The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-01-01
Jamcs.River improvement.

The funds for this work are furnished
partly by the United States Government
and partly by the city OF Richmond, Lieu
tCnant-Colonel William i. Craighill and
Captain Thomas Turtle, OF the United
States Engineer Corps. having charge.
Mr.. c. Z. E. Burgwyn is the assistant en-
gincer in local charge. Mr.. II. ID. Whit
comb is the engineer consulted by the city,
and Captain Thomas Cunningham. Sr., Is
the superintendent for the city. The rock
operations carried on by the United States
Government are under the supervision OF
Mr.. George a. Bailey. The scheme OF the
United States engineers has been to obtain
Is feet OF water at high tide from the sea TO
the city wharyes. As Congress made no
appropriations for river and harbOr i'm.
pr0vements at the last session, the funds
available for the James river were 30
small as to preclude any very extensive
operations; and rs the House OF Repre-
sentatives discussed q bill authorizing the
expenditure OF the money in carry
ing out the scheme OF procuring -
feet to Richmond, to eXpend it in
procuring Is feet was not deemed Judi
cious. The failure OF the river and harbor
bill to become law necessitated, however,
the expenditure OF the remaining money
available on the scheme OF procuring Is
feet. While these questions were being
discussed for q period Of fifteen months no
work was done on the river channel out
side OF the city limits, and it became inter-
esting to see il The main channel had de-
Perforated during that time. To determine
this an elaborate survey was made, which
necessitated the taking OF somewhat over
10000 sOundings, in which the depths in
the river were measured by Il rod gradu-
ated so as to read to the tenth part OF
foot. This survey proved conclusyely
that over the area investigated the channel
had not dettriorated at all. This was a
most satisfactory result, especially since it
had been popularity believed that the river
fills up as fast as 1t is dug out. The forma-
ton OF a river bar depends upon certain
conditions and follows regular rules. and
it is the province OF the skilled engineer to
determine these laws and to provide for
their contingencies.
The yearly maintenance OF railroad is a
very expensive thing. and it is questionable
il there Is any railroad in the world which
can stand this test Of years operation
without any repairs and still be capable Of
allowing an engine to pass over il. Yet the
out dollar being spent on the channel
either for construction or repairs, and yet
ut The end OF that period was In as good a
condition rs when work was stopped.
The great Obstacles in the way OF vessels
drawing Is feet are Il number OF isolated
Jumps OF rock, and attention was accord
ingly directed towards removing these
during such portion OF the past year that
f,t NJ e. .Ia
additions were made TO the rock-drilling
machinery which increased its rate Of drill
ing holes from an average rate OF 81
lineal feet per month to an average rate OF
324 lincal feet per month. On account OF
this facility for drilling the rock was blast
ed into sizes sufficiently small rs to be
readily dredged, and when the dredge
was put into the main rock the force for a
considerable period removed an average
Of one hundred tons OF rock per day. II
the funds hold ont it will not take long to
remove these distinctions, and vessels will
then be able to take advantage OF this extra
depth.
1t is only recently that the enormous
advantage OF the river transportation has
begun to be felt. Even now it is the COM
mon practice OF tow-boats to carry away
from five to eight vessel; in one tow. YES
sells OF one thousand tons being frequently
among the number. This Is total load Of
from five to eight thousand tons, while the
expense to the tusboat OF towing this tom
mage to Newport's News is less than 800.
No railroad can hope to carry freight for
less than one quarter OF q cent per ton per
mile. This. for the seyenty-live miles,
between Richmond and Newpert's News
and the 5000 tons amounts to 81 800; or,
in other words, every time the railroad
company sends 5000 tons OF freight by
rail when it could send 1t by vessels OF
1000 tons by tug-boat. 1t loses over
$1,000.
This is becoming so distinctly felt that
both the railroad companies that own
wharves near Richmond have recently ,
spent considerable money In deepening
the water alongside their wharyes, not |
withstanding the fact that they also own
wharves much nearer the ocean and Of
greater naturaldepth. Were the James river