Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1817-03-28

] WILSON, Of Pennsylvania, n
] Congress, on the subject of Canal
81 shall detain you with p-rticp.
lar instances from one only Of Ii,
states Of Europe, Great Britain and
there with but two of the number q |
instances which might he detaileo-
1.-The first that occurs is that systrma
internal navigation. projected and
perfected by the Duke of BridgeSa.
ter /; the whole extent is only ia
miles. but so expensive and difficult
have been the works, AMI so great Ii.
perfection attained, That it seems ron
than the result of human exertiOR.-
The lOckage aqueducts. calverts, feel.
lers, and reservoirs of this navigation,
are more expensive than all the ca.
nails required in the United Stats
but the most extraordinary part Of
all is the under ground navigation 0.
8 miles, which torns a part of it
This is carried upon two levels, tn,
lower extending II miles through diC. |
fcrent seams Of coal, the upper IS / 10
feet higher, extending 6 miles. and IS
from ia to 1870 perpendicular feet
below the surface of the ground. The
communication between the upper and
lower levels. an inclined plane, dip.
''ping one foot in four near 44O feet,
cut in solid rock Of white granite,
] upon which the loaded boats are pass.
ed up and down upon rollers and rail.
J ways, by windlas and horse power.
>, This navigation connects London.
Liverpool. Manchester and Hull, per.
, forming amongst them all necessarF
| exchanges of commodities, whsthc;
: raw or manufactured, enabling thee
, great and populous cities and towns
with all the intermediate country. b
obtain besides the ordinary exchange,
able commodities, clays, quarrel
stone, lime, marble, sand. and even
manures of all kinds. and fuel for their
!, immense consumption. Vastly O..
ppnsiye as the works have been, thr
are found profitable to their owneN,
and Justly considered as having adds
more to the general prosperity d
:, England than any other one cstabIisi.
,'ment has ever done. The second AMI
last in Europe. which shall notice.
lis the Forth and Clyde navigation in
Scotland. The canal which unitcs
their waters Is only thirty eight miles
long but work Of such vast ey.
lpense and difficulty that although it
had been projected by Charles the
Second, and having been abandon!
,Ifor the want of resources, was again
revived in 1928, when survey was
made again in 1862, 65 and e., e.
land G8. 1t was never thoroughly
commenced until 1868 never open
led for navigation until IVA, and then
|but for something less than hall it,
'Icxtcnt. Eleven miles still remained
Ito he made in 1884. twas not CON.
'|ple;ed until 1870 :; and the whole re-
venues were expended in per!ectlnS
this expensive work until 1899 inCu'
lsive. In that year the COMPANY
. we're permitted by act Of Parllamen!
Ito add the interest of their expenil'
'lture to their original stock. which
Horned an accumulated capital oil Az,
I525l. divided into 1897 shares OF 3'H
leach, and ON this sam their dividends
were limited to 10 per cent. and the'I
first dividend was made in lSCo o.
only three and one thirteenth FS
; cent. This navigation although oNI'
] SO miles, was constructed at an fnof'
nous expense, having its summit r.
wei at an elevation al Sc feet ncd''
UNI width of the surface So ieet' a
i. bottom o., depth throughout u"
whole 8 feet, calculated 70 be encresi,
| led to nine !; SO locks Of 6 feet i.l
. each, "A feet long, and 90 feet VIC
,,between the walls /; passes over 'eh
J, large aqueducts, and SO smaller one.
There are IS drawbridges over t.
land 63 houses belonging to the com
! pany, two dry docks, and eight S,
: pensive reservoirs, covering N I'll
D s2S acres. and from which the supply
!, of water is conveyed irrm 6 to ~
miles. The whole expencs as ''as
,ibcen stated, was 42l.525l. equal +"
j 81 ,S73,516, or S59.3O4 per ms
j Notwithstanding the enorma! q ..
!, tine expense, this Improvement -
found not only a p ,htabie STOCK -
the company, bu 10 give ne" our