The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-12-28

of the Eleventh Congress, bill. which
came from the Senate, appr I: sia,inc two
hundred thousand acres OF public lands for
this object. was Indefinitely postponed in the
House OF Representatives, rather, as this
committee have been taught to believe, FIR. m
the lateness of the period a, which the SUBJ
ject was brought l. :iore the House of Repre
sentatives. than from any indisposi,ion on
their part TO accede to the l;bsral provision
proposed BY the Sena;e.
| That, ccnceiving the present to be a mo-
| rnent when the Importance Of such a canal
will probably be appreciated as it ought to
be. your committee beg leave to enumerate
briefly some of the most prominent advan-
tages 10 be derived from it;
| BY connecting the waters OF the Chesa
peake and Delaware, the contemplated can
al will throw open an internal navigation
from the north western parts of the state of
! New York to the southern extremit;es Of the
state of Virginia.
| Besides the contributions which such a
Course OF internal nsrigr ion would afford to
the sustenance Of the community, ana to an
export trade, in the products of The earth.
which II would transport iron all the vari-
Gus regions it must connect together, it
would moreover supply the coal from the
banks OF the James river and the Susuue
hannah, to the cities & settlements along the
Atlantic coast, thus substituting cheap and
inexhaustible species OF fuel for the wood of
which the country is deprived. aud OF which
the price already constitutes so large =
! drain upon the resnurces of the poor s. ma
nufacturipg classes.
| The extensive beds of Plaster of Paris &
| other useful substances, which are said to
exist on the shores of the SIsquehannah,
and OF which the want is now so severely
felt III other places, might be Carried into
active usefulness throughout some of the
most agricultural districts Of he union
he transportation of merchandise, of all
kinds OF articles OF food, cloathiug and ne
cessity, OF almost every thing which the
north, middle and south interchange, would
be facilitated in point of price, time & safe
ty. to gref; amount. Your committee are
informed that at this time, government is
compelled to convey by land. in the winter
season, over the portage from the Chesa
peake to the Delaware "a road rendered al.
most i"ipassa5le by land carriage) the most
bulky pieces OF timber for the ship of the
line building at Philadelphia, and that the
e%pence OF the conveyance over this small
distance is enormous.
IN the reduction of the time, labor & cost
or all military transportation, whether of
men or things, the importance of the Chesa
peake and Delaware canal is inestimablc !:
ana desirable as such an Improvement may
Extensively beneficial in time Of peace.
That essential as such Canal is a, This
Juncture, and advantageous as it would be
at ali times, the motives to its underta king.
are Increased by the facility and shortness
OF time with which it may be undoubtedly
accomplished.
The canal begins at Welch Point on the
ELK river, an arm Ok the Chesapeake, and
Is to terminate at the distance of twenty two
mil 4 hrse
Delaware. AZ low water the depth of wa
| ter III Christiana is nine feet and in Elk 10
teet from the shore. The tide rises four feet
! IN Doth rivers. The highest intermediate
| ground. over which the canal is to be Carried
on level OF thirteen miles in length is sew
enty feur feet above tide waker, the descen;
to be effected by nine locks on each side
The digging is generally easy No expen-
sive aqeducts nor bridges nor anv other OF,
stacies occur, but those which have BEEN al
ready overcome in digging the feeder
Through rocky soil. The supply of water
drawn from Elk river, by feeder six miles
In length. which is completed, and Which
is itself boat canal three and half fset
deep, united by a lock OF ten feet high to the
main canal. is calculated to fill daily one
hundred & forty -four locks a quantity suf
hclent on AN average for the daily passage
OF twenty four vessels.
| IL Is !ntenCea tor vessels of from FORTY to
seventy tons, drawing seven and half f.et
water. The banks twenty feet wide for
towing paths. one of which may be ccnyer-
ted into turnpike road. being raised feet
above the level Of the water, will, by increa
sing the height of the lock gates one foot,
admit depth Of nine feet water. in the
canal. The digging one mile through rocky
ground cost $4,000 dolls another mile per
fectly level and without any impedjm rnts
cost 500 dollars, which gives an average
OF 1851 dollars a mile. The whole dis
lance to be cut is twenty two miles; the
whole cost computed at 55O, 900 dolls. OF
this sum 100000 dollars has been laid ont
The sum solicited by public contribution is
287 ,U00 Ofthis sum the state of Pennsvl
vania contributes 1896 dollars. to he re-
inoursed by three hundred and seventy FIVE
shares OF the stock the state of MARYLAND
contributes 600 dolls. to be Reimbursed
by two hundred and fifty shares of the stock
and the state Of Delaware IL 900 dollars.
to be reimbursed by sixty shares Of the
stock-Ihe sum solicited of CONGRESS- &c
10000 dollars. to be reimbursed by seven
hundred and fifty shares oft stock. with
public assistance TO such an amount the pte-
sident and directors Of this canal calculate.
on individual contributions and private loans.
sufficient to Complete the work in short
time.
The states Of Maryland, Delaware and
pennsylvania, which are most immediately
interested in this pu1Iic irnDrovemcnt h,