Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1807-02-17
Pennsylvania agreed to allow the navir

Pennsylvania agreed to allow the nav1,
CATION of the Susqasaanaah 70 DC oPsnteu'
and MARYLAND to permit the heads u The
bays 10 be united by a canal
In the years 1899, 1901 and 1902, by
legislative acts Of Pennsylvania, Delaware
and Maryland, company was 'ncofPora1'
ed with capital of 100000 dollars tor
the purpose Of cutting tho canal. Sub.
scriptions were obtained nearly to the a.
amount of 100000 the company was
organized. and the work undertaken.
Engineers of ability were employed TO
survey aud level the ground upon several
You,s, which different opinions had dis
tin guished as, preferable, ADD after . iall
knowledge on the subject was attained,
the line of The canal was sxed by the board
of dire c,ors from WEIGH point on the Elk
10 a poin, near Mendenhali's landing on
the christina river. The extsps OF this
route is Fl miles. A shorter distance
might have united the waters Of the two
BAYS. Bur the safety Of the harbors and
navigation, and the boldless Of the waters,
secured by the route adopted, not oniy
justified, bat strongly recommended the
extension Of the line and the probable eEa
crease OF expence. An opinion lad eSiss-
ed thar the bays might be united go As to
allow the waters of the one 70 fow into the
other. The scheme was considered; BIZ.
it was found that il could mol be executed,
go as to answer the intecded purpose,
without an exEence loanitsly beyond lhe
means of she company. = canal with
locks was in consequence determined Oh.
The depth OF the canal was hxed at z 1.2
feet, TO afford navigation TO Tie common
vessels belonging to The bays. To supply
the locks Of shs canal The sources of The
Elk river were purchased and conveyed 10
the ma:a By smaller canal. This canal
of supply proceeding from near the line
of Pennsylvania, aad furnishing barge
navigation, is aear'y completed; ,hslepgsh
Of il is sbou. five miles.
in making surveys, lie the purchase d
wasar rish:a and lands, of boass aul ma.
,erlals in paymeE. Of !abofrfs and r.c,.
dental expences, the company has expecd
ed upwards Of loo, COO d3llsrs The n g.
nitude Of the wark, aud its numerous de.
tails Ut ex2ence were not dis lucty per-
ceived al the t,mesit wss commenced -
When it was found thar one fourth of she
capital of the company was Exhausted, acd
the work which alone had been originally
contemplated not commenced, a general
despondency pervaded the subscribers 70
the project, and many despairng of the
complexion Of the work, and CONSIDERING
the payment of their subscriptions q. di
rect sacrifice of their properly, refused to
pay their insta!ments, and have pat the
company TO the eSpence, aud subj eeted
.hena TO the delay Of Law suits. In consr
cuenee their operations have been para.
lized and the work suspended.
Uader these circumstances, which fel,
myself bonad to Iato!a 10 tae view al the
senate, il is that the company now comes
10 ask the assistance aad support OF the
general government.
This, sir, ! acknowledge they have no
right 20 eSpscS, unless the aid we con.ri~
butte belongs to tho intsress Of The public.
] snail, therefore, ccasae my enquiries 10
the advantages which es;fefenf states and
the anien az large will derive from thr
scheme. Virginia. Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, Delaware and MARYLAND, have aa
immediate interest 10 enc canal. 4; opess
an inland wates communication betwesa
then. all The waters complying into the
chesapeake penetra,c.immeuse tracts of
country ---- The towns and landings or
these waters have new markets opened TO
them, and the assistance OF, additional CAPT.
tails.
An interior navigation Of twenty -one
miles, exemption risk, saves voyage Of
FIVE hundred, exposed to the danger Of e
nemies and the common psriis Of The sea.
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