The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-15
MIR. HurSyvyn's Letter.

Dear Mr.. Hill..-Replying to your
letter of the 3D.. and comp ylng VIII
its request that 1 give you certain IN
formation as reg irds the lanes lisel.
Virginia. together with estimate of Ger
tain costs, l beg leave to submit the
following:
"At the risk of being at some length
in this communication, yet scompeiieu
to do so in order to make the condltioh
clear. it is necessary to revert to the
original condition of the river, to mar,
rate what has been done upon II. ana
to outline what remains TO 2, d., De aons ~
the condition l. should be. and whicil
BY a fortunate condition Of nature u
is capable of being made to be. rms
communication. therefore. resolves ~. II.
early historical period. next the PERIOD
of Improvement, and, third. the problem
Of the future, with Its possibilities.
Early Historical Period.
.,When Captain John Smith and the
early settlers first navisated lhe rye I,,et
IL wns an ideal water for craft OF that
date The river was broad. the tide
ebbed and flowed twice In twenty-four
hours. and the depth of the water was
sufficient for the shallow vessels which ls,
the channel ways. Further, the river
was sufficiently land-locked to enable
batteaux and flat bottom craft to nav1-
gate it in comparative th sape5 isss are
feXtant. as far as I know, yet It IS pro
bablc that the depth Of water from the
advent Of Captain John smith to thar
date remained nearly stationary, ana
thus forJtwo hundred years the river
was utilized as the one great means .oI
transportation During these two nun
bred years the depth of channel was
probably about fifteen feet at high
tide as far as Dutch Gap. and from
nine TO ten feet at high tide from
there ia Richmond. ~
SIN 1886 a survey was made OF parts
of the river by Captain stanshnry,. . nu.F
little or no work was done IN tne Way
Of Improvement From that date until
1851 numerous surveys were made. and
the city of Richmond adld some llstie
work in dredging.
The great enterprise Of that nat p 2s III 90
River and Kanuwht Canal, and Its con-
nection with the river by means OF the
present dock, There was very little
done on the river itself.
"A company was chartered with the
privilege OF making certain charges
upon the cargoes of vessels naY1galinE
the river IL they succeeded In gettlns
to Richmond q certain deptn OF Wa tu,.I
little If anything. however, was done
under this charter, and the physical
conditions remained in the same state
practically as they had always nsen
Until the outbreak of the war Of 1861 -H
1865.
..During the war for military and
naval reasons, With one except the
operations were of a character TO IN
lure the riverrather than TO improve. ~.
"rhese operations consisted NANNY
OF sinking distractions and placing
mines 1,,8
1870, attention was mainly directed to-
wards removing such of these ohstfMe-
tions as WAS easily possible. and the
continuance of certain dredging,
"ln 1870 occurred remaIkapIe
Efreshet The water al Richmond rose
| to IA height Of 27.3 feet above meal lew
tide. rrhe deposit from this freshet
hlled IN certain channels, which re-
diced the available napigthle depth
10 such5 an extent that for seyera Z
months the larger New York steam
/ ships ceased to run TO the city, rms
| freshet, however, was somewhat OF =
/ blessing In Disguise. 3al AL ~ .
| '.tIt opened a waterway through
\ hutch Gap, which had been closed ny
I the owner OF the land after the cessa n
ttion .of lhostillties. II stirred up the
4 citiaens of Richmond to a degree sliesi
/ as they never have been stirred before
\ or since as regards river matters, ana
Iii brought into play the aid Of the
| United States corps OF engineers.
/ AT that time thescity work was heln9
/ executed under the direction OF tho tate
ECapt. II, u, Minor, who died early ID
tine action. and was succeeded nys tn6
llate Walter @. Turpin. Ma jor tarpi r,
/ was al SO appointed by the United Y ates
1 as its assistant engineer,
9"rhere We're at that time three ysI5