Daily National Intelligencer

INTERNAL NAVIGATION.

From the Western Virginian.

Agreeable to a meeting of a number of respectable citizens of Clarksburg: a committee of three persons, were appointed to draft a petition praying the Legislature of this commonwealth, to enact a law authorizing a sum of forty thousand dollars, to be raised by way of lottery, and to be appropriated to the running of the Buckhannon River into the waters of Elk, and for the improvement of the navigation of the West fork of the Monongahela river. This scheme, however sublime it may appear, is nevertheless practicable, and the advantages that may be derived from the same, will be innumerable. The settlements of Buckhannon, Leading creek, and others, that will be immediately concerned in this laudable undertaking, are at present in but a poor state of cultivation, and very thinly inhabited; and what is the reason? The soil of those water courses and settlements, are of a superior quality, and fertile in the extreme. The question can be readily solved, by pointing to the deficiency of roads and streams that penetrate the section of country alluded to. Then let us unite in the grand enterprise of turning the river Buckhannon, from its original bed, where it has peaceably glided on, for many centuries past, into a new channel invented by man, which if accomplished, will be found worthy of notice, by the historian, throughout the annals of time. The plan suggested for turning the said river, is to erect a suitable dam across it, and from hence open a canal to fall into the head waters of Leading-creek, which is one of the principal branches of Elk. From the best information that can be obtained, the distance will be from one quarter, to a half mile, that the canal will require a considerable depth, and that not exceeding twenty feet, the remaining part appears to have been accomplished by nature, owing to the branch of the Buckhannon river, which interlocks with the head waters of Leading-creek, which branch, after falling a short distance from the dividing ridge of said waters, becomes dead water, until it unites with the aforesaid river, with the exception of one or two falls that do not amount to more than two or three feet. This branch will of course supersede the necessity of sinking a canal for a considerable distance.

When the canal is completed, the water will be let through by degrees with the aid of locks, so as to give time to form its channel—by this means it will gradually increase and widen its bed, until we shall have a fine navigable stream flowing through the centre of a rich and populous country; it will afford at times a safe vehicle of trade and will readily admit of the erection of every description of water works, which will be of the greatest magnitude to our country.

Some persons will probably object to the proposed plan, who live on the streams of the Buckhannon and Leading rivers, below where this canal is contemplated to be taken out. If so, I can assure such persons, that it cannot result in any inconvenience to them, inasmuch as those streams are not navigable, and the probability is that they never will be made so, owing to the great number of insurmountable falls. The mountainous situation of that part of the country forbids any settlements of note, consequently it is not susceptible of improvement, such as would justify clearing out the navigation, erecting locks, &c.

If any individuals should sustain a damage from the arrangement, as proposed, they will be remunerated accordingly.

It is a subject worthy of attention, and I trust it will meet with public approbation.—A Subscriber.