OFFICE OF THE SWIFT RUN GAP TURNPIKE COMPANY, FREDERICKSBURG, Sd Dec. 1821.

I annex the annual report of the income, expenditure, condition, and progress of this company.

Yours, very respectfully,

WILLIAM ALLEN,

Secretary and Treasurer

Swift Run Gap Turnpike Company.

In obedience to the act of Assembly, the secretary and treasurer of the Swift Run Gap turnpike company make the following report of the income and expenditure of the road for the year ending 1st December, 1821, and of its condition and progress.

INCOME.

Received from stockholders, on account of

subscription to stock,

$4,724 04

Ditto Board of Public Works, on account of subscription to stock,

11,500 00

3,991 01

Ditto gate-keepers, for tolls collected,

Ditto the auditor, for negroes attending the court, as witnesses on behalf of the commonwealth,

Ditto J. L. Marye, for toll-house sold him,

Total income,

10

30 21 125 00

$20,870 26

EXPENDITURE.

Paid for labor hire, land, stone, &c.

Do. on account of contract for making the

road,

Do. on account of overseer's wages,

Do.

Do.

do.

gate-keeper's do.

do. secretary and treasurer do.

January and July dividends,

$8,372 47

12,744 58 562 40

593 58

164 99

3,090 00

$ 25,528 02

CONDITION AND PROGRESS.

30 miles complete, beng paved or gravelled; 11⁄2 do. the stone carried on, but not broken;

4 do. ditched, thrown up, and culverts made ready to

receive the pavement.

RICHMOND, 4th December, 1821.

To the President and Members of the

BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS OF VIRGINIA.

The report of the president and directors of the Richmond Dock company respectfully represents, that the attention of the company, during the last year, has been occupied—1st, in the completion of the dam which was commenced the preceding year, for the purpose of throwing an ample supply of water through the canal of Messrs. Philip Haxall and Company, into the dock. The dam is now finished, agreeably to contract, and no doubt can be entertained that the supply of water will, at all times, be sufficient for all the purposes intended; and that the dam is constructed in a manner that promises durability. 2ndly. The labor of the company has been directed to deepening the basin in the vicinity of Mayo's bridge, for the purpose of ensuring such a depth of water as is by law required. Much difficulty and expense attended the execution of this part of the work, the natural bottom being of granite rock, so irregular in its conformation as to render the operation of blasting, by powder, extremely tedious and uncertain: and the quantity of water which continually penetrated through the uneven body of rock, required unceasing labor for its removal. The work is now believed to be perfected, according to the requisitions of the law; and the company feel a confidence that there is no other substance to be found in any part of the bottom of their works, which may not be easily removed by the use of the mud-lifting machines, which have already been so successfully employed. The quantity of rock, which has been blasted in the prosecution of this part of the works, is very considerable, and has been most advantageously applied, in adding to the strength and durability of the outer wall, above and below twenty-third street; and in raising the stone walls on each side of Shockoe creek. 3dly. The temporary lock which was erected on the extended line of 18th street of the city of Richmond, for the accommodation of boats passing through the James river canal, being necessarily placed on a sandy foundation, has, in several instances, given away, under the influence of great floods of water rushing down Shockoe creek, and entering the basin. The repairs have greatly increased the labor and difficulty of the company, for the last year, and have led to the immediate execution of a waste (by contract,) opposite to the entrance of Shockoe creek into the basin. This, it is believed, will give great increased security to the whole works, and will tend very much to relieve the basin and dock from the surface

filth, which otherwise might be left floating, to the injury of health and convenience. 4thly. Admonished by the experience acquired in the last mentioned parts of their works, the company have, during the past year, commenced at 23d street, and extended to the lock, a ditch ten feet wide, dug through the sandy part of the bottom, making a depth of from 6 to 8 feet, and caused the same to be well filled with carefully selected clay, to act in the nature of puddle. From this effort, they have already experienced much benefit in the power of retaining water to the given height to which it has yet been practicable to raise it. The results of all the experiments made in stopping and raising the water, in the whole works from the lower lock to Mayo's bridge, has been most favorable to the belief that the southern bank is amply sufficient to retain the water on such elevation as may be required. 5thly. The same precautionary considerations of guarding against the influence of sandy bottoms, have dictated to the company the propriety and necessity of protecting the lower lock from the ravages which either the sudden or gradual removal of a loose bottom might occasion. The measures which the company have adopted, have been very tedious and expensive in their operation; but which, upon every principle of human calculation, promise advantages in every respect equal to the labor and money expended. A set of piles, of large size, have been driven to the depth of eight feet below the bottom of the lock, extending at least one hundred feet in front of the lock, and the same distance in its rear, or lower end. In front of the upper piling, a large body of well selected clay has been placed, to supply the place of the same quantity of loose sand, and vegetable rubbish, taken out of the space; and behind it, partly in the chamber of the lock, and partly in a wharfing, constructed for that purpose, has also been placed a very large body of good clay.

The labours of the company are now engaged in raising the sides of the lock, and in a few days it may be confidently asserted, that the lock will be capable of containing ten feet in depth of water, and the great gates may be safely hung. 6thly. The only part of the work which remains to be finished, for the purpose of carrying the works into immediate operation, by receiving vessels into the dock, and entitling the company to the receipts of tolls, is, an excavation of one hundred feet in width, extending from the lock to Young's wharf, of unequal depth: from the changeable condition of the water which covers this surface, it was found to be impracticable, to employ the steam mud-lifting machine, which had so successfully been used about the lock, and the company were compelled to procure a machine of a smaller size, which has added