Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1823-01-30

is now proposed, a boat carrying
tons burthen, will be enabled to go
the river course, with the same facili'
she goes down the navigation on &
canal, will be always good, exec
when it is closed by ice. The prese
condition of the navigation of the Pot
mac River, has been explained ard Il
difference in these important respects
too glaring TO require additional con
ment.
The usual load Of a wagon on ous
Turnpike is stated at 8 tons; boat.
one man, boy and a horse, will IL
equal fer transportation then, to NOR.
than s wagons, 8 men, and 30 horse
each travelling at the same rate of d
lance in equal time. a calculation
hereto annexed marked tDl which shews
that taking into view the daily expenses,
interest on outfit and wear of the wa,
CONS, men and horses required to trans
port IS tons, and the same expenses,
interest and wear of boat, man, boy
and horse. required to bear the same
burden OH a canal, the transportation by
land carriage is go times greater thar
by canal. 1t may well then be stated
"that the public would be great gamers
were they to lay out upon the making of
every mile of canal. twenty times as
much as they expend upon mile of
turnpike road while mile of canal
is often made at less expense than a
mile of road )" though commonly it has
cost on recent works in this country
something more per mile this excess
has rarely exceeded third of the cost
of a mile of turnpike, locks, culyerts.
SC. all considered. To shew bow the
tolls may be increased for the benefit Of
canal company while the freight is still
lessened very considerably, an example
given by the late Mr.. Robert Falton, is
SO strongly stated and clearly illustrat-
ed, that we cannot do better than in.
sert it verbatim. "By the Lancaster
turnpike from Philadelphia to the sus.
auehsnna at Columbia, is "a miles; on
it from Columbia to Philadelphia bar.
rel OF -four, say 200 VT. pays one dol.
lar carriage broad wheeled wagon
carries so barrele of 8 tons and pays for
turnpike 8 dollars, thus for each ton
carried, the turnpike company receives
only one dollar; the making of the road
cost 44l,o00 dollars, or on an average
of 5000 dollars mile; l will now sup.
pose a canal to have been cut from Phi.
laGelphia to Columbia, and with its
winding to make 100 miles, at $4,000
dollars mile, or for the whole 500. 600
dollars. On such canal one man. one
boy and horse, would carry Is tons 90
miles day, on which the following
would be the expense: man | dollar.
horse dollar, boy so cents. tolls
for repairing canal dollar, tolls for
passing locks, sc. so cents, interest
on the wear of boat so cents, sum to.
tai 5 dollars; this is equal to 90 cents
ton for 90 miles, and no more than one
dollar a ton for 100 miles, instead of 10
dollars, paid by the road conseauent-
ly for each ton carried from Columbia to
Philadelphia on the canal, the company
might take toll of sac dollars instead
of one which is now got by the road.
add then the -four would arrive at PHI
ladelphia for secen dollars ton instead
of ten which it now pays; the ton Of
merchandise taken from Philadelphia
back to Columbia, would also pay
dollars less than it now pays.
Suppose that exactly the number Of
tons would move on the canal, that are
now transported by the road again let
it be supposed that at one dollar ton,
the turnpike company gains S per cent.
per annum on their capital of $4,000,
or 200 dollars, consequently 9e, e0C
tons must be carried, which at sir dol~
lars a ton to the canal company, would
give $500 dollars a year. 1-2 per
cent. fer the capital OF 100000 dol
lars.
In order to see the immediate effect
of cutting canal from tide water to-
Cumberland it is necessary to ascertain
the amount of tolls now taken on the
roads leading from and throa' those DIS
tricts of country, which will avail them
selves of the cheaper conveyance by ca
nal, as from Leesburg to Aiexandr'a
and Georgetown, and from Union 'fown
by Hagers town, Boonsborough, Frede-
ricktown &c. to Baltimore ana george
town, the tolls now taken on these roads
and also at the Great Falls of Potomac,
may be or 6 times increased in amoune
on the canal, and still in consequence
of the great saving in freight, as ABOVE
stated and exemplifcd the cost of trans
pnrtation to the owner OF the produce.or
goods. will be greatly cheaper than IL
now is by the road.
Butby far the greater part of the TOLL
Liz