Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-03-01


chain of the Alleghanies, between the mouths
ofSayare River and Bear Creek, is perfectly
practicable. The total distance from the
mouth of Savage River to that OF Bear creek
will be forty-one miles at least, the rise rom
the mouth of Savage River to the base-mark,
1 ,432 feet; and the fall from the base mark to
the mouth of Bear Creek, $50 35-1OOths feet,
total oflockage 1888 35-10Oths feet"
A preceding part of the report fur
nishes the following particulars of this
portion or middle section Of the canal.
The whole Deep Greek Route is Al
miles 7ls yards. Its tunnel is mile
$685. yards in length, and the height OF
its ridge above its bed is 227 feet. The
deep cut at the western extremity OF the
tunnel, is miles 1896 yards; at its cas-
tern, 900 yards.
owe know, (says the Board) that two lock-
fllls is the maximum expense to- raising or
lowering boat, and eight minutes are requlr-
ed for its passage through lock OF thirty
wards in length, FIVE and one third yards in
breadth, and two and two-third yards In hit.
Such a lock will contain 1864 cubic yards,
without deducting from it the draught Of wa
ter of the boat, and its passage-(at the max
imum) will thus consume 1852 cubic yards,
or 854 cubic yards at most Now, ifthe canal
is nayigsted nine months, or 30 days year,
at ten hours day, and that the locks of the
summit level be kept in constant operation all
that time, they might pass, allowing eight mi
nutes for each boat, 20,250 boats, at an ex-
nense of water equal to 1928, 500 cubic
Yards for the nine months, or 1921, 500 cubic
wards a month. This maximum OF water for
the expense of lockage, is 65S, $50 cubic yards
less than the minimum which the reservoirs
will receive during that time
"The expense of water tor lockage beng
II, 1898, 500 cubic yards, and the reservoirs con-
timing 23,689,007 cubic yards, there will re-
main in reserve to supply the losses ofthe sum-
init level, from fltrations and evaporation,
6,395, SOY cubic yards
%The summit level of Deep Creek, extend
ing III miles in length, will require Ais, 600
cubic yards to fill it; and supposing that it 10.
SEES by filtration and evaporation the value OF
its prism every month, or nine times in the
wear, it will expend 1922, 500 cubic yards.
The profile of its feeder having supposed
area of ten square yards, and length OF 1O3
miles. it will consume at the same rate ], $685.
200 cubic yards. Total consumption for nine
months S, 1856, 500 cubic yards. Retrenchmg
this quantity from the surplus mass of the re-
seryolrs there will still remain ], OO9,9O7 cubic
yards, which, after supplying all the waste OF
jockage and the losses of the summit level
from filtrations and evaporation, will serve as
AN additional supply to repair those OF the cas-
l. cboo oft Ia
ton"
Have not the Commissioners allow
ed more time than necessary for pass
ing a boat through lock Of the above
dimensions? At the northern extremi-
ty of the Dismal Swamp canal, two
connected locks, of ten and six feet lift,
respectively, together of le feet, at
tended by lad, are filled and emptied
in five minutes. These locks are 80
or 100 feet long, and 1871 feet wide
The gate of one of them, when full,
did not leak drop of water.
The Board conclude their view OF the
Western section of the Canal, extend
ing from Bear Greek to Pittsburg, with
this explicit declaration:
con the whole, the western section of the
canal, from the mouth of Bear creek to that of
the Monongahela; at Pittsburg, offers no OBJ
stacles which may not be surmounted at rea-
sonable expense and the waters Of the Yong
hiogheny, Bear creek, and Cassellman's river,
are amply sufficient to feed it. Large reser-
yoirs NAV be formed in Bear creek and Cas-
sellman's river, by throwing dams across them,
and on the route from Cassellman's to the ia
per mills, and at the mouth of the Youghioghe-
nv in the Monongahela. The practicability
of section is out ofthe question.
"Its length will be about 100 miles, and its
descent from Bear creek to Pittsburg 5843
feet, as Pittsburg is 756 feet above the level
of the ocean.
"The investigation of the topography and
water courses of the country, through which
the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal should run,
and the results Of our preparatory surveys, OBJ
tanned up 20 the present moment, demon
strate that this noble enterprise is practicable
and, although we have not yet sufficient data
to calculate the expense Of the work, tn ere is
every probability that it will not bear any
COMPARISON with the political, commercial, and
military advantages which 1t will procure to
the Union.
"The total result of the length, rise, and
fall of the canal, is as follows:
Total Length.
From the tide water IN the Poto-
mac, to Cumberland, (from Messrs-
Moore & Briggs suvey,) 1872 miles.
From Cumberland to the mouth
of Savage river, (from Maj Albert,
U. States Typographical Engi-
neer's survey,) Nt
From the mouth of Savage river
to that of Bear creek, by the Deep
creek route, from the surveys Of
Capt. Mcneil U. States Topogra-
phicl Engineer, and Mr.. Shnver,
u. States Assistant Civil Engineer. Al
From the mouth of Bear creek
to Pittsburgh, (from Mr. Shriver's
computation,) 100
$500 miles
Total Rise.
Al