American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1823-05-23
FOR THE W4rcHMAN.

Ma. EDrroR,-I observed in your paper of May
9Th two essays written by A. b. copied from the
National Gazette, upon the location of the Chesa
peake and Delaware Canal. This writer, IN the
commencement of his essays dlsclains Partially for
any particular route, as he owns no property on
either, and is excited TO act o the interest Of the
people at large, and particularly for that of Phia-
ldepha, But thinks to myself can see latent
interest if not by owning property immediately on
the rout, his property Is probably in situation that
will probably be indirectly beneated by location
Of it, the route that he so strongly advocates
which is The course formerly proposed and com
muuicated by Mr.. Lsrobe. passing through Chris
tlana Greek, SC He attempts by his afgn cent to
make it appear thar any other route than his favor
lie one is almost imp actcabIe, his venom however,
appears to be solely directed against the rout, late
lily surveyed and SO highly recommended by that ex
perienced engineer Mr.. Rande which is that up
the low grounds Of St. Georges Creek SIC and
he offers many Gas he thinks) insurmountable OBJ
iections to this route-such as the difficulty OF max
ing permanent banks on the low ground cutting
through the deep sediment of St, Georges mill
pond, in defiance OF miusmG and nluSqast0es :-the
inconvenience and obstruction on the Canal by the
ldrawbridges and the impracticability OF removing
earth by boat, even with lUonderfat coatrrance
10 its bottom, &c. &C. These objections may all
lappear plausible to person who is unaquaned
never resided adjacent to marsh or low grounds
B. certainly has not theoretical knowl, dye
Of constructing banks through marsh, or he would
not offer this as any great objection. ! am conf
dent tina! the mud and earth that would be removed
ftom a canal say FIVE feet In depth, and sixty feet
in width, by giving it base Of, say so feet and that
covered with sand and gravel, which would neces
sarily be removed from the high ground would
make banks that would last for century MORE
and particularly as not more than one third OF that
which would come out of the canal, would be requi,
red on one se Sit being the design OF Mr.. Ran
deli to make the upland on one side the basis tor
one Of the banks.
A further objection of A. B. appears to be the in
convenience OF drawbridges upon the canal. This
| | must acknowledge would be some obstacle; but
this diGcusy in my opinion, cannot be obylated up
on anySsFoposed route and as to passing roads un
I der the canal, think A b. would find IT very difh
cult and almost impracticable task, particularly il
springs, so are to be met with so near the
surface as he states but even We're it considered
better than drawbridges I'VE find that his iavorite
route would not be exempt from drawblldge, that
over the Christiana at Wilmington where II would
Ibe impracticable to substitute road under the ca
nal for the drawbrdge. Independent OF the draw
bridge at Wilmington, there would be two roads &c
lpass he canal, and the deep cut as proposed by
i Mr. Randell, there would be but two.
i And as 10 his powerful objection OF miasma and
l1nusqaetoes, those we must acknowledge would be
objections, particularly to travellers who would he
detained some days and nights on the canal But
this we presume, would not often occur, as the
length of the CANAL would not exceed twelve miles
and have no obstruction Of locks, Sc.--and fur
Their don't know where A. b. would find route 10
cross the peninsula, that would be clear OF those OBJ
stacles, without he would extend his canal up over
the White Clay creek hills.
i A. d. states in his essays, that the design of Mr.
Randell, was to dig through the low ground, up to
the elevated part Of the route on the east and side
and lock over it, distance Of about four m'!es;-