Over the water-line, by the lakes, this one has the advantage of being but little obstructed by ice, and it is free from the heat and dampness of the New Orleans route, which for more than half of the year cannot, without risk, be used for grain and other articles. But the tendencies of the great railway companies are towards consolidation. Among them there can be no real competition, attempts at which always end in combination. "It is on the water-way, rather than on new lines of railroad, that we must chiefly rely for the accomplishment of the much needed reforms. Lakes, rivers, and canals are the only sure protection against railroad monopoly." If it should be determined to prosecute this work, although it is of the greatest importance to the interests involved that its completion should not be delayed, at least one season will be required for the proper examination of the line, its relocation, survey, preparation of plans, and getting it ready for contract. Some time might be saved by commencing work on the deep shafts of the Lorraine tunnel as soon as a careful location could be made. These necessary surveys and preparations will cost about $80,000. Work on the tunnel shafts to the amount of $10,000 to $15,000 could be done before the spring of 1872. The above estimate is not intended to provide further information to enable Congress to decide the question, but supposes the project adopted and the work to be prepared for contract. The estimated cost being nearly $48,000,000, and the time required six years, an average expenditure of $8,000,000 per annum will be necessary. Considering that this water-line will be closed at its junction with the Ohio for about three months in each year by low water in that stream, I was at first disposed to recommend the improvement of the rivers to a less depth than that adopted for them, but there is no rea son why the capacity of the line should not be kept up during such periods as furnish sufficient water, more particularly as at such times transportation may be cheapened by the use of boats made to pass through the canal, without breaking bulk, from the point of shipment on western waters to Richmond or Hampton Roads. At the risk, however, of touching questions not committed to me, I will call attention to the fact that the water-line involves the improvement of the Ohio River from the mouth of Kanawha down. It is diffi cult to explain why a river of such capacities should have been left in its present condition. With a low-water discharge of 3,500 cubic feet per second, sufficient at such times to fill a channel 200 feet wide and 7 feet deep, it affords on its shoals a depth only one-fourth as much, spread over a width of about one thousand feet. The following is the estimated cost, in detail, of the improvement, as recommended, from mouth of Fork Run to mouth of Kanawha River: Estimate from Fork Run to Greenbrier River. 141,700 yards of embankment, in addition to price for ex Grubbing and cleaning 67 miles, at $200... cavation, at 10 cents... 313,149 yards earth excavation, at 30 cents. 1,203,865 yards rock excavation, at $1 25 13,000 yards of slope-wall, at $1 50 6,500 yards of lining, at 40 cents 8 locks, at $27,000 1 lock, at $50,000 3 culverts 2 waste-weirs.. 7 overfall wastes... 1 aqueduct wooden trunk, to carry Fork Run over cut.. 2 bridges, at $4,950 and $5,625. Tunnel: 40,580 feet long=2,333,350 yards, at $5, including excavation for arch-shafts, 2,700 feet linear 14,400 yards, at $20. Masonry of arch and tow-path, 162,320 yards, at $8.. Feeder: 16,000 feet long. Dam, with abutment and guard-gates... $50,000 00 5, 000 00 3,000 00 5,600 00 5,000 00 10,525 00 $11, 666, 750 00 Anthony's Creek Reservoir, (Mr. Lorraine's 456,000 yards embankment, at 30 cents. 950,000 pounds iron pipes, at 8 cents.... 112,000 00 estimate.) $136,800 00 11, 724 00 23, 912 00 10,500 00 76, 000 00 Land damage, 200 acres, at $40; 3,000 acres, at $10.... 155, 000 00 258,936 00 38,000 00 15, 636, 757 00 6,882,000 feet, board measure, of timber and plank, at 5 cents.... 600, 000 00 344, 100 00 water,) at $1 50 ..... 1,401,622 cubic yards of earth excavation, at 40 cents 168,600 cubic yards of rock excavation, (partly under 1,470,000 cubic yards embankment, at 20 cents 560, 648 00 77,333 cubic yards of puddling, at 25 cents.. 19, 333 00 Timber and iron in coping of dams... 99, 000 00 550,000 cubic yards of graveling, at 40 cents 220, 000 00 Lock-gates, $8,000 per lock; valves, &c., $1,200 per lock 552, 000 00 55 lock-houses, at $1,000... 55, 000 00 BUCHANAN, VIRGINIA, December 28, 1870. COLONEL: This survey of the eastern division of the James River and Kanawha Canal, which is made under an appropriation by Congress, and by you committed to my charge, with instructions to "embrace that portion of the canal definitely located and in use," begins at the mouth of Fork Run, in Alleghany County. It includes a portion of the located route known as the fourth division, which extends to the town of Covington, in Alleghany County, and is 17.37 miles in length. This portion of the fourth division is common to either line that may be selected for the passage of the Alleghany Mountains. The third division extends from the town of Covington to Buchanan, in Botetourt County, and is 47.27 miles in length. The portion of the fourth division, above alluded to, and the third division, comprise a part of the canal that has been "definitely located," and is 64.64 miles in length. The second division extends from the town of Buchanan to the city of Lynchburgh, and is fifty miles in length. The first division extends from Lynchburgh to and including the basin in the city of Richmond, and is one hundred and forty-six and a half miles long, and, with the connection through the city of Richmond, one mile in length, known as the tide water connection, comprises all that portion of the eastern division in use, and is one hundred and ninety-seven and a half miles long, making the aggregate length, from tide-water at the city of Richmond to the mouth of the Fork Run at the eastern base of the Alleghany Mountains, 262.14 miles. Before proceeding with the details of the cost of the respective subdivisions, I will give the dimensions which have been assumed as the basis of the calculations of the cost of the work, viz: A canal of 70 feet water-surface and a depth of 7 feet; towing-path 12 feet wide and berm-bank 8 feet wide; the interior slopes to be 2 base to 1 perpendicular, and exterior slopes 14 base to 1 perpendicular. The locks to be 120 feet long between the gates, and with a width of 20 feet in the chamber. The locks to be of cut-stone throughout, and in all respects of first-class masonry. The estimate contemplates firstclass work of all descriptions. The fourth division is located in the valley of Dunlap's Creek, and consists of 4.19 miles of slack-water navigation and 13.16 miles of canal. On this subdivision the works of art are thirty-five lift-locks and guard-locks, having an aggregate lift of 376 feet; eight dams, seven to be built of timber and one of stone, varying from 104 to 390 feet in length, and ranging from 10 to 35 feet in height; thirty-four road, farm, and towing-path bridges; one culvert; two waste-weirs and one waste; one aqueduct across Dunlap's Creek of two spans of 65 feet each, and one across Jackson River of two spans of 100 feet each, the last one connecting it with the third division. The cost of this portion of the fourth division is $2,206,795 45, or $127,046 60 per mile. The third division extends from Covington to Buchanan, distant forty-seven miles, of which forty-one miles are canal and six miles slack-water navigation. On this division the principal mechanical structures are thirty-six lift-locks, two guard-locks, and one guard and lift lock combined, with a total lockage of 4363 feet; five aqueducts across James River, each about 320 feet long; aqueducts across Long's Entry and Sinking Creeks and Pounding Run of 50 feet span each; fifty-three farm, road, and towing-path bridges; one towing-path and road bridge across James River, 393 feet long; eleven culverts, from 4 to 10 feet span; thirty-three square drains, 2 and 3 feet span; three dams across James River, from 250 to 365 feet long, one to be constructed of timber and two of stone; and two tunnels, the Marshall, 1,900 feet long, and the Mason Tunnel, 198 feet long, by which five and five-eighths miles in distance are saved. The first fifteen miles of this work above Buchanan were put under contract in 1853, but for want of funds operations were suspended in 1856. Of this work there are completed ten lift-locks, the abutments and piers of three of the aqueducts across James River, and the abutments and piers for the bridge across James River. The foundation of two of the dams up to the surface of low water have been put in, about 800 feet of the Marshall Tunnel has been excavated, and work as follows has been completed, viz: the Mason Tunnel, two culverts, abutments for three towing-path bridges, and several miles of towing-path on the slack-water navigation made by the Catawba and Gwynn Dams. Much of this work is available for the enlarged dimensions proposed. Where the dimensions of the structures completed and begun are not suited to the enlarged dimensions, the estimate covers the cost of taking down and rebuilding on the enlarged plan. The cost of this division will be $4,036,577 11 or $86,097 38 per mile. The third division, and the portion of the fourth division for which estimates of cost are submitted, were located with great care by Mr. E. Lorraine, chief engineer of the canal, after repeated examinations had been made on every route through the valley of Dunlap's Creek and Jackson and James Rivers which offered any advantages for the location of a canal. These various surveys were made by and under the direction of Judge Benjamin Wright, Messrs. Charles Ellet, E. H. Gill, Walter Gwynn, and other engineers of experience and skill in the location and construction of canals. The location, as finally adopted, is believed to occupy the route offering the greatest facilities for the judicious and economical construction and maintenance of a canal. My operations in the field began on the 21st of September last, and were expected to include also a survey of the first and second divisions, with a view to their enlargement to the dimensions mentioned in the beginning of this report. The dimensions of these divisions are generally a width of 50 feet at the water-surface, an intended depth of 5 feet of water, locks 100 feet long between the gates, with a width of 15 feet in the chamber. The survey of the second division was completed, and is 50 miles in length, comprising twenty-two miles of canal and twenty-eight miles of slack-water navigation. The principal mechanical structures on this division are 37 lift and guard locks, having a total lift of 299 feet; four stone dams and seven timber dams across James River, varying from 354 to 850 feet in length, and from 14 to 36 feet in height; one aqueduct of 50 feet span; fortyeight square drains, 2 and 3 feet span; seventeen towing-path and farm bridges; one towing-path and road bridge across North River, 253 feet long; seven wastes aud one waste-weir. The estimate covers the enlargement of the trunk of the canal, raising the towing path and berm banks, increasing the height of the locks in use two feet, giving the same increase of height to the dams, lengthening the culverts, the construction of new locks of enlarged dimensions and of the same lift alongside the locks now in use, and, in all the details, to make the improvement first class. I made changes in the location at lock No. 25, the outlet-lock into the pond, created by the Indian Rock Dam, the entrance being very objec tionable. With the location now proposed, the entrance at both ends of the lock will be very good. At Indian Rock the estimate embraces an amount sufficient to change and improve the entrance to the guardlock at that point. The estimate contemplates the erection of a towing-path and road bridge across James River, at the Blue Ridge Ferry, a few hundred yards above the Cushaw Dam, high winds and water frequently making the crossing dangerous, and at times impracticable. The erection of this bridge obviates these delays. If the work was to be put under contract, I would advise that the pond be entered about half a mile further from the dam than at present, and that the crossing be made the same distance from the dam. The canal here passes from the north to the south side of the river. At lock No. 6, the outlet into the pond created by the Coleman Falls Dam, another change is proposed, viz, to cross Read Creek by an aque duct of 50 feet span, and to enter the pond some distance below the mouth of the creek. The object of this change is to avoid the deposit of sand made at the entrance to the lock by the creek, the site selected for the new lock being more favorable than one alongside the present lock. At present frequent delays are caused to navigation, and much expense incurred in removing these deposits by dredging. Admonished by the fresh of September last, the highest which has occurred within a century, and from an inspection of the injuries received at several of the dams, I am convinced that they resulted from the water-way being too much contracted. The abutments of the dams are connected with the head-walls of the guard-locks by walls of rubble masonry, generally 25 feet high above canal bottom, and varying from 40 to 360 feet in length. At Big Island, Coleman Falls, and Judith Creek Dams they were, respectively, 256, 354, 2563 feet long, and the fresh swept them down to the level of the dams. I have estimated for lengthening the Big Island Dam 150 feet, making the entire length 577 feet; for Coleman Falls Dam an increase of 168 feet is proposed, making the entire length 522 feet; for Judith Creek Dam an increase of 150 feet, making the entire length 575 feet. These additions, and other safeguards estimated for, will render these dams safe against such freshes as that which induced these alterations. With the exception of Quarry Falls Dam, the water-way of the dams above the mouth of North River is sufficient, and no danger is to be apprehended. I have provided for lengthening the Quarry Falls Dam 100 feet. |