The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-10-25


Diversion ofwRter from the Eric canal
has stirred up quite u controversy at
lsocSport, N. ", between the boatmen
and the manufacturers. The State en-
gineer has been requested to investigate
the matter and determine whether the
taking of water from the canal for water
power has caused any detriment to
navigation. There seems to be little
doubt that the water has been drawn off
with most improper freedom,
The Chesapeake and Ohio canal liti
cation still continues. Tho latest is a
proposition of the holders of the bonds
OF 1914 to take possession of the canal
and assume all liabilities having pre-
cedence over their own. Notwithstand-
ing the report of the receivers, which
was to the effect that it was not feasible
to operate the canal and pay the inter-
est on the cost of it's repair, these bond
holders believe that they can do this
and pay the bonds issued in 1878 be-
sides.
Surveys for the Chicago drainage inn
provement are making good progress,
The field surveys between Chicago and
Summit will be completed during Octo-
Der. They will be pushed toward Joliet
as far as possible before the close of the
season. behring's in the Desplaines
Valley will be continued during the
winter. reconnaissance of the Illinois
Valley is in progress and will be finished
this season. An investigation of the
flood conditions in the water sheds of
the Desplaines and Chicago rivers has
been undertaken and Investigations con-
corning the flow of water in the pro-
posed channel are under way. The total
expense of the surveys from Aug. | to
May 1, 1891, is estimated to exceed
1925. 900.
The expense of repairing the lcvees of
Arkansas, which we're injured during the
past year, is estimated at nearly 81 ,000,
900 by Capt. E. c. Tallinger, U. s. A.
In order to raise the levee line 81 it.
above the high water mark or last spring
and give an 8-ft crown, some 4,764 Gu.
yds. of filling will be required.
Great opportunities for making money
in the lumber business abound upon the
banks of all the streams of the ex-
tensive mountain region surrounding
Cumberland Gap and Middlesborough.
A correspondent at Tazewell, Tenn,
writes that while lumber is in active
demand in these growing cities at from
$15 to S25 per thousand, yet logs can be
bought on margins of the streams
whereabouts at from S. to IS per thou
sand.
AS an instance of the enormous in
crease of the value of land in Berlin
during the past thirty years, it is stated
that piece of land on a street of the
northern suburbs which sold for 1900
twenty years ago is now held by the
proprietor at $3.50, 600.
sSx
Mr.. James Bradfield contends that
there is as good magnetic iron ore in
Rockingham county as there is in
Stokes, and that the Roanoke and South
ern road passes directly through an ore
bed better in quality and location than
Colonel Hicks mine, near Danbury. He
also claims that there is in the neigh
borhood of Madison IL large mass of
brown hematite ore within half a mile
of the Roanoke and Southern road. 1t
seems therefore that the Roanoke and
Southern road has already penetrated
one of the best iron sections of the
South Exchange.
&xss
q The Westinghouse noiscless motor
has been tested with considerable sue
cess, it is said, at Pittsburg, Pa. As is
well known, the noise of car in motion
is made by the rapid rotations of the
gear wheel of the motor. The idea of
the Westinghouse patent is to leave the
wheels inclOSed in an air tight box with
the gear wheels immersed in lubricat-
ing oil. The test proved that the idea
was a good one so far as dcadcning the
noise was concerned.
NM
The Brooklyn Bridge board Of cx-
4.
ent plans for charging the terminal
facilities of the bridge, and is said to
have at once thrown out all but six or
eight of them as impracticablc and
absurd. 1t is likely to be two or three
months yet before any final report is
submitted. The present board consists
of Mcssrs. Samuel Spencer, c. w lIuch
holz and Geo w. Plympton. The for
mer board, which reported Feb. 81, 1883,
consisted of Mcssrs. Walter Katie, Jul
JUS w. Adams and Joseph Crawford
The plan recommended by the former
board of experts, that by Mr.. a. NJ. Vel
lington, is not as yet formally before the
second board of experts. owing to an at
tempt of the bridge trustees to impose
new and unprecedented condition for
the receipt of plans.
Though this is said not to be a great
year for corn in the Unitad States, the
crop is estimated to exceed 1000, 900, :
900 bushels, enough to load 100000
railway cars. These cars would require
1884, locomotives to haul them, allow
ing thirty cars for each locomotive, and
the train would require 1867 miles of
track to stand on, or in round numbers
$500 miles more than the circumference
OF the earth.