The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-09-25
RIVER DEVELOPMENT
SUBJECT OF ADDRESSES
Two Interesting Speeches Made BE.
fore Society OF Engineers nj
Mechanics Institute.
MANY VISITORS ARE PRESENT
Colonel Burgwyn Relates Personal
Experiences ON James, While
w. Is. Gay Tells OF Commercial !ld-
vantagcs and Offers SUGGESTIONS.

richmond people Interested in tho
development Of tho james River heard
TWO addresses last night by men who
nave made a life long study OF the
SUBJECT III" speeches were made be-
iore the Richmond Society OF Engi-
hccrS' at its September meeting in the
nun!ior'um of the Virginia Mechanics
institute. and large number OF visitors
| were present To hear the discussion.
colonel {. p. T.. Burgywn. perhaps
IN" best Informed engineer in the State
Oh the James River. was the first
speaker Colonel Burgwyn was asso-
GATED with the government for q num-
Der OF years in river work and' related
ms many personal experiences with the
Dig stream. He was followed by Ware
u. Gay. Il well known local business
man. who told OF the commercial adj
NantaScs OF the river and made q num-
Der of recommendations for the ad-
Nancemcnt Of tho water trade.
DEALS Az LENGTH WITH
GEOGitAPIiICAL FEATURES
Colonel Burgwyn. while speaking to
an audience composed chiefly OF men
OF technical training, confined his topic
10 points Of interest TO Il laynan. He
began with the carly history of the
James River. from it's first discovery
by John Smith. and traced it's varlous
stages up TO the present time. dealing
AT length with Its geograp hical fea-
lures
The James River, said Colonel
Eurgwyn. has upset math enatical
theories by it's peculiar profile and gen
cral slope. After surveys over :. period
OF three years. government engineers
have found that tidewater at old Point
Comfort Is lower by nine inches than
that at Richmond. Colonel Burg wynn.
as early az 1877. by his own surveys.
found that City Point was only three
n n1, In, iDl,, Il
Another freai is the tides which reach
Richmond only seven and onc-hal n
hours later than Old Point Comfort. a
distance Of 120 miles, showing that il
travels at ii rate Of fourteen miles an
hour. while the stream itself only
travels at the rate Of one. or possibly
one and one -half. miles All hour
RIVER MADE TO ACT
AS IT'S OWN DHEDGE
Colonel burgwyn told OF the big flood
of-lS10 which clicked the Jimcs River
and practically forced the government
10 take Up thc work OF improving its
channel II" described the construction
OF the numerous jctties and told OF
their use. The jcttics. explained the
speaker. keep the stream in the channel
aud accelerate It's pace. making it act
a. its own dred@c and keeping the
channel clear of debris.
Mr.. Gay brought UP the old question
or cutting two additional gaps liz the
river between Richmond and City
Point. He explained how these would
be OF advantage. not only in shortening
the distance, but liz bring ing strings OF
bargcs 10 this city Among the other
commercial advantages shown by Mr..
Gay was Che fact that water coInpeu-
ton kept the railroads within bounds.
He made number o: striking and
practical suggestions, and agreed with
Colonel Burswyn in his assertion that
Richmond needed a number OF storage
basins. CORRESPONDING with the city
dock but with capacity for larger
vessels Both emphasized the i'm :
portancc of bringing more craft 10
Richmond.
FollosinG the principal addresses
there was AN open discussion by mem
bers OF the society. Among those who
spoke briefly were Arthur Scrivenor.
Allen j. Saville, w. W. La Pradc, a. T..
Pitcher. L. W. Farley. Edwin Wortiiam.
Roy q. Pratt. Lungstan Johnston,
Frank W. Duke. y. Mason Harris, j. l..
Clark and ID. r. La Prade.