The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-09-19
GIGANTIC BASIN SCHEME.
AN UNDERTAKING THAT WILL
NEED MILLIONS or DOLLARS.
Mr.. BeYgwyp's Proiect-Inland Canal i'm
Manchester Flowing into the River
Immense Reservoir TO Supply It-Docks,
Locks, Ship-yards, &c.

Manchester Flowing into the River
Immense Reservoir 10 supply It-Docks.
Locks, ship-yards. &c.
There are very few men who, II they have
more than the usual intellect. will not have
a hobby of some sort. The great class Of
such men are usually found in the Northern
cities. because in those places they have
more money TO carry out their pet schemes;
but human nature is the same the world
over. and the south often produces just
such man. Virginia. leader in other
matters. is not backward IN this, for right
in Richmond she has man with project,
and one who is in every way able 10 carry
out his scheme, provided aid is youchsaied
him.
his net scheme for some years has been the
improvement Of James river. lie has, how
ever. made deviation in the past few
months as to the manner Of this improve
ment. his endeayOr now being nothing less
than an inland basin. 1t is a gigantic
scheme. one that has even been seldom
dreamed of bv Richmond's most active pro-
moters. but il is one that, If consummated;
will be the means Of making klchmohu
more what it ought 10 be than any ldea
that has ever been spoken OF. II Is plan
that has been tried in the large cities OF
Tur0pe with indisputablc success, ana j.
nerfectly feasible on the James river.
INLAND BASIN.
Mr.. Burgwyn's plan. without going into
the details Of IT. is 10 establish Just below
the city ON the Chesterfield side an inland
basin. This basin, dock, or canal Is to be
dug out. and will be about two miles ana
boif long hv about mile wide. IL is 10 lay
parallel with the river. but have no connec-
ZION with il at that point. This basin Is 10
be about thirty-Gye feet deep, so that 1t can
accommodate the largest vessels that can
come up the James.
ON either side of the basin will be sites
for manufactures. with wharf fronts, ware
rooms. elevators. yards, etc, IN TACT every
thing that GOES 10 make mp shipping port
and also wharfs with railroad connections
for goods consigned to or from Richmond
and other points. At the western ehu OF
This basin will be dry-dOcks, where large
ship-building works can be erected, vessels
repaired. and all work Of this character
executed ON a mammoth scale.
This basin will be more than a mlle
south Of the river. space being allowed Tor
all kinds Of manufacturing sites, so that IL
is easily seen that being parallel win Inc
James. the two bodies Of water VIII nave
nothing TO do with each other. The wafer
that is TO DE used i'm filling the basin is to bc
that which has been used by the Mahches-
ter and Richmond mills, and that
is now wasting as 1t goes down
the river, This water, instead o. OF
keeping its present course, VIII
he Turned into canal that
will lead to the basin. This
will hll it. the only escape Of the water
being series of lock-gatcs below where
the monitors are situated. II can readily
be seen, leaving ont the scientlllcal part OF
it,. that water poured i'm a big basin with
enough incline in it TO make 1t HOW, ana
hlylng only a series of locks ut one end OF
il 10 let il out viii eventually get iull ana
stay So That's the whole plan, and that II
is perfectly feasible has been demonstrated
in great many instances.
BENEFlT DERIVED.
The next question is. what benefit will
be derived: The benefit j., this, that this
basin being established. manufacturing
sites will be occupied, a dry-dock win
ship-yards built and the shipping interest
OF Richmond treble itself in very few
years. This done, the population VIII IN
crease. a greater capital viii come IN, ana
Richmond will then be ON the road 10 her
lust place as the foremost city Of the SOUTH
ern States.
The cost of this enterprise VIII be from
six 10 eight million dollars. and foreign. not
Northern capital, is expected TO furnish It,
TO build it would require about i've years,
and the material alone that would Doe used
i'm building would place Richmond ON a
boom that She has never possessed before.
ANOTHER SCHEME.
This scheme is not all. however. If one h.
carried out another one will be, and the lat
ter is number of impOundlng reserNOu-, or
one large one. This reservoir will he ST
uated about fifty miles above Richmond,
and will bee about 10 miles long by iiiiy
miles wide. This reservoir VIII also be fed
bv the river, mostly at the time OF ireshets.
The river at that time. MS everyone in Rich
mOnd knows. has too much water IN
it for practical uses, and the keeping
down of this rising water would
be gOd-send t0 the people Who
are nearly every year damaged by IT. The
plan of the reservoir works just there. In
stead of the water coming down the river,
destroying property. etc" II VIII De kept Up
i'm the reservoir. From the river to the lat
ter viii bee built a wide canal, sufficient 10
accommodate the flow of water. At GER
tain rise ia the water the canal IS brought
| into play. and the reservoir is filled. OF
course. water will be put at all times IN the
reservoir. but ireshets furnish better illus
! ratiOn of the workings Of the plans.
REGULATE TIE FLOW.
/ This water is 10 regulate the flow in The
river. and also the flow i'm The basin, for if
the river has not enough water IN il TO carry
The ships mp and down from the basin the
reservoir is empted sufficiently 20 make up
/ the deficit. This scheme, like the other one.
is full of details, scientifically, physically g,
| geographically. and otherwise; but in sum
aud substance it is as stated.
After these plans have beeu carried out,
I Mr.. BurgWyn expects Congress to make "a
sufficient appropriation 10 deepen the river
To a depth of thiriy-liye feet from the outlet
Of the basin to Ncwp0rt News. This Will
then give every opportunity for large vessels
20 come to Richmond. and Will at once re-
store to this old city her onyiable position As
a shipping port that She held in days gone
| by.
The cost of the impOundng reservoir or
reservoirs has not 3s vet been estimated.
but Will add more millions to the expense.
and the money. if il is 10 De had at all, Will
be placed in Richmond within the next two
years.
THE PROSPECT.
Next month. i'm New York city, will be
held an international convention OF iron
and steel manufacturers of the world, there
being about five hundred from foreign lands.
This includes the greatest engineers Of Eng
land, France, Germany, switzerland, and
spain, and it is difficult 10 overestimate the
importance and probable results OF the con-
NontiOn that Will have 80 many brilliant
men a. its members. After sessions in New
York. where learned papers will be read
and discussed. dinners given, etc, the
party viii make excursions throughout the
country.
The programme rs far as concerns Viz
ginia Will be that on October 10Th the
Southern excursion party will spend sun
day on Lookout mountain. The next day
Chattanooga will be reached. The party
will then come north and visit the POca-
hontas coal mines, Roanoke. the caves Of
luray. and iron mines IN southwest Viz
ginia. At POcahOntas General Fitzhugh
Lee will take the party in charge, and 1t Is
firmly expected that they viii come to
Richmond and look into the merits Of the
basin and reservoir scheme.
They are used 10 such schemes. They
have seen them successfully tried in their
native countries, and know what successes
they are, and can better than any other
class Of people on earth tell Of the POSSIBLE
titles Of Richmond and Virginia. The whole