The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-05-09
DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE.
internal Na0 igation.

OfinprOVeIneEt III the inland NAVIGATION of
the river Potomac, & its tributary ftreams
and believing that no enterprise has been
attempted by a private company, in this
new world, of 70 much public utility, we
! ihall continue to lay before our readers,
iuch material information refpe6ting it, as
| 1t may be in our powerto obtain from four
ces, entirely correct.
1t is generally known, that this great
work was begun under the aufpiccs of Gen.
Warrington, few years after the revolu-
tonary war: about five hundred thoufand
dollars have been expended in its pro.ecu-
tion ieveral years NUT yet elapfe, before
the whole of the object in the conternla-
ton of the company, can be completely ef,
fected. Enough, however, has been &C
compliihed,to afford fuch facility tothe back
inhabitants, that that part of the country,
10 remote from any Tea port by lard con-
veyance, as 10 prohibit the rafting OF any
thing for fale, except cattle, have become,
and are daily becoming, the belt grain fet-
Elements in the Atlantic ftates. Merchant
mills are erecting i'll the Allegany rroun-
talns, and farmers 200 miles from a fea
port, get their flour transported to the feat
ofgovernment of the United States, st an
expente leis than is paid for fifty miles land
carriage.
The main branch Of the river, whic, ex-
tends from tide water to the foot of the
Allegauy mountains, is ROW navigable to
the mouth of Georges creek, about go
miles by water from the city OF Vyafhing-
ton, and twenty fome odd miles above the
town OF Cumberland there remains, low
ever, fome triHing obftructions in this
branch, which impede the navigation in the
dry fea1ons OF the year; but it is quefion-
able whether this Inconvenience does not
rciult more from the bad contribution cs
the boats employed In the navigation,
than any defect in the work on the river.
Thefe boats carry 30 bbls. of flour and
, draw from 90 inches to two feet water. IF
. they draw but ! 2 or 4 inches, they would
meet with no difficulties for ten months ia
the year, and experiments are making the =
| fuCceis of which is taid to be certain, to
reduce them TO the proper draft Of water.
In this year there has been no Interrupts
on in the navigation from the want CT wa
| ter, or too great draft of the boats: large
quantities of -four, timber and other arfi-
cles have defended the river and the prof
poets are fuch as to leave no doubt, that
every thing in the upper country prepared
or preparing for water transportation, viii
readily find its way TO market, in the pre-
TENT featon. One gentleman, rich enter
priiing farmer in Frederick county Mary
land, refiding fome miles higher UP the river
Monocacy than iredcricktowp, has alrea-
dy tent his boat five times t. this market
ilnce the breaking up of the froG, ard has
Sielivereet uPSvaFda Of SOC BILL of Go,,r
There are icyerh firearms that dilcharoe
themielveG into the Eiain branch Is TIE ri.
yer, ]ome of which are fcarcely lefs inn
fat,fT hon, -. .sC
mott comfortable Of theft are the Shenan-
doah, the South Branch, the Monocacy,
and the ConochOcheague. The South
Branch, isnow navigable so or GO miles, the
Monocacy, about half that diftance and in
the heart of Frederick county, the largeft,
richeft and mott productive county in Ma
ryland--the other two branches are not IN
fate of 70 much Improvement, but the
whole energies ofthe COMPANY are now de
re6ted TO an operation on the Shenal.C S5h,
which will cot 10 or $4,000 dollars, and
which when iniihed, will add 20 our pre-,
fent inland navigation, little fhort Of goo
miles, and into the fneit country ca tie
United States.
Prom thefe dates, the public will draw
its own conciuiion. Every intelligent rea-
der viii perceive in this great effort Of a p1i-
reach of ordinary minds, not 70 LARGE pro-
portion ofthe people OF Virginia, Maryiand
and Pennfylvaria only, who are II ore I'M
mediatsly TO enjoy the ben, fits ofthjs rayi-
cation; but 20 the bcft intereh of the whole
people of Tie u. States in the duration of
Their union. Between the heretofore nayipa-
Die eafern & weitern waters, there isacoun-
try of innerfe extent, The greater part OF
which is without inhabitants & 70 would
have remained, but for the enterprize of
which we were ipeakiug. 1t was in
vain to hope that this country could
be fettled uniCfS navigation could be car
ried near to its centre. IT was equally vi.
fonary to imagine that the Atlartic and
weltern ftates flparatcd by fuch barrier.
could remain lOrg united under one 90.
vernment. The Potomac navigation " hich
now extends wefward within 10 or 50
miles of the bavigable wefern waters, viii
largely contribute to the immediate fetfIe.
ment and cultivation of this wildernefs, by
affording 20 the cultivatols, tie mearg of
carrying TO market the fruits Of thcir in.
dulry. II viii alto afford TO the people
on the wefern waters as low down as The
falls of the Ohio, and perhaps lower
the eaiieft and chCapef conveyance for
i thofe fupplies from Che old world, which
their neceiIities and their comfort, re-
qGire. No ties are 10 inGidCluhle "a
| tbOfe Of intereft. This navigation is -lCo
interefing 20 the people of the U. States.
( though in a fnailer degree, I'm the iuauenc,i
it NUT have on the rapid growth and ~
TUE gra d.ur ofthat cit which is eBabf.h.