The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-04-01
ADVENT OF OCEAN SHIPS
rWExTY-TWO FEET or WATER 10
RICHMOND 81 NEXT DECBMBER.
That Means Great Things for the Capital
City ofthe Old Dominion-The james
River improvement Valuable.

Richmond a seaport in effect. II not in
fact. would be an accomplishment great
IA to be desired, and OF such immeasure-
able vairc 70 this city commercially as
10 be almost beyond calculations.
such is the great boon held out to the
Virginia capital. however, and its ao.
complshment is not only possible. but is
one OF the probabilities Of the not distant
future.
me advent Of ocean steamers at the
,,harvos OF Richmond viii be the result
OF tnc completion OF the James river Inn
proNement now being made by the United
States Government below this city.
La contemplating the deepening OF the
natural waterway % the wharves OF ths
city. so - TO admit Of the safe approach
OF large sea-golns vessels, the future o.
Richmond broadens and brightens to
wonderful degree. and 20 the mind on
the merchant who knows the importance
OF water transportation. the possibilities of
Richmond as "a trade centre takes on
grand proportions.
tomprenon.,Ne Illustration.
The beautiful models OF that part or
the channel under course OF improve
mcnt az the Chamber of Commerce mas
brought before the minds of the business
men of Richmond the value OF the I'M
provement in a very comprehensive way
and IL has been a regular eye-opener as
10 its importance % the future CROWN Oh
Richmond.
Judce George l.. Christian, president OF
the chamber of Commerce. made brief
address 10 "a gathering Of business men
nj the meeting in the Chamber fe"
davs ago. when the models were hfSi
puf on exhibition. that were very peril
nent. Said he "lt is not improbable that
had James river been deepened years
ago to this city. as IS now shown to De
practicable the Chesapeake and ONO
railroad would never have gone iuflheI
east than Richmond, and the Richmond
and Danville would not have sought deeP
water az West Point.
No doubt other roads would also have
been attracted here
The work. which has been In charge or
Colonel William II. Craighiii, OF the
United States engineers has been done
in the most thorough and scientific man
ner and the results have been equal, II
not beyond, the expectation Of the pro
jectOrs
SIR. II. ID. WhtcOmb. the assistant en-
SINGER. who has supervised the work UNI
der Colonel Craighill. explained the
models 10 the meeting at the Chamber
of Commerce, and by his answers 70
many questions asked, indicated the prac-
ucabillty Of the probabilities claimed. ana
90 his kind courtesy the Times is IN
debted for the following information;
The Models.
The models on exhibition at the Cham
Dor Of Commerce. OF which illustrations
are herewith given. were prepared in the
Games River Improvement office by Mr.
g. r. Taicott from careful surveys made
in lGi and I'm 1885, and show the depth
width. and contour OF the river-bed at
Randolph Fiat shoal I'm the two years
mentioned.
This shoal lies Immediately below Rich
m0nd bar proper, and was considered
"a part of that bar I'm earlier charts of
the river.
The models cover distance OF six
thousand feet. beginning three miles be-
low the shiplock at Richmond, and in
cludcs tho lower part Of Richmond bar
The crest OF this shoal. which had but
nine feet depth of water on it at low
tide IN 1874 was where the United States
monitors are now moved; and the rock
underlying the river bed has practically
passed below the twenty-five feet depth
required The project OF Improvement
ai this point
Tho bottom, however. IS now in COM
ra. gravel and cobble, which yields
worry slowly 20 the action Of current and
VIII probably have 30 be dredged 10
obtain the full depth of twenty-five feet.
There are twenty feet depth at low
tile there now, and eighteen feet over
the whole site Of the shoal, with a vary
inr, but everywhere fairly good width OF
channel.
Some dredging has been done on the
shoal-very little in recent years, and
none since lS9l-in the channel.
The large mass has been removed by
the current, largely I'm solution. acting
directly ON the material Of the river
bottom. brought about by the construc-
tion Of regulating works." consisting
OF wing dams and bikes or jettes. by
which the width of the river surface