
boats. The plan is TO have the boats
in sectionsi OF length to be carried
on car-trucks; when they reach the
end Of the canal, tie sections are
uncoupled, and by means of an in
clined'plane. the trucks are run under
the boats and they are taken up and
carried through withou. breaking
bulk. So when u load, d boat gets to
the Canal lhe trucks are run into the
water, and the boats hoated of. The
sections are then coupled together
and they proceed on their journey.
The Richmond Dispatch says: This
extension, as we have already stated,
nav be either by canal or rail- The
gap between Buchanan and Clifton
Forge is about thirty miles. The
cost Of cleaning out the present bed
of the canal from Richmond to Buch-
anan, 50 as 10 secure five feet depth,
would be about $500, 900: the cost of
railroad from Buchanan 70 Clifton
Forge, with guage corresponding 70
that of the Chesapeake and Ohio
road, would be about Sl,3lO,000
Suppose the city of Richmond Is ask
ell to endorse 100000 of the
bonds Of the canal company, the in
terest on this sum would be So, 900.
Ii Richmond is to be a commercial
city it must get its principal trade by
the James River canal aud the CheSa-
peake and Ohio railroad, the grain
OF the West, the coal and iron OF
the James river and kanawha val
leys. Thus was the commerce of
Buffalo, of Cleveland, Detroit-aye,
and View York built up. The Erie
clnal has been the best feeder TO the
city of New York, and it has created
Buffalo, Cleveland, and Toledo. And
now We see il stated in the March No.
Of the Gaiary magazine that one
company alone are going to put one
hundred steamers on the Erie canal,
which steamers are running from
Buffalo 10 New York exclusive of
detentions) in FIVE AMI half day,
(500 miles On the other hand, il
Richmond is 70 be manufacturing
city, where il she To- get her wheat
from if she Is 10 be excluded from
the western market? And where l.
the iron to come from until our iron
fields are developed And how are
they 10 be developed without coal ?
And how can our pig-iroD he worked
up here in Richmond without coal?
Even 9ur tobacco factories are now
bringing the QuinEimont coal here
by rail.
Now. II IS question OF arithmetic
Can we stand still for eight wears :
To increase the liabilities Of the city
Is, we are fully sensible, avery grave
matter, and it ought not 20 be done
lightly. 1.-THE project is not, after
mature examination, deemed a SAFE
one, We ough. not To add one cent to
our present heavy debt. Into this
pint our property ,.rlders ought to
look, and look wei, beto.e they lend
theircountenanee to thisor ahv other
hypothecahon Of the credit o. the
city.
There is one li-h. in which this
scheme NAV be viewed, not hereto
fore discussed We mean the financial
aspect of the question in connection
with the consumption of fuel in our
dwelling-houseS. We have not the
evact figures, but We presume that
Richmond consumes every year 80,
600 tons Of coal. Now, if we save
one dollar on each of these tons We
shlll save annually $4,000; or, il
We only save fifty cents, We shall save
$4,000 or, if we save twenty-five
cents, we shall save So, 800. We
IN noS know whether this can be GER
taiuly done, but if it can be it is ar
gued that we coall reimburse our