Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-03-01
NEEDS OF THE RIVER.
THE COMMITTEE ESCORT CONGRESS.
MEN JONES AND WISE ON ATOUR.
The Former Is Confident of n Good Ap-
propristIon--A Most Interesting Trip
and a Splendid Dinner.

1
within the cabin of the city tug William
Il. Craiehill," at the Ariel wharves at l1:9O
O'Clock IN the forenoon, nor did 1t IN any
way mar their pleasure OF interfere with
the purposes or results Of their tour.
In the party were Congressman William
A. Jones and George ID. WISE the former
OF whom IS member of the HOuse Com
mittee on Rivers and Harbors. Mavor j.
Taylor Ellyson. Paymaster Lowell. of the
monitor feet. Dir. II. ID. Whitcomb. engi-
neer IN charge OF the James river i'm
proyement. and the following members of
the Committee on James River Improve
ment Messrs. J.. u. Crenshaw. Jr. (chair-
man. William II. Curtis. and Edgar ii.
Ferguson. from the Council. and Messrs.
s. n. Hawes John a. Curtis. and Thomas
Christian, from tie Chamber OF Commerce.
| A DIsPaTcH reporter made tie twelfth
man, while at the wheel in the pllot-room
was the veteran superintendent OF the
James-rlver improvement for Richmond
AMI commandant Of the tug, Captain
! Thomas Cunningham. Sr., VINO mad ms
son. Captain Thomas Cunningham. Jr.. or
tine TUG Henry Christian, 70 assist him
upon this occasion. IL may be rele-
want here TO remark that the venerable
| captain Of the Craighill has now been
steering around in the quiet waters of the
James over tweniy-tbree years, and IN
that length of time has become not only
attached TO the stream. but familiar with
every big rock or cut IN IT, and 1t has been
| sald he has even q personal acquaintance
with every fish IN the river.
THE OBJECT OF THE TRIP.
The object of the trip was, as was pub
lished in Sunday mornings DISPATCH, TO
show the members Of Congress, who had
been invited TO 90 down, the condition OF
the stream and urge upon them the I'M
| r l.rrf ho( (.nxT
| ernment not TO be less than that made by
the last Congress $500. 600. 1t IS necessary
that the channel be given twenty-five feet
at low tide and twenty-five at high. and
when this shall have been accomplished
the James will be in condition to have
ships ply her that draw twenty and twenty
| one feet, and Richmond become what she
deserves to be both a. a port and as q
| manufacturing aud industrial centre.
A great deal'of money has already been
spent, and with the exception OF one or
two places the channel il now eighteen
feet and over from Richmond 10 the sea.
As long as the James is river 1t will be
necessary to outlay much money annually,
though the gentlemen of the committee
are sanguine as TO her future as long as
she is properly cared for
TALK ABOUT BUILDING sHIP-YARDs.
The ride down was without feature. the
| party remaining within the coy little
cabin. The needs and the merits of the
river were talked about at great length,
and in the course of conversation the
question of building ship-yards at Rich
mond was discussed.
| Captain John A. Curtis said he thought
the old Chesapeake and Ohio wharves
would be a good place If II were not for the
freshets. and Paymaster Lowell. oftne moni-
tors, quite agreed with him. and stated that
II would be a great convenience TO be 50
near the Richmond Locomotive and Ma
chine Works. where all the hulls, boilers,
and machinery could be built.
| Mr.. Whitcomb thought II would be bot
ter to build the yards above the freshet
line. The pros and cons were considered
and it was finally agreed that Richmond
must have something of the kind some
time soon.
The gentlemen in the party manifested
great interest in the historic connections
of the many points of interest along the
river and incidents of war times were re-
called by number of them. Captain
John A. Curtis was gem in his way, and
his stories of occurrences in the period OF
unpleasantness between the States were
graphically and amusingly told, especially
the episode between the little torpedo
boat mannedby himself and three others
and the Minnesota, in which the latter
was half blown up.
STOP AT THE MONITORS.
When the monitors were reached the
tug ran along by the side of the Ajax 10
allow Paymaster Lowell to get of. Here
Commander Graham invited the party to
come aboard his ship. which invitation
was accepted. Half an hour was very
pleasantly spent in the Captains apart
ment, where refreshments were served,
and every courtesy shown the COM
mittee and their guests. As the
time approached for the tug to
proceed down the river Commander era
ham and Paymaster Lowell were earnestly
urged 0 accompany tho others, which they
finally consented to do. The Captain was
brmful of information concerning the
history OF the James and impaired some
of IL IN most entertaining way to the 1T
tie assembly aboard the Craighill."
INTERESTED IN THE RIVER.
During the whole trip Congressman
Jones manifested the deepest interest in
his MISSION and no point in the river was
| passed that he did not want to know some
thing about. He did not seem to fully ap-
prove the method of dredging the channel
and dumping the mud and rock just be-
yond the jetties, but was informed that
that was the only plan 10 be adopt
ed in the instance to which he referred
When the tug reached Dutch Gap, Mr.
Jones aud the other members of the party
were all attention, and some time was
spent in discussing the work necessary al
this point. CAPTAIN Wise jOcularly re-
marked that Ben Butler did the best
thing he ever did in his life when he cut
this gap"
AN EXCELLENT DINNER.
Half an hour before the Gap was reach
cd CAPTAIN Cunningham cOrralled his
guests from the pilot-aouse. the bow, the
: stern. and the other parts of the boat, and
invited them into the cabin, where mag.
nifcent dinner was spread. bowl OF
snlendid punch, q profusion Of sherry and
other tempting liquids We're embraced IN
tbe menu, while the meal. embracing
, the most oysters and the best oys
ers. the fattest and most delicious tur'
KEY, and the sweetest and most palataOlt
Virginia ham, was fsutless. In speaking
of the latter Commander Graham remark
. ed thai he'hal travelled nearly all over the
world. and that he would take the liberty
: of saving Virginia had the prettiest womer
, and the best hams of any State or countr,
he had ever seen.
The party had hardly finished dinner
when some one announced that the uaI
had been reached. Congressman Jones
snranc TO his feet and asked TO be excused
saving he was anxious TO see the place. II
: xy9s remarked that he could see II from the
onnosite side, but the gentleman from
Warsaw said he wanted TO see the GaI
from both sides.
TIE RETURN TRIP.
When the tug really reached this pom
II had ceased raining. and the return ;riI
, was possibly pleasanter than the rid'
,, down The MAJOR portion of the time wal
.. snsnt on the stern OF the boat, where
smoking and chatting were INDUCED IL
dd iibituDl. 4,
!, Just before reaching the monitors th'
, company repaired to the cabin. wher'
toasts were proposed to the health OF MIR
,Jones. Commander Graham. Paymaste
Lowell. and Mayor Ellyson. In making
brief response Mr. Jones said 1t would b'
very difficult TO get any larger appropIi
alton from this Congress than th'
last one gave for this work or
the James. but he assured the com
mittee that he felt no apprehension a
10 his being able to get bill through fol
that amount He referred very pleasant,
TO the enterprise Of the DISPATCH, whicl
caused its reporter, who was sitting
: wedred in between Captain William ID
Curtis, Mr.. Edgar Fl. FERGUSON. and
most. to blush with pride.
yVhan tha "Craiphillp reached Rich