Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-01-01
OUR NOBLE JAMES.
,n1eessT,Ne AND ABLE WORK OF
CITY AND GOVERNMENT.
r,. vor,s of widening and Deepening Our
Waterway TO the sea--r~enty fes'
10 Hampton Roads.

The funds for tho improvement Oh any
river are furnished in part by the Uniteu
STATE. and in part by tho city OF Rich
nona Colonel W. p. Craighill. Corps OF
Tnpineers United States Army, having
charge. -
Tho work done By the city is directed
bv the James-Riyer improvement COM
mittee. Mr.. W. Il. Curtis, chairman Colo
rel W. f. Cutshaw, City Engineer' exscu GU
tive officer. and Captein Thomas Oun-
ningham. ST., superintendent.
THE work done by the city is at present
,;n,ited 10 the harbor and above the CEDAR
works: thence 20 the river mouth tne
worj, is done bv the nited states Govern
ment. Mir. II. u. WhltcomD IN charge rs
resident engineer.
NEW CONTRACT.
Al its last session Congress APPROPRIATED
7l00 600 10 carry on the WORK, ann con-
tract with Captain John a. Curtis was ap-
proyed by the Secretary OF War Octoo3r
50tb for the excavation of q channel from
Slto 100 feet wide 20 a depth OF i rect,
from The lower city limits 70 ana across
Kichmonl oar, u distance OF TWO HI.1s
and nals, tor deepening the CUT 10 Dutci
Gan 10 - feet for 100 feet n width; ana
for deenering and widening tho channels
ar HarrisOu's bar and GOo3e-tllll uais ~
1ax20a feet. all the depths being Tor mean
low tide. A.. ,o,
TIC contract also provides for the con,
struct;nn of about 10000 linear teet pi
wiug dams and dykes 10 regulate tne
widths OF the river and confne the Gus
rent 90 as 30 deepen the channel; me IA,
teutlOn il to secure channet 81 at 'Sa''
the widths mentioned from Richmond "
thesea IL fee; deep at meanlow tlde' III IuC-
therance of the plan adopted by congress
IN MAKO channel of rom 200 TO 400 feet
VIDE with - feet at mean low tide.
WORK OF ExCAyATGoN.
The excavation near Richmond. when Is
manly in rock, - generally an addluon 10
width 10 the existing cbanpei, when Is
now about "a feet deeu at low tide. The
cutting varies in hardness from SOHO
grauite to a disiniecra'ed rock when can
be dredged The larger portion IS OF thtt
latter description. Tho solid rock, wh'cI
requires blasting. will DE removed 70 =
tees depth. the plan of the completed WofAs'
The deptn of water in the river avallaDlt
TO navigation. fSm the lower end OF hlou.
mond bar 20 the city, was 10 feet AZ aH'
tdc tG% feet at n.ean lon tfe) in 1870. Inc
Improvement was begun IN earnest ~ tlla'
time. although some work had oeeu d1ue
DY the UlLtU Olhl"S anu ~ VIZ N'NJ
tween 1852 and 1860.
WORD ALREADY DONE.
The improvements IN depth available tC
NAVIGATION thus for are about as toiioWs
From the city to Richmond bGr....-..'.. ~ zee
From thence 10 Warwick bar............. 50 ,se
From thence 70 City Point. ...,.....'..S'U 70
From thence 20 Hampton Roads .....';.-.O loo
The Dutch Gap cut oil. which IS Detweei
Warwick bar and City Point, saves oVel
FIVE miles IN distance and ayoiGs th'
Trent's-Reach shoe,. which IN 1870 had ou
about 10 feet available depth NJ nan t'de
The depths for navigation ct mean h'3l
tide are now 1917 feet from Hampton hoaI'
TO Warwick bar, and thence 10 the cry
limits 49, feet. II IS expected TO increase
TINS available depth to at least 20 teet a
man Hde from the city to the sea under tn'
new contract.
TWENTY FEEr TO THE sEA.
The moan rise and tall of tide between
Hampton Roads and Richmond varies iron
30 TO 3.G feet. the latter occurring a
Drewry's Bluff and Richmond. Spring an
neap tides fall to about halt foot be
low and above the mean, and during west
erly winds they fall to sometimes "a lee
below. and one tide has been noted by IN
registering gauge as falling to 9-lO below
mean low tide. =.
Captain Curtis began work under M
contract December lst. and Is to complet
II in two years from that time.