Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-10-29
THE JAMES RIVER.
Addresses by Colonel C. p. Z. Burgwyn
and Colonel Frank @. Rufhn,
&C., &C, &C,

special meeting of ell the members Of the
Chamber I've called for October 2sth, with
the view oi hearing from Colonel G. J.. +.
BuTg~yn, Colonel Frank g. RufIin, and
members OF the james. River Improvement
Committee a statement Of The condition Of
the river Improvement.
To this meeting, winch took place vegter-
day evening. Colonel W. r. CraighiT, the
United states engineer in general charge
OF the work, who was in the CITY during
the week; Hon. George ID. Wise. our
member of Congress. who bss been very
successful In getting sppropI iations; the
members of the City Council. and business
npn generally, were invited, the object
being 20 awaken as much interest in and
throw ~ much light upon the subject as
possible; the Chamber considering the
river improvement q matter OF so much
concern thai every business man and tax.
payer ought 10 be well-informed about it.
Personal.
Colonel Craiybill wrote letter express
ipg bis regret that he could moi be presen Z.
saying- " This is r subject In which have
taken a deep interest, and | would Ike
very mnch 90 be with the Chamber. b.y
ahle resident engineer. Mr. Burgwyn. aud
be can at any time acqusiut the Chamber
wiIh them. 1t may be that in some future
visit 10 Richmond might on longer notice
be able 10 meet the Chamber, and this
should be pleased to do II desired by that
BODY"
Hon. George i. Wise was prevented by
other engagements from attending.
The Chamber. the Rlver-lmpIOyement
Committee, the city Council, and the busi-
Dess-men generally were well represented
az The meeting.
TIE RIVER.
Colonel Burgwyn was by President
AinslIc first called upon 70 present his
views. With the aid Of number Of large
maps, pluced upon the walls. be explained
tie work in conversational but
c car and attractive way. He said that the
river improvement was undertaken fifty
Years ago, Mr.. Stansbury being the engi.
uecr. Little was done. however, until 1916.
when the people Of Richmond, dissatisfied
with the way in which Congress had dealt
With the subject, gOt the Virginia Legis-
lsture 10 incorporate q company with the
consent Of Congress- 10 deepen the river
10 eleven and q hall feet 10 the sea.
with ibe power 10 charge toll 10 reimburse
themselves, but nothing wa- done. Later
on The famous engineer. Mr.. Ellett, pro-
posed n canal from Iii, ,hmond 10 four miles
below the city. showing that there was
deep water below that point. In 1852 Con-
gross again took UP the subject. bu the
NirL inia politicians went 50 far rs 10 saV
that they could not take the money. The
city did hat she could. and 50 matters
went on Until the wal broke out. and when
TIE river was Obsiructed bv vessels sunk 10
the channel 10 prevent the approach Of the
enemy. The real Improvement OF the river
began in 1870. Most that has been done
has lcen done since that wear.
This i a short time. Most OF the rivers
OF The Continent have been worked upon
fer 100 years, some OF them for 300 years.
Since he had he, u in charge Of the work
QSS0) Colonel Bnrgwyu had had only an
sycruge of $4,000 per anDum to eXpend
upon the riveI-an amount trIlIng indeed
considering the vast Importance OF the un-
derakiDg.
COLONEL BVEGwYN.
after paving q tribute 10 his predecessors
in office, went on 10 state that the cost oi
bringing the Improvement contemplated
twenty-five ieet al high water from the
ocean 10 Bermuda Hundred was ONLY
:
bar & 100000: to Richmond $4,000. 900
the excavation fOr about three miles belo
Richmond having 10 be done through sol
rock From The ocean up there j. no roc
encountered until within three and ha'
miles Of Richmond. There are boulder
met with. hui they are not difficult 8.
bandlC; 80 by rock j. meant "rOcky
ltdccs.'
Colonel RurCwyn demonstrated that
" here dIedged out the river does not FL
up. Siau>bury'a map afforded hlm indu-
b.iatle evidence IN this point. Tue channel
over some OF the bars, under the action OF
the steamers wiz screws stirring the sand
up. ere slowly deepening.
C0lorel BurgN VI, IN the course oi his re-
marks, by figures made irOm actual obser-
,Micus and sOuDdings, diSposcd o! the idea
that the cutting OF Dutch Gap bad lowered
TIE water in The river.
There was. he said. ten feet Of water on
Richmond bar when >tansDurv surveyed IL
IN 1896. II was dredged and dredged from
time 20 tine, hut fresbets always Tiled 10
back 70 ten feet. until Colonel Whitcomb
put lis last ietties in, since which time the
depth some eighteen or nineteen feet has
been successfully maintained. TIE con- |
,truc,ion ~ those ietties. Colonel Burgwyn !
insisted. did not cause the inundalion of |
Pockets hy back wafer" in ireshets, as |
bad more than once been charged.
"Take my word for if," said Colonel |
Burcwy y, q" they do not back NJ the water |
N the city. II lhey did, / would AK the !
.urireer in charge 10 blow them up
In conclusion, Colonel Burgwyn said 81 !
would require S4.J00,0O0 to complete the |
work Of securing twenty-five feet a. blgh |
idc from the sea 70 Richmond. and that /
IN wears time would be necessary 10 com |
llote IL; but that il the money were !
promptly forthcoming ~ enty-fyei feet could |
,e brought to Richmond bar in i've wears. |
COLONEL EUFTIN.
Tins gentleman, who has given year, of |
Intelligent observation 70 the subject, was /
ieXt Introduced and spoke at some lcng,b, |
nd mainly Oh branche, OF the subject not |
oucbed upon. or il touched upon but |
lgbtly. by Colonel Burgwyu. After re- |
erring 10 the liberal appropriations made |
" I Congrcss 20 Baltimore and New J orb, |
olopl EufIin insisted that il ore would |
xert ourselves We could get better appro-
iriations for James river. But, said he, |
be enemies We have Me Mr.. Huntington |
nd bis people, who say that with New
,oTt News il is unnecessary 10 brirg deep |
dltl 10 lAiNiil1hhhs
Mr. Huntington told us, said Colonel |
2uffin, that II we would give him this hole |
hrougb Church Hill he would not leave
Richmond il we would get him twenty |
Cet Of water. and yet Mr.. Huntington,
yho was omnipotent at Washington, never
lelped us ut all. For all that-fOr all bis
peculatiOn- Newport News is failure.
rbere is little or no fresh water about tue
on u. and vessels cannot lie at It's wharves
without chsfing. II is nothing but specl-
alton Of Mr.. Huntington's, gotten up 10
,ad iaita against us, and which we should
10 all IN our power TO cOuDieract.
The dock and dry-dock charter at one
ime prOpOsed-iDdeed, passed By The
iencrnl Assembly, but vetoed by the
,oyernor-Colonc Rufin also character
zed as a very dangerous scheme OF specu-
aicTs.
Colonel Rufin's idea was that by inter-
sting The attention Of the States west OF
i we would be better able 10 secure con-
re- slonal appropriations. Already the
,egislatures OF Kentucky. Tennessee, and
Vel Virginia have endorsed the scheme
m he improvement Of our ri ler, and in
truc:cd their Senators and requested their
presentatiyes III Congress 10 vote for the
ccessary sums. With little cfJrt we