Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-02-06
5H|P CANAL TO RICHMOND
MOULD COST s30,OOO,O0O
So States Engineer In Letter on
y Problem of Making City
- n Seaport.
PROPOSITION TOO EXPENSIVE
Ihirty-Foot Channel Could BE
x Built, States Trimhlc, but 1t Is
s. Not Good Practice to Recon-
~ mend Such Constructions"

izS Roswell ID. Trimblc, Of r. u. Trim
sble &c Co, consulting engineers. yes
terday wrote The Times Dispatch
I Scommcnding the work OF MIR. Clarke
which was printed in last sundays
I paper, showing in detail improve
iflnents needed 10 make Richmond Il
s model city Mr.. Trlmblc who is also
I "a member OF the American society OF
CONSTRUCTION Engineers, writes in
i part:
+ ~ The article in your issue OF Jan
nary so. entitled Greater Richmond
, AS Seen BY An Engineer With Vision
1of Problems OF the City in the Flu
lure" should he a matter of great
interest to the city or Richmond
Mr.. Clarke deserves great credit for
.his studies on the situation. and gives
more definite data than anything !
,hare heretofore seen published on the
J Subject. 1t is to be regretted. how
ever. that further data on the sub
s5ec;s OF probable cost Of construc-
5tlon, cost OF operation and maintcn-
tnce and economic value of the canal
and ship basin could not be given,
but realize that any reliable csti-
mates would cost considerable money
10 prepare.
IS Agrees with Mr.. Clark.
~ The subject of making Richmond
"A port for vessels OF more than
twenty feet draft. and whether
This could he the better accomplished
by utilizing the James River or by
sthe construction OF a ship canal from
Nest Point to Richmond has long
been a subject of Interest TO many
ri nc IN i.rb,,
Clarke that the canal. as proposed by
him, would be better than attempt
Sing to maintain a thirty-foot channel
.up the James River. but after study
ing Mr.. Clarkes plans am CON
WINGED that neither the James River
nor MIR. CIarke's plan would he best
adapted for making Richmond a sea-
port.
- The objections TO the canal. as pro-
posed by Mr.. Cla,kc. are as follows:
Initial cost, operating and mainte-
'iance cost, uncertainty Of having n
sufficient supply OF water for main
tanning the proposed ship basin with
lock operation and it's economic value
as means OF transportation.
Taking up the first objection, IL
would be impossible to estimate the
cost Of such a canal and basin with
out complete surveys and invcstiga-
tons OF all the elements that would
enter into such construction
~ 1t is true that II large part of the
proposed Richmond-Wc Point Canal
would be through the Pamunkey
marshes, and the nearest comparison
that / could make to those conditions
might be considered the New Or
leans, Inner Harbor. Navigation Ca
nal. now under construction. to con-
meet the Mississippi River with Lake
tPotchartrain. This canal mas a length
ri 5.3 miles, 80 feet depth. 100 fee,
,bottom width. with ono lock for tidal
md flood control. Including several
bridges. the estimated cost for this
canal is Sl?, 100000. The work is being
done by dredgcs mostly through
swamp land.
r. Cost 3U,000OOU
- Taking into consideration cost OF
Hand and other items OF cost that
would enter into the construction OF
a Richmond Nest Point canal, We Sc
Tiously doubt whether a Richmond
Nest Point canal OF sufficient size to
make Richmond Ma seiport could
be constructed Tor 'S$c.QOooco.
Relative 10 operating and maintc-
nance cost IL is weIl-known fact
that expense on canals does not end
+ with their completion &c. operation
ssssss-s-.s-ds> 90 nl or