Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-09-04
The Monitors.

the Navy Department, but to do tins
satisfactorily we must go back little.
In ga Paper issued by Mo Ch0D'bc'
of Commerce Of Richmond y in 1886 the
following appears, pages 10 and IL:
alt is to be expected thst any sucf
establishment for the building OF shlp'
OF war and the manufacture OF heavy
guns and plate-armorl shall be planted
where il will be certainly safe against an
enemy as against freshes; and there II
no place on the Atlantic of which such 6
condition can be SO confidently Tredl
Gated as OF the head Of tidewater or
James river, Just below Richmond
Commencing at Fort Powbatan, forty.
five miles below. every few miles above
offers point OF defence overhanging the
river. at Curl's Neck, twenty miles
from Richmond, and thence up TO the
CITY itself, both sides afford elevations,
Ike Chnfin's and DrewTy's Bluff and
Dutch Gap. which will enable n very
small force to sink an invading fleet
whilst the line of the Chickahominy on
the north and OF the Appomattox on the
south Will protect against any thanking
movement.
"Thus guarded, any naval force ofthe
United States might be sheltered IN per
feet security in that part of the harbor,
which will extend thirty-two miles, from
City Point 10 Richmond.
1.-The history of the late war proves
the correctness OF these statements.
Every soldier knows that 10 the last
Richmond WAS impregnable to assault
and only yielded when famine fell upon
the Army of Northern Virginia"
Quite lately Hon. JOHN w. DANIEL In
iroduced into the Senate a bill looking
70 the location of such an establishment
in the South, and it was thought well for
Richmond to argue her suitableness
therefor. II was also thought it would
help that argument if fleet Of monitors
could be stationed near the city. Then
the very location Of the feet would exhibit
such overwhelming military and topo-
graphical advantages as to suggest an
INQUIRY into the existence of the few
others that might be deemed requisite
to a complete location. And these being
ascertained 10 be at hand, as they are,
this complete location would come fire.
ouently under the observation of the
many officers of the army and navy
who it is hoped will visit us during this
exposition and at other times.
To further this view, and in that way
TO secure and expedite the deepening Of
the channel Of James river, application
was made to the Secretary of the Navy
in the following letter:
July 1S, 1888.
Hon. W. c. Whitney, Washington City,
n. c.:
Dear Sir,-Referring TO the brief in
terview had with you yesterday, and IN
which / acted as the representative OF
the Chamber Of Commerce of Richmond
city, Of the president of the Virginia
Agricultural, Mechanical, and Tobacco
Exposition, and OF the City Councils
Committeeon the Improvement of James
River, l beg leave respectfully to renew
in this formal shape the application
i then made orally that you will order
Che ironelads-I think there are seven
of them-now lying in James river, just
below City Point, thirty-three miles be-
low Richmond, TO brought to or near the
lower end Of Richmond bar in that
river, point two and half miles below
the corporate limits Of the city.
On the Sd Of October, 1888, the Agri-
cultural Exposition will open, and it will
terminate on the 30th OF November fol-
lowing--a period OF two months. 1t is
thought that the presence OF these IRON
clads, at least for that period, viii add
10 its attractiveness IN aiiording visitors,
especially from the West, an opportunity
OF inspecting them, as they VIII lie i'm
1nediately on the route TO Drewry's Bluff
and Dutch Gap, to which places daily
excursion parties are expected TO take
down crowds Of visitors. And this will
be an excellent advertisement Of the
claims of James river as a national
water.way-a claim which the Govern
ment has substantially recognized in the
last few years. 1t viii also instruct the
people as 10 one element of the national
strength, which is not now well under
stood by them.
There is not the least difficulty in
reaching the point selected. From their
present station there is up to that point
clear channel-way nowhere less than 200
feet wide and depth nowhere less than
J8i feet at high water, with depth at low
water OF 20 feet TO l9l feet and mud
bottom at the place they will probably
occupy-all which will appear by an In
spcction Of the chart left with your
privats'Becretary.
There are also some thirty jetties, as
the chart will show. and the City Coun-
ellis chairman Of the James-Riyer Com
mitteo authorizes me to say that if de-
sired the spaces between any OF them
will be dredged out Immediately TO give
berths TO the vessels.
The advantage 10 the service will be
that whereas the present location is iso-
lated. the one propose will he so near
the city that the families OF the officers
and sailors can be located in or adjacent
TO il and 10 Manchester, within hail, us it
were, Of the vessels.
Very respectfully, your obcdient SER
want, FRANK q. RoFFM.
Out Of this grew the order Of removal
and instead of poking fun at us wo
would rather have expected the congratu-
lations OF Petersburg upou that order as
increasing the prospect that the Govern
mont will be induced to give more liberal
appropriations to james river. and so
hasten the completion Of what viii neces-
sarily rebound 10 the advantage OF Pc
tersburg as well as. il not as much as, it
does to the advantage Of Richmond.
The skety Of the ironclads in their con-
templsted location has been considered