Virginia; Her Internal Improvements and Development [pp. 291-304]

296 VIRGINIA- HER INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
the west is growing into such inmmense proportions as imperatively to
require the opening of the shortest and most direct lines 6f transit. In
the infancy of the west, and during the sparsity of settlements and the
scarcity of capital, its trade was susceptible of control, and could be
diverted from its natural and most direct channels by artificial means.
But the case is now changed. The shortest lines of transit must be
sought and will be preferred; and this, not only with reference to the
land transit, but to the ocean passage.
In regard to the psssages of the ocean, it is to be observed, that the old
routes of steam navigation have been modified with the progress of improvement in steam naval architecture. At first, the narrowest passages
of the Atlantic were sought; and, as both Liverpool and Halifax were
British ports, British steamers enjoyed almost a monopoly of ocean steam
navigation. But of late years, this state of things has changed. Steam
naval architecture has been carried to sucli perfection, that the great
vessels no longer hug the shore of either continent until reaching the
narrowest passages, before striking out upon the main; but boldly steam
forth directly into inid-ocean, regardless of the breadth of the passage,
pursuing the most direct lines ot transit. The direct passage from New
York is preferred to the circuitous one which took Halifax in the way;
and the broad passage from Norfolk to Liverpool inspires no more awe
than the narrow one from Newfoundland to the Irish cliffs.
But the case does not continue the same with respect to seaports south
of Norfolk. Indeed, the general course of ocean winds and currents
renders a northward curve, even in the passage from Norfolk to Europe,
desirable, and sometimes necessary, for both sailing vessels and steamers.
In the admirable charts of navigation prepared by Lieut. Maury, and
published in his "Sailing Directions," the truth of this observation is
plainly presented to the eye, and it is made perfectly obvious that the
trade of all ports of the United States south of Norbfolk must coast the
continent until it reaches the latitude of that city before striking out
across the main. Even if the trade of the Mississippi Valley could reach
seaports south of Norfolk by a shorter overland route than the route to
Norfolk, it would gain nothing by going to those southern ports, for the
reason, that after embarking upon the ocean, it would still have virtually
to pass Norfolk on its passage to Europe. NVorfolk, therefore, possesses
over all northern seaports the ad(vantage of being nearer by overlatnd route to
the centres of Western trade; and possesses, over all southern seaports, the
cadvantage of being nearer by the ocean routes to all European ports.
What is here said of Norfolk holds true of any point on the waters
adjacent to Hampton Roads; and applies as well to West Point and City
Point. I speak of Norfolk alone, simply because it is more prominently
before the public mind. Hickman and Cairo being at the centre of
Western trade, and Norfolk the most eligible seaport for its shipment
abroad; the two former connected with the system of railroads in Tennessee and Kentucky; and the other with the system in Virginia, I can
conceive of no work more important in its continental relations than the
Virginia and Kentucky Railroad.
But we have other harbors in Virginia which proudly dispute the
palm of excellence even with peerless Norfolk. Where can a more
beautiful natural harbor be found in the world than is presented by that
grand old historic river, York; for its whole course of sixty miles up
from the Bay, to West Point at the junction of the Pamunky and Mat-tapo-ni rivers? To West Point, a fine railroad leads down, straight as an
arrow, from Richmond, thirty-eight miles long. In his special report