Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-07
CHANNEL OF JAMES RIVER.
TIE NATIONAL IMPORTANCE
OF DEEPENING IT.

lIeIborS Of Congress by committee
Of The Common Council OF Richmond ::
Richmond. with population Of So
Geo souls. Is seated so the head Of tide
ON James river, fronting three miles
along ihc shore.
C,o!ocica,ly, its surface is bed Of
CLAW. nom twenty-five to one hundred
and city feet IN thickness. underlaid by
solid granite, thirty thousand feet
tt,th.
geographically, it occupies two large
platcauN. separated by valley with \
ncvcr.talhHe stream running through It.
These plateauN are Of undulatiug sur
face, rising, by irregular terraces, from
the level Of the river to the height Of
$50 feet.
he falls OF the river, commencing
about five miles above the upper boun-
Diary Of the city, descend llG feet in
eight miles, with a minimum flow Of
water calculated at 1922 cubic feet
per Sccond-the amount varying with
the rainfall.
This elevation, with the undulating
slope 70 the river and the rapid descent
a. the river, gives splendid drainage
and an iueNhaustible supply Of pure
water-thc two prime conditions Of
metropolitan development.
Chmatically Richmond is in 81 go
north latitude, with a thermometrc
Tarcc from o. to 9>., rarely touching
either extreme and never remaining at
either for long time. As a conse-
QuCnce James river IS almost never
closed with ice even for one day.
Geographically, Richmond is at the
end &C the deepest western indentatiOn
Of the Atlantic, ~ miles from the sea
and Sevcnty-four miles from Hampton
Roads, at Ncwport's News, as the crow
flies un comparatively short time pro-
missing to be reduced 10 eighty miles
from that point by water. 1t com
mardS a far wider territorial area
within the limits of the United
States than any city north Of 1t.
Thus all points south Of a straight line
projected from the mouth Of the Della
ware Iiyer to the Lake OF the Woods
are nearer 10 Richmond than to New
York all points south OF line from
Annapolis 10 the northeastern corner
Of Montana are nearer 70 Richmond
than TO Philadelphia; all points south
q the boundary line between Mary
lsud and Virginia on the Atlantic to
TIE boundary line between Oregon and
taHioInla on the Facihc are nearer to
Elohmcrd than to Baltimore. !; Is
~" miles nearer IMAM Ne" J OK
Is TO san francisco by an eotaoIiehed
line ; and when the route through en-
ne.-'e IS shortened by the pr2!ei'ei ar
Inc from hIIS'oi 10 N'nPh'S' Sa'inS
IL" m'.tS' anu by th' pli'Hi"B at lhe
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