Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-05-26
APiantror the MnpufaeturoofHoa

4 Plant for the Manufacture OF Heavy
Guns.
10 he Editor Of the Dispatch:
You published recently telegram from
Roanoke telling that a number Of naval Off
GERS were there "lo9kIng around Tor suit
able place for locating pant for the manu-
fscture Of heavy guns"
The party Ws' comprised as follows: Adj
mlrL Porter, Rear Aduirals RsGgers, Cal
| houn, Ga1 Franklin. EnRlnccr-iu CHEZ Mel
vile. Comm0dsrcs Walker and Brown. and
| Lisutenants stanton and RAYMOND Rodgers.
| How many Of those who read that article,
and then went their ways, one to bis farm
and another to his merchandise, thought for
a moment tsat the best place in the United
states, by long odds, for sLoh purpose Is
James river At the head Of tide How many.
| indeed. knew il At ALL! For the benefit Of
! these please publish few extracts from
| late pan phl,t OF Colonel Frank G.. RUINS,
proving the fact beyond dispute:
Among IFS other capacities for
manufacturing, the head OF tie on James
/ river offers SUPERIOR advantage. for the build
| ing Of snip. Of war and the manufacture 81
! arms Of every description, and especially Of
! heavy ordnance. The quality Oi Virgins
! iron Tor such purposes has been we'll known
/ 10 the War and NAVY Departments from 1913
up 10 the time when the war broke out. TIE
! records show that within that time the guns
| made at the Tredegar Works OF Virginia
| iTsn from the county Of BotetOurt were the
| only guns that stood the powder tests. one OF
! hat make having been dred l.S00 or 1000
tunes wlthsut breaking. That gun is be-
! lieycd to b. still At the nsvy-yard.
"Ipa letter written on the Let OF Deem
| Der last BIZ mr. samuel i. Tilden to Dir. Car
! Isle. Speaker Of the House OF Representa-
| tlyes, attention Is earnestly called 70 the de-
| fsnccess condition OF TIE Atlantic coast, and
! the importance OF providing means for de-
/ fence by engaging the services Of private
| embellishments, or By the establishment Of
| works for TIE manufacture OF whateyer
! might be necessary TO meet this public
| want
! "Some fears have been expressed that the
| foods in James river might be fatal 10 ship
/ suIldIng from the overflow OF the banks.
! Freshc, do not often occur; seldom ofiener
| than twice year; and then they very rarely
/ reach seiEht OF more than six feet above
the lowest deprcssIons in the aluYlsl basins,
| and six inches above the most elevated
spots-ny twelve feet above high tide,
| which here rises three and one
bali feet. Twice withiR the last
! hundred years 10 wit, IN 1870 and lS11--lhe
| hs0d reso, FL ore case tTenty.ieur and In
| the other TWENTY-FIVE feet above mean hIgh
! ride. But twice daily the clyde rises ten
! and enc hail feet, tde TIVE fifteen feet, the
| Thanes. at Shernes', sixteen feet, at London
| bridge tweAty-oas feet seven iaches, and toe
Mersey, At Liverpool, rises tweuly-sne fert,
| or several feet mere twice daily thar
J the James does twice wear. And
! though tae spring tides OF toe Nersey rise
ordinarily TO twenty six feet, and al tae Equi-
| rex TO thirty-one feet, or six feet higher
/ than cur rGTest ireshes have ever Tiseu. and
/ OF the Thames nearly ~ high, yet London
has grown to bs the lsrEeS. city IN the uorld
aud Liverpool b Dc the frSt ia commercial
! importance 10 Great Britain. Al Bristol,
which was the foremost seaport Ia Great
Britain until TIE coal aud iron Development
Eest Liverpool ahead, the spring tides 10 the
| Avon rise 10 height Of forty TO tOrtv.eiEht
| feet All which ought 70 settle the question
fer JsEles river.
at is " Ne expected that any such eStab-
lshmest shall be planted where H. will be
certaisy safe against on enemy ~ BEAlpst
iresnss; and there Is no place on the At
sntic OF which such condition can be 30
! confidently predic1ted as OF the head OF tide
water or James river, just below Hichmons.
Commencing at Fort PsWhatan. 4j miles be-
defence OVerkanrinE the river. At Cur's
Neck, % miles from Richmond, and thence
ND TO the city Itself. both sides sderd eeyl-
lions. Tx. Cn4lin's and DreWry's Hluf and
Dutch Gap, which will enable very small
force to sink an invading fleet; whilst the
line OF the ChickahOmiuy on the north, and
Of the App0natiOX on the south, Will pto-
tect against any hankipg movement.
Thus guarded, anv naval force Of the
United States might lie sheltered IN perfect
security in that pat OF the harbor, which
will extend thlrty-twO miles-from City
Point 10 Richmond.
"The history Of the late war proves the
correctness OF these statements Every sol
der knows that 10 the last Richmond was
impregnsble TO assault. and only yielded
when famine fell upon the Army Of Northern
Virginia.
"0i course. where such natural strength
Of site Is found the cost OF terrifying il isa
minimum; which, other things being equal,
ought TO turn the scale la IL favor. ID Is
safe to say that n the Government should
determine 10 select such 4 site fer building
ships and manufacturing ordnance, and
should expend the money to get the requisite
depth 10 the river pdri pGsSu with the ex-
pcndlture necessary for plant and materials,
the river could be put IN condition long be-
fore the W ,rks could BE- flushed; and that
the cost Of deepening the chsnnel can be
saved many times over in the much smaller
expenditure that would be required for the
other enterprise.
at will strengthen what has been said 10
give the following extract FROM letter OF
Professor John N. Brooke, of the Virginia
HILLARY institute, late lieutenant OF tie
United states navy and captain Of the Com
federale navy, WHO is recognized the world
over as high authority Oh such subjects.
LEXINGTON. Va, March ), 1888.
- Colonel H. 6. R1gin, Richmond, Va:
Dear Sir.-Hayink carefully considered
your suggestions in detail and IN general. il
remains but to say that believe that the re-
suits plainly indicated ia this rare concur
reace o. all essential aud many favorable Gle.
ments are within reach Of our people al a
cost comparatively insignificant. And II
ailer deepening the James there shall De, a.
We have reason to bsiieyo there will be. a
demand for American butt shIps OF iran and
steel. the advantages Afforded at the mead OF
tidcwater In the immediate vicinity OF Rich.
mona for the prosecution OF that industry
would be unsurpassed. And especially
would this be the ease with respect 10 ships
OF war, including their armament.
"Wishlng you success, | am sincerely
yours, "JoHs NJ. BRooKE.D
just now. when our wide.awske congress