The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-15
TABLE

| locality. miles. sd. feet.
Richmond Bar....... 6,S31
| Drewry's Bluff....... S,O47
| Chafin's Buff. .....s8a = 10.622
Narlna .............. 1850
CURES ..........-... 2O1a 1.5OO
Bermuda Hundred. 30h 2i.T25
Harrison's landing. 3Th 6S.521
| Dancing Point. 80 12i,392
jamestown ......... n 1895
| Rocklanding Shoal... 50 I05,TI7
IF the mathematical formula which
| connects the width and depth with the
area be discovered. 1t would he a very
| easy matter knowing the area by the
width. This 1 did with results aston
ishinsly gratifying.
TABLE III.
Location. Richmond Bar
Year. 1914. 1892.
Average width Ct.) 49,. 1852 4i6
area Square feet 1890 6,2T3
! Ave. depth of section ft) SCI 1910
Depth OF channel Gt)... 81 1870
/ as table II. is made UP of number
| of sections, and their average taken
as a standard result, on careful
analysis it is seen at once that the
| third line, ]. e., average cross-section
area is very nearly a constant; or in
other words, the area remains the same
| although the width of the river has
| been made artlfcially (by ietties and
] tS hSoy ~ VARY lEOul 4ltVSG lcSl W nv
1 feet. In one place on Richmond Bar
| the river was very nearly a quarter
| of a mile wide. yet when narrowed to
| this standard width its area remained
the same. Now the product of width
| by the mean depth gives area. Hence.
| as the area is known by dividing this
area, namely 6,2T3. by the mean depth
wanted, /. e., 81, we get 300 feet as the
width, which the river should have at
1 Richmond Bar in order for the natural
!. forces TO maintain Il channel of mean
| depth of twenty-opc feet.
| High Water.
"lhs a river narrowed to a width of
| $40 feet might be ungovernable in
! lting width of 300 feet at Richmond
| Bar has been approached tentatively.
Year by year the width was gradually
| drawn narrower and narrower, and
4 results watched
AN analysis of table III. shows how
the area. which at Richmond Bar was
only 6,213 square feet. increases as
4 one descends the river. until it reaches
an amount of over 100000 square feet
at Rocklanding Shoal.
4 Further in the seven and n half
miles, from Bermuda Hundred to Har-
rison's Landing, the area expands
from $500 square feet to $4,000 square
feet. AS. these are low tide areas, the
1 high tide area at Harrison's Landing
| is about 100000 square feet. Now the
greatest flood in the James River does
Il x
feet per second. 1t therefore follows
1 that velocity of two feet per second
would be all that was required at Har-
| rison's Landing during freshet to
/ take care of this discharge. 1t is thus
/ seen why the great floods of neces-
| sity lose themselves in the mighty
tidal volume of water when they reach
the vicinity. of City Point. Further, an
/ analysis of table ]. shows how the
cross-section area of the river from
! Richmond Bar to bermuda Hundred
/ Increases, and gives clue how to ad-
| Just the width.
/ AS q summation of the work of i'm
! provement now going on, 1T may be
/ said to be the following ont of these
| principles, in narrowing the river to
I the calculated amount, and assist ma
ture by dredging. where the material
to be moved is too compact to be
/ carried off by the force of the current
at the same time producing such sec
tion that 1t Will discharge all the
1 water of the highest freshet without
! backing 1t up over the city.
/ The Problem OF the Future with Its
! Possibilities.
"As outlined above, the work of i'm
/ provement began in 1870, according to
the amount of funds available, and has
been going on at irregular times from
| That date TO the present time, i. G., thir-
ty-sepen years. During this period vast
/ quantities Of material, varying from
very soft mud to the hardest kind OF
! granite rock have been artificially
mo%ed from the. channels. The lines
limiting the width of the river have
been slowly brought to the locations
indicated by the combination of theory
and actual observation. ~ This has
caused the movement of vast quanti-
which was dredscd. The analysis
navigable depth has been increased
over the shoals which limited the draft
of vessels.
4 A
this work and Il description of what
has been accomplished would extend
the limits of this address far beyond
mat which is necessary or judicious.
!, There now remains the problem OF
The future and its possibilities Or
the one hand, work has been going or
Ter thlrtN-seVen Years, and a large
sum OF money has been expended. Or
:, the other hand, the practical result.
obtained. so far as regards the mum.
Der OF vessels registering at the port
OF Richmond Is concerned and the ton,
mage &c, they transport, is disappointing.
M There are two reasons for this
!, The first Is that certain OF the grea
railroads leading into Richmond hav,
: their own terminals lower down Til.
: river and hence 1T Is not to thei
adyantage to have vessels come her,
, except TO II very limited extent. Th,
!; second is Inherent in the river itself
= The object of this address at thi
!. potnt Is To Indicate what is the ma
!. 1 luttt Nl llle second reason and to SHOW
how II can be overcome.
: In tbs first place, ] think 1t Is per
!. fectly possible to adjust improremen
!. ana construction so that unless IN
\ present railroads utilize them the,
\ viii be al such a disadvantage as o
: necessity they Will be compelled to al
Ter their present practice, Secondly
That the improvement and constructs,
proposed is such as to offer n grea
q ndncenent TO future railroads TO com
= 10 Mcllmond and not 60 any further.
q There are three of these inheren
Is reasons, all of which can he readil
u overcome by engineering practice Tn
NJ cost of which liz not excessive and tn
results Indicated on their completio
y are such as 10 Justify the necessar
'-l e$renditure, These are
&, First. The difficulties and unncces
&c satS cost incurred In navigating Ger
sa tam bends IN the river.
lt second The absence of whartag
ss room ~ the city.
"a Third The present prnposed dept
'F should ne increaaedfto a depth of tween
" R-seVen feet al low tide from the sr
10 ~ Tar inland AS Drewry's Blnff. possi
~ hly as iar as Randolph Flats, /. e., 4
oi Withil three miles of the cltv.aat In
A. same time carrying tha original prc
c. posed depth TO the nitro sin or M
re present shiplocM. -
NJ tAs regards the bends table m
" gives the figures of, the distance al
ain approximate estimate of cost III
D. success achieved in making the Dutc