The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-04-19
LOCAL MATTERS.

IMPROVEMENT OF JAHES RIrER-WHAT
THE CITY FORCE HAS BEEN Dome RECENTLY
IN THAT DIRECT1oN.--The report OF Mr..
II. D. Whitcomb, engineer Of the James
River Improvement on the part 0? the city
OF Richmond, which was submitted to the
Common Council on Monday night, repre-
sents that dredging has been done in the
channel opposite the Old Dominion wharyes,
Richmond and Danville Railroad wharyes,
and Brick-yard cut. From Brick-yard cut
5,472 cubic yards Of material was removed,
and 44S cubic yards from the channel oppo-
site Old Dominion wharves. Eighteen
large boulders were also removed from the
channel opposite the Old Dominion wharves,
and several more from Brick-yard cut. The
material dredged at the Danville wharf was
transported (212 cubic yards) to the dyke at
Randosph's flats. The total expenditures
during the month, not including coal,
were s1,992.S6; total paid previously, $4,-
246.56; balance OF appropriation uneX-
pended, S4,297.12.
The engineer describes the breaks to the
machinery, &C., and recommends that the
tugs and machinery be overhauled, painted,
and put in thorough order.
The river rose on the 18th and caused a
suspension of work for five days. This
freshet had an extreme height OF eight feet
six inches above ordinary high tide, and
was about two feet three inches lower than
the freshet Of 1875, and one foot four inches
lower than that Of January, 1874. 1t was,
therefore, by no means heavy flood. The
freshet has left no deposit in the river i'm
pairing its condition, so far as examinations
have been made, and it has not been neces-
sary to remove the dredges from the work
they were employed on. The United States
engineer in charge authorized the construc-
ton OF wing-dams on the right bank OF the
river at Richmond bar, where the channel
dredged the previous year had been par
TALLY filled. The reach opposite Drury's
island has been materially benefited, the
channel has been widened, and, wherever
examined, deepened. Since the ireshet the
engineer finds general deepening over that
part of the bar opposite the wing-dams, and
in the distance of about 800 feet II, 800 cubic
yards have been secured out.
"We afterwards" says the engineer,
"made a line Of soupdings between 400 and
500 feet below the lower wing-dam and found,
as compared with 1874, the channel had been
deepened three feet, and that there had been
a general lowering of the river-bed to the
whole width inside the wing-dams above.
On this bar the channel has widened from
about 125 feet; which it had early in March,
to 225 feet at the fourteen-foot depth. There
has been a slight shoaling in the channel on
Randolph's flats, where no work has been
done since 1874, but there is still all the
water needed there in the present condition
OF the river above. believe this is the first
time in the history of this improvement
when freshet has left Richmond bar in q
better condition than it found it.
"I have full confidence that If the money
asked for by the engineer in charge is sup
piled that in a very brief time the full depth
projected for this improvement will be
brought to your wharves, and that very
small sum annually will keep it there. /"