Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-06-06
For the ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE.

Mr.. SNowDEN,
was very much gratified the Other
day by the perusal, in your useful paper
Of letter from the venerable sage. whos'
predictions, sooner or later, seem Away
10 he fulfilled fand whose sound judgmen
and penetrating mind enabled him to see {
head of the rest Of his fellow-cltizens) a.
il respeets the ultimate growth OF the
town of Alexandria, if the means ieadiHS
to her wealth are properly cultivated ana
imnroyed And as the great object OF lns-
proyine the navigation of Potomac and lis
tributary streams, arc advancing with a
lively anticipation Of the attainment OF tha'
desirable object. wish TO draw the atten-
fan az or fellow town>men 10 the removal
of enc mere obstruction which IS much
eomplained of by the farmers on the foto-
lin the habit officiating their tiourdoWn
the river mean the obstruction made a.
cross one arm OF the river al Mason Island
which has very much injured the boating
navigation from Georgetown TO aIeAan-
dria: and it is with some diihethty that
boats are prevailed upon to proceed down
60 Alexandra. by going round the island
and encountering the rough water. The
farmers with great justice complains that
thew have not the chance OF all the mar
kets the Distrist Of Columbia can afford !;
and especially the lowest and largest ship
ping port.
When this causeway was erecting, the
c;t;zans of Alexandria felt no disposition
TO damp that generous emulation Tor IN
provement in a neighborinS town, struS-
Cling to remove serious inconvenience
to their immediate navigation; but as the
experiment has been fairly made, and the
result fallen short of their expectation,
they can have no objection against the CT
items of Alexandria in turn making an
experiment for their own advancement,
where it is attended with no inconvenience
to them. To enable Potomac boats
10 proceed to Alexandria with per-
feet safety, it is not only necessary that a
sluice should he made through Mason's
eauseway, but that they should not be O.
bGsed to pass round Alexander's island.
This can with great ease be done by
means Of an inconsiderabie canal, from
the MINER end cf Alexander's Pocosin,
Down the swash Of the Abingdon Lands
now Wise's, and through those Lands
and >Chapman's, into the mouth OF the
Four Mile Greek, whence the shore OF
the Potomac is even, and no injury could
POSSIBLY happen to boats. From the upper
end of IAlexander's Pocosin to Wise's
Lands. the tide flows freely through. and
rises from four to five feet, thro' the lands
of Wise and Chapman, the land is sandy
& light. and perfectly level, and in no place
more than eighteen inches above high wa
ter mark and the whole distance from
the upper end Of the Poeosih into the
mouth of Four Mile Greek about four
hundred and eighty poles-To cut canal
four feet deep, which would admit OF
three feet water. ten feet wide at bottom.
and the sides sloped to an angle OF thirty
three degrees, would not cost more than
twenty-five cents the square yard, OF eight
dollars and twenty five cents per pole. Tor
digging and throwing the earth OIL one
side. only; which would make three thou
sand dollars for one mile and a half; to
which may be added, say one thousand
dollars, for cutting sluice and arelIing
it through Nason's causeway; SO that
from FIVE to six thousand dollars will ae-
coMplsh this most desirable object to the
town Of Alexandria, as well as to the
farmers near the Potomac in the upper
country. Ifby bringing this subject into
view at an early day our fellow citizens
will cast it in their minds, and by view
ing the ground shall think the plan fea-
s;bie one, / hope petition will be pre-
pared to Congress, praying for the priv
Iese: and in this have the assurance OF
many wealthy and respectable farmers in
TIE upper country, that they will mos
cheerfully cooperate.
ONE OF THE PEOPLE.
DOYNTINIG