Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-13
er sr7.Mo: and others Of lesser note iu


"Nr. Burgwyn has grasped the idea, in
it, broadest sense, that Richmond should
bc made an inland seaport town with ia.
cilities for handling tho growing trade OF
the great interior country south, and with
basis for expansion only offered when
cheap aud almost unlimited power can be
added 10 a naturally advantageous location
for comparatively small expendituTes. .
Primarily. the protector ia in favor Of
utilizing the enormous watershed OF the
James river and its one natural outlet al
Richmond. Va, TO It's fullest extent. The
phvsicnl conditions are such that ImpOuud-
ing reservoirs for storage Of the excessive
rain-falls of the contiguous rcgiOn-say,
drainage area Of 40xlj0 miles. equal 20
G 600 square miles Ot territOry-are not only
practicable from the nature Of the bottom
lands of the upper country, but incxpeh-
Hge considering the advantages TO be
gained) as compared with public improve
ments Oflike nature in other parts OF the
world The measured discharge OF the
James river, taken at Richmond under
normal conditions, varies from 1000
Cubic feet per second 20 lOUDJ
cubic feet por second "A far
average fall Of. say. A.000 cubic feet per
second freshcts arc Of character dun
cult 90 understand without close study OF
the topography oftbe country about Rich
m0ud. but at such periods the estimated
discharge Of water past he city OF Rich
mond IL as high a. 100000 cubic feet per
second. To fully grasp the economic value
of such volume of water az IS here OBJ
tainable. il evenly distributed throughout
the season and made use of 10y industrial
cities along the river, 1t should be under-
stood that within thirteen milcs from the
CITY (Richmond being 90 the head Of noyi-
CATION and ON tide water there IS iall OF
oyor 10 feet, and from tide-water 10 the
gap IN the Al,eghan'cs. from winch the
James river takes its source, the elevation
Is about SIS feet.
HORSEPOWER.
By any reasonable system Of impound-
ing reservoirs within distance OF fifty
miles Of the city there could be guaran-
tced at least 900 cubic feet per second
during summer months. and under head
Of llj feet this would average SOY 10000
horsepower. TO enable The reader to
compare this measured value with we'll
known sections where the question has
been answered by the expenditure Of mil
tious@ Of money 60 secure the advan-
taxes If power Of this character, the fol-
low ug table Of the horsepower for. the
summer months alone has been compiled:
Horse
CRY. power
James river at Richmond, Va, with
james river at Richmond, Va at
present ....... ......'.'''.'-''Z 3'0 jll
" woke. M9ss.................. .IZ,2iO
Manchester. r. H.....................12.O00
Lowell, Mass. ..... .....-..........'.II'o %
Lewiston. Ne............-......'' - wv
Lawrence, Mas5.................. iU'yUz
f'rf.rng- n. y Observation-Disclosures. btJJp
cit is thus evident that the ordinary
summer conditions compare tayorobly VII n
the wcll-kn0wn examples above, while
great frlsh,t5 furnish over 2,00O,O JJ-
horse power to this exceptionally favored
location at Richmond.
PAIR VALUATION.
a fair valuation Of the average horse
power per year is stated as r2S, and 10 fol-
lows. Therefore, that Richmond could cosi-
is control AN annual valuation for her con-
ticuous water-prv.leges of over one mil
hon dollars.
Geographically Richmond is at the end
of the deepest western indeut0tion OF tho
Atlantic, one hundred and twenty-seyen
miles from the son and seventy miles IN
direct line from Newport News, on lIamp-
ton Boads.
II commands far wider territorial area
within the limits of the GnitcdStatCs than
auv city north of it. Thus al points south
Of % straight limo projected from the
mouth of the Delaware river 70 the Lake
of the Woods are nearer TO Richmond than
10 New York.
There is i'm the magnificent harbOr OF
Hampton Roads an entrance which ranks
the James river with the great harbors OF
the world like the Amazon. The river IT.
self ia one continuous harbor, reaching
into tho country nnetv-eight miles-the
uDper fifty miles being fresh water.
This whole distance of nlnety-elCht
miles consists Of long. deep. capaclous
pools. souarated by shoals which are now
being systematically worked upon 20 pro
duce uniform depth of twenty-five feet
at low water.
CONrTIE WITH ANY NORTHERN CIriEs.
With such a depth Richmond can COM
pete with any of the northern cities. rs she
viii soon be siXty-seven miles nearer the
sea than Baltimore, but seventeen miles
farther than Philadelphia.
New York has now n 20 % feet ut low
tide. with o mean rise Of feet inches-ZJ
feet 3 inches.
Philadelphia has on her bar ~ feet NJ low
tide, with "a rise OF 6 feet-2j feet.
Norfolk has at her wharves about % feet
at low tide, with a rise Of fcot-2S feet.
Baltimore mas 27 feet at low tide, with a
rise of Is feet -2SlG feet.
Richmond is promised % feet at low
lido. with "a rise of 3 feet-2j}5 feet.
Comparison in natural resources with
the enormously wealthy and progressive
inland cities OF England or Of our own
country Will not show TO the disadvantage
Of Richmond, and, # possibilities are TO be
considered there il more IN the future
growth Of this inland centre of trade-with
its mineral and agricultural wealth so close
ly allied, The combination of complex pro-
blems IN water-stOrage ana delivery, utill-
zation, etc.-than can be grasped at a sit
ting.
In concluding his paper Mr.. Adams
quotes at length from the valuable pa
pers that have been written by Mr.. &.
T.. T.. Burgwyn, engineer of the James
River Improvement, on the subject of the
inland-basin to be located on the west
bank OF the James river at Richmond,
or, in other words, just below Manchos-
ter. The paper is accompanied by seye-
raj maps
THEY ARE ATTENTIVE.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Adams's
statement the society adjourned TO make
the excursion down the James river 10
the monitors, Dutch Gap, and Drewry's
Bluff.
Save for the ages Of some of the men,
bers the society, while papers are being
read or discussed, is strikingly sug-
cestive Of a leoture-room In a university.
Every member has a copy of the paper
in his hand or is taking notes and the
most profound interest Is manifested.
Discussion by professors in the body
partakes especially OF the lecture-room,
except that 81 think is generally sub
shtuted for the positive assertion.
CONCLUDED on FIFTH PAGE.
DROWNED IN THE JAMES.
Tho Body Of an Unknown Colorod Man