FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 1 



jecis sought by the improvement we have on 

 hand, is not less important. Its tribularies, and 

 those of ihe slreani of which it is a tributary, 

 spread over a slili wider area, and penetrate a still 

 richer country. The number ofstearuboais, which 

 may be regarded as the measure of the trade, is 

 •many times more numerous, and increasinir far 

 more rapidly than the number of those on the 

 lakes. 



The Pennsylvania improvement last year, 

 though operating under most uiiliivorable cir- 

 cumstances, and in only the third year of its exis- 

 tence, carried to and from Pittsburg, over the ten 

 inclined planes and broken line, a quantity of 

 goods and produce exceeding by a vast amount 

 that which circulated between New York and 

 Butialo. 



And this line through Pennsylvania, from the 

 Ohio to tide water, is open and successful. This 

 is not the time to draw a comjiarison between that 

 work and the one which we are constructing; but 

 they who are disposed lo doubt the success of the 

 James river and Kanawha improvement, or its 

 ability to bring the trade of the Ohio to Richmond, 

 and forward supplies to the west, would do well to 

 examine the list of articles transported on that 

 line. Perhaps they will find in the fact, that there 

 were carried from Piitsburg to Philadelphia, the 

 last year, more than one million four hund.ied 

 thousand bushels of wheat, and three hundred and 

 thirty thousand bushels of corn; and towards 

 Pittsburg from Philadelphia and the iutermediate 

 places, twenty thousand tons of merchandize, and 

 nine thousand tons of groceries; an argument 

 worthy of their consideration. 



Though these articles are among the most im- 

 portant carried on the line, they constitute but a 

 small portion of the aggreoate tonnage. 



What will be the amount carried on the James 

 and Kanawha improvement, or what influence 

 the superiority of" its termination on the Ohio, and 

 the advantage of i's climate may have on its suc- 

 cess, we may leave for the event to determine, 

 and lor a rational public to anticipate. As things 

 are, it remains but for this company to go on as 

 they are going — to expend their present capital to 

 the best advantage — and trust to the evidence 

 which the works they finish will afford, and that 

 perseverance to which they owe their present ex- 

 istence, for raising the balance. 



THE NECESSITY FOR GREAT CARE, AND .lUDG- 

 MENT, IN SELECTING STONE FOR LOCKS, 

 AQUEDUCTS, AND OTHER PUBLIC WORKS. 



Extract from ihe Proceedings of the James River 

 and Kanawha Company. 



To the President and Directors of the ? 

 James River and ICanawfia Company. ^ 



Gentlemen — the chief engineer has permittfed 

 me lo peruse his report of the 19th instant, on the 

 Bubject of a change of plan, by the substitution of 

 wooden locks lor stone, as a temporary measure, 

 which was referred to him and myself by the 

 board in October last. 



By this report, it appears that the saving of out- 

 lay in the first instance, is about 8000 dollars per 



lock, and the real loss on a final result, about 370 

 dollars per lock. This view of the change is quite 

 as liivorahle on the side of the stone locks as I 

 could make it. 



It is well known, that from a point a little above 

 the Rivanna river to the Blue Ridge, along the 

 valley of James river, or in the vicinity ofit, there 

 has not been found any stone fit for locks, with 

 two or three exceptions — and these exceptions 

 only gave stone of bad shape, and which worked 

 into locks willi great expense. 



I have just returned li-om a visit along the Erie 

 canal; and an examination of the locks (built 16 

 to 19 years past, of stone, which was then 

 thought by all who examined them to be good,) 

 has proved that we ought to be very particular in 

 our selections of stone tor locks or aqueducts. In 

 many of those locks I now reler to, the stones 

 have scaled off on the face, and become decom- 

 posed, so as to require blanking to keep them np, 

 until new locks can be erected; and so particular 

 are the board of commissioners of that canal, in 

 their selection of stone lor new locks, that they are 

 transporting stone fi-om 50 to 120 miles on the 

 canal to build locks and aqueducts. 



The aqueduct over Genesee river, consisting of 

 nine or ten arches, of 50 (eei chord each, was 

 built of stone, which was approved at the time, 

 and found in the quarries in the vicinity; they have 

 failed entirely, and a new aqueduct is now build- 

 ing with stone brought 120 miles. 



The masonry of a lock is the most frying and 

 severe test in which stone can he placed — and the 

 greatest care and caution should be taken in 

 selecting them. 



I believe it will be found, that by erecting 

 wooden locks, and placing them on the hill side of 

 the canal, so as to build a stone lock in its proper 

 place next the towing path, and by faking time to 

 select good stone, from a quarry near the canal, 

 and of a quality that will come out with good par- 

 allel beds, and cut well, a lock can be built of such 

 stone when brought 100 to 150 miles on the canal, 

 cheaper than the locks can now be erected. And 

 I add to this, that in the choice of good stone and 

 good cement, and selected mechanics, it is proba- 

 ble the real worth of the lock would be double the 

 value of such as we should be oblij/ed to build, if 

 we persist in the construction of stone locks now, 

 under all disadvantages. 



I passed through the Pennsylvania canal, be- 

 tween Pittsburg and Harrisburg, in June last — 

 and found three fourths of their locks were wood, 

 backed up with dry walls. These, I believe, are 

 intended to be permanent, and to be repaired from 

 time to time as the wood decays, which can be 

 done in winter. 



Taking a view of all the bearings of the ques- 

 tion referred to the chief engineer and myself, I 

 concur with him in recommending the wooden 

 locks; and I would advise the board to have a 

 model made of one inch to the foot, representing^ 

 every piece of timber, and the manner it is put to- 

 gether — so that contractors cannot mistake the in- 

 tention of the board, and may understand their 

 own proposals. 



Respectfully submitted. 



Benj. Wright, 

 Consulting Engineer. 



Richmond, Nov. 27, 1837. 



