The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-01-02
Iames-I,iYer Improvement.

The funds for tins work are furnished
partly by the United States Government
md partly By the city OF Richmond; Lieu
tcnant-Coloncl William u. Craighill and
| Captain Thomas Tirrlie. OF the United
| states Engineer Corps, having charge, as
sisted by Mr.. {. =. T.. Burgwyn. Mr.. II.
| d. Whteomb Is the engineer consulted by
The city. and Captain Thomas Cunning
| ham, Sr, is the superintendent for the
| city. The rock operations carried OH by
the United States Government are under
| the supervision OF Mr.. c. /. Kalmback
who, at some personal risk, manufactures
| die nitr0-glycerne used rs the explosives.
| The scheme Of the United States engineers
has been 10 obtain ~ feet at high tide from
the sea to the city wharyes. As 10 feet has
already been obtained, and the advance OF
tonnage been so rapid in consequence. that
it was demonstrated shat this depth is
not sufficient 10 meet he demands OF COM
merce, and consequently Congress IN 1881
authorized a survey TO be made TO invcsti-
gate the practicablity and cost oil bringing
| - feet TO Richmond ut full tide.
This survey was put under the charge Of
| Mr.. {. Il. l.. Burgwyn, who completed il
in February, 1852. The report was pub
lshed in Executive Document No. ~.
printed. by order OF the Senate, and WAS
afterwards published in the annual report
OF the Chief OF Engineers OF the United
States army. The report and estimates
were endorsed by Lieutenant-Colonel
Craighill who reported that the scheme
was perfectly practicable. OF the great
rivers OF the world the james, rs regards
merely its length, ranks about the eightieth,
but il possesses certain physical ch ,racter
sites that rs regards depth and suscepti-
iiity OF Improvement brings il in the first
rank. The reason Of this is that either the
great rivers like the Mississippi, Nile,
Danube, ETC., bring down enormous guam
titles OF sand, which form bars at their
mouths; or. like the Colorado, Oregon, etc.,
have tails and cascades in their courses;
o., like the Don, Yolga, ETC., have slopes
that utterly preclude any improvement
for vessels OF % feet draft; or, like
the Lena, Mackenzie, ETC., are frozen up
greater part OF the year; or, like the
Thames, Mersey, Clyde, etc, depend upon
the great rise and fall OF the tide for their
depth OF water. OF the thirty-eight rivers
OF the world that are one thousand miles or
greater in length il is doubtful whether
even ten OF them are rayigable for one
hundred miles for vessels drawing % feet,
yet the james river at an estimated cost OF
one and one half million dollars can be made
nayisablc rs far as Richmond bar-l24
miles from the sc:l--for this draft, and that
in a country not subject to such tremendous
freshets rs happen on rivers like the
Orinoco, or ice blockadeS rs on the st.
Lawrence. The James, SO far from having
bar az Its mouth, has in the openings be-
tween the capes and in Hampton Roads an
entrance that is probably the best IN the
world next 60 that OF the Amazon. Were
only the bars removed ut Rock Landing,
Tribell, and Goose Hill, and those opposite
the mouth OF the Chickahominy river,
monitors and vessels OF war and commerce
drawing % feet could ascend the james as
far rs Westover-S7 miles from the sea.
Ali the shipping OF the world could md
anchorage In this long stretch, where they
would be perfectly safe from naval at
tack. Had these bars been dredged before
the late war it would not have been neces-
sary to destroy the Merrimac, as she could
have reiterated up the river. While II Is
yet an undecided question as to whether
Congress will undertake the scheme OF
bringing 25 feet to Richmond or not, the
United States engineers have held aloof.
II Congress should undertake the scheme
and appropriate the necessary FUNDS IL
would be injudiciois 10 work from 10 TO
Is feet and then work from Is TO 20 ieet'