Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-01-01
our WATERWAY TO THE SEA.
Effective aud Permanent Improvement In
Deepening tho James River.

Enectiye ana feruhntnt tmptpFttu'i-e
Deepening tho James River.
The funds for the improvement OF tho
James liver are furnished partly by tho
United States Government and partly by
the city Of Richmond, Colonel William Il.
Craighill, corps of engineers United States
army, having charge. Alr. &. 4. h. bur-
gwyn Is the assistant engineer IN local
charge OF the Government work. Captain
Thomas Cunningham, Sr., Is the city's SUE
perintendent.
The aim OF the United States engineers
is to obtain depth Of twenty-five feet nc
low tide from Richmond 10 the sea. M
the last Congress made no Appropriation
for improvements in rivers and harbors
during tho session ending March A. 1889.
and as the appropriation for the currons
year was not made until late III september,
the work done was executed with tho
money that had very wisely been saved
from previous budgets.
The work in general consists in regrl-
lating the width OF the rvor 30 certain
amounts which theory has indicated AMI
long experience confirmed 0s being neces-
sary for the aintenance of channels whom
once obtained; In securing these cEanneis
| by artificial means, such as dredging,
blasting, etc, and in the natural deepening.
| of the stream by the scour induced 10y the
process of rectiticatiOn.
To note the effect of the works Of inn
provement and IA a test of the endurance
| OF the same the following obseryatlOns
| were made and facts elected A stretch OF
| the river at Richmond bar. about "a half n
mile in length. was brought 20 the proper
width and the channel was dredget out 90
eighteen feet at high water. THIS chan
mel was very carefully sounded by
stretching steel wire across the riyCr
aud taking measurements every ten tees.
| A period of ten years was allowed TO
elapse, during which time no work what
| ever was done on this section OF the rive-.
] At the end of that time tho same sound.
| ines were retakcn, and thu result Shove 4
| that in this interval the channel had NOT
| deteriorateda at all There Is no railroad-besi, |,
or highway. or bridge, or IN fact any artl-
| fetal construction over which SO many
| thousands tons Of freight could have beau
| carried, and yet at the end Of that tiiG .
! such passage-wav be IN "a good condi-
ton as when il WAS first completed. IL -
| astonishing how permanent the work ~
| Improvement has been. Further 10 ~ to
| be borne in mind that the total money aii-
nually available for this work Is only whss
| a railroad company would spend during u
| corresponding period over equal distance IN
| keeping its track in servceablo condition
Again. as there IL no slope IN the rfvdr,
| the Improvement must extend compief'dy
from one end 20 the other N order that is
channel NAV be- available. One single bnr
with minimum depth on IL would rendor
all the remainder Of no use practically uiI-
Ill the entire work was completed. Ito
permanence Of the completed channels ID
the great gratifying element connected
! with the WORKS. for wherever completed
the channels have been subjected To- gTens
freshets. heavy ice-gOrges. and Otte deters-
Grating influences of various kinds without
| injury of consequence.
The course pursued. therefore. in tho
Improvement OF the river il % select sOue
particular part aud complete il as Ear AZ
practical. Such a course prevents tho
work done from showing an increased
draught of water, because, as before statesi, t,
one bar only would limit the draught Of thu
whole river. But the pursuit OF this
course. which, like bulldog teuacity OK
grip never lets 90, will result ultimately IN
the more perfect Improvement, The clamor
of parties who are Interested IN the imino-
date deepening Of some particular locality
Is very difficult TO silence by tho general
good Of the river, but this clamor has been
unheeded and the policy Of consistent ira-
proyement been continued.
The present condition Of the river 40
high tide is as follows: Available dranght
from the sea TO City Point equal l9s feet (;
from City Point TO kingsland, - feet ;
over Kingsland. II feet from kingsla 81
to Richmond, 1911 feet.