Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-01-02
JrpcE HtcHEs ANDrHERIrER
,,.py sr INC csuneil conuiree on 'he I'M
psssmep ef Jane. River IN 'hs Di'dreh
Koch Case.

ptsysuztnt of James NtSss 10 '"'
Koch Case.
The Richmond City Council Commit
ice on tho Improvement Of james River
bcr to call the attention Of the puplic
to the following extraordinary state
mcnt Of Judge Robert w. Hughes OF thc
Federal court. contained in the decree
given by him and promulgated III the
Dispatch Of December 30. 1884, IN the
case Of Dic1rich Kock, master oil the
German brig Bonitc. rs. the schooner
Anne +. Valentine:
Opinion hy Judge Hughes.
The collision under invesaen,ion nap
pered In James river just below inc u nlousn ~.
~ Almond creek which Is a little be.ow me
" In ryes Of the Chesapeake ana ONO fsaii-
way Company. Although the riVer thers "
wide. the channel is not more tnsn twV
hundred feet between the buoys. Not ~ ~
certain that the channel Is uniiof ofn,S usup, ~,
of the river above city Point, aithough tne @
chart may show plenty Of water, yet vessels
drawing over ten feet often hnd .hc cnssis,s
Touching the bottom at unexpected uines
i'm unAxrecfe,l places This happens nore
Jreouenily after tile spring freshets than NJ
other seasons.
When the case was tried Judge
Hughes had before him the chart oil the
survey Of James river made by the
United States engineers in charge OF the
Improvement of said river. This chart
was introduced by counsel for ono party
and admitted without condition by the
counsel for the other side. There was
no other evidence before him in regard
to the depth or width Of channel. This
being the fact, il is of consequence to
know what the chart says on the sub
iect that is set forth in the following
questions and answers propounded by
the committee to Mr.. c. p. L. Bur
ewyn. chief engineer in charge OF the
Improvement. and answered by him as
follows:
No. /. What is the width OF channel
at the point where the vessels collided!
No. 2. What is the depth between
buoys at above point!
No. 3. What is the minimum depth
of channel from City Point to city lim-
it's:
No. 4. What is the minimum width
for minimum depth of channel?
No. 5. What is the maximum width
for minimum depth of channel?
No. 6. What is the requisite width
for above depth?
No. Z. What was the actual width
and depth of channel at the point oil
collision?
No. g. What was the state of the
tide at o O'Clock p. NJ. April 30,
1884?
No. 0. What effect do spring freshets
have on the channel?
No. 10. How long have You been
connected with the Improvement OF
James river?
ENGINEER's OFFICE. }
JAMES RIVER IMPROVEMENT. I
RICHMOND. Va, Dec, 1884. y
Leris d. Crenshaw, T., Esq. Char
man City Committee on the Improee-
ment Of James Rirer:
Dear Sir.-I have the honor to ac-
knowledge the receipt of your letter ol
the Both instant mclosing an extract
from the Dispatch of the same date
containing a decision of Judge Hughes
in reference to a collision on the james
river near Almond creek on April 80
1884. l beg leave to submit thc fol-
lowing replies to the questions con
tanned in your letter:
First inquiry. Answer: The widti
of channel at Almond creek and vi
entity is limited by the j1ttics, and Is
400 -four hundred) feet. The buoy'
mark the maximum depth, and arr
placed 200 two hundred) feet apart.
Second enquiry. Answer: From Il
(seyenteem to 20 twenty feet at higl
tide.
Third inquiry. Answer: Sixteel
QG) at high tide.
Fourth inquiry. Answer: Two hun
dred (200) feet, except at Dutch Gap
where it is one hundred and eight!
QS0 feet.
Fifth inquiry. Answer; Elevel
hundred (l,l00) feet at Curtis Neck
| believe this to be the widest point.
Sixth inquiry. Answer: Two hun
dred (200 feet.
Seventh inquiry. Answer: 1t wa
from seventeen 40 to twenty (2O) fec
between the buoys, and sloping fror
seventeen az to ten (lW feet from tn
buoys to the jetties.
Eighth inquiry. Answer The sci
registering tide-gauge records show tina
at 0 p. NJ. April 80, 1884, the tide wa
at a stand at high tide.
Ninth inquiry. Answer The fresf
cts generally deepen the channel be
tween the jettieS, sweeping the materl'
in behind them. At localities wher
there are no jetties it is difficult to d'
tect any effect Of the freshets.
Tenth inquiry. Answer Eight z
years.
/ have the honor to be your obedieI
servant. -. p. L. BURGwYN,
United Sta,es Assistant Engineer.
This testimony is confirmed by q
experience of majority Of the fourtee
! Q4) members who constitute the con
mittec; they being shippers, whose bus
ness requires constant personal know
ledge of the depth and width Of Il
channel, especially from City Point
Richmond.
Such facts thus established, withol
difficulty and beyond question, sho
Judge Hughes to be without excuse f
the misstatement contained in the par
graph we have quoted from his deere
The promulgation of that decree b
ing calculated to do great harm to Il
city of Richmond in keeping ships
large size from coming to the river, al
in discrediting the policy lately adopt'
by the General Government of deepenii
the channel to % feet at mean low It'd
the committee have felt it their duty
lose no time in correcting the stateme
of Judge Robert W. Hughes.
LEWIS ID. CRENsHAw, JR.,
Chairman Committee on lmproyeme
of James River.
THE BLAKESBU URG LYNCHIN
A6diionai Details Of the Hanging Of Ple'