American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1826-11-24

CHESAPEAKE AND DELAWARE CANAL.

!. CHESAPEAKE AND DELAWARE CANAL
have observed, with much pain, for some tin,
past systematic attempt to decfy every Thing dc
ing upon the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal.
10 me, 1t appears truly surp isiug. that so It'll
respect should be paid 10 the rights OF the Stock
holders. who certainly as liable sustain dam
age by injurious representations, as are the stock
holders of any other company. Were the state
ments true, they would not BIZ iustsablc inasm ucI
as no person has the right wanonly to inlure tn
property Of another. II is sometimes said tina
me banks are all sliding in and the canal filling vi
faster than It can be excatatcd Then il is said
thal the entertainments on the marshes are all swai
lowed up, and then again, the sunm, bridge hal
fallen in.
l am located at seeuessered spot, called Dacs
Creek on the Eastern shore of Maryland sci
dom see the newspapers, and we get little news here
even about the Canal, except from strangers, who
come from distance. On Tuesday morning ius
as was starting to attend to my business. gen.
'leman OF high standing, from Baltimore, rode ur
TO the door, and while his breakfast was preparing
| Tor board in tavern, entertained US with the
latest news from the Canal. He SAID that all the
contractors had failed the work had entirely stop
ped, and the sammit bridge was about falling in,
All these things must be true for he had heard SO
IN Baltimore, and had II in the Vashne,on
newspaper. Undoubtedly, if were possible to ruin
be abandoned, no better way could be devised and
indeed this is the only way, for there are no intrinsic
dltc nies but what are, or easily be, surmoan
ted. Had one bali the pains been taken to prejudice
the people OF the State OF New York against The Erie
Canal, that has been taken to write down this, that
canal would probably never have been finished. Il
is well known that mistakes were made there,
though fewer than might reasonably have been rx :
pec'ed. That canal overran the original estimates
near u < - I1lIo- Il,
the commencement, that tile deep cut would be q
very difficult and expensive work. and very liberal
estimate was therefore made; speak OF the este
mates OF the examining engineers, who finally pas
SEQ upon the work. Have any serious difficulties
occurred which were not foreseen? Assrredly NOT
And every one must allow, that the work has pro.
crossed with more rapidity than was anticipated
even by the most saDguine Is not the bridge at the
summit most capital ones And has it failed, or
is II likely to fail 10 any respect 1t is undoubtedly
trM, that at the marshes more money has been ex-
pended than wa, at Grst anticipassd but the sum is
not great and the important difficulties are cow be-
lleved to be snrmounled.
Perhaps 1t is improper for one situated as afN
to say any thing upon the subject. Sn much has
been said, however, by persons opposed TO this CO.
nal, which has had an inoiEect tendency to DO me
injury, by de,erring laborcrs from coming here and
IN various other ways, that | do feel myself called
work Immediately under my direction, which COM
prises nearly one half Of what is commonly called
the deep cut, and all The excavation aud mbaukment
westerly therelrom 10 the locks. Gu the waters OF
the Chrsapeake, ard including also those two sloog
locks with all the excavations, enhank mems, Golfer
dams &c apperaining thereto The whole Of my
amounted to 400, 900 cubic yards and
The embankment TO about $50 600 yards. OF the
excavation 100000 are done, and Of The embark,
do 1'.,i~
20 the two locks. they are both nearly finished and
are both at this time receiving the capeing, aud
have been pronounced BY compelen, judges equal
o any work OF the kind, either in Europe or Amer
ca; and so tar from there being any troth in The
'eport that new difficulties are occurring and that
he work 10 now progressing slowly, the fac, is the
'1tcrse tor have excavated more cubic yards O.
;mbankmcnt during the last four months than dug.
ng the four preceding months and this applies to
Zach OF the Jour months, when compared with anv
me preceding month, ard am now doing as much
work on the canal as have been doing hereto.
orc. There have been excnvated from the deem
u from an average depth Of IS feet, about 10000
ubic yards OF embankment, DUNG the same reri-
ID, The last four months.
Ii is now upwards of nine years since commenc.
d as canal contractor upon the Erie Canal since
which time have been constantly engaged III the
onslrat ton Of canals, and | am free to declare my
eliet, founded upon what little experience may
ave gained during that period, that there are no
ifficniiies upon this canal but what might have
cen reasonably expected, and none but what nav
{ easily surmounted My contract. Which EN-.
races all the hard excavation on the whole line.
you'd have proved exceedingly prof able one,
ad The prices OF coarse grain and labor continued
S they were when the contract was made. The
tale story. of The impracticabiiity OF ever making
canal on this route, is still going The rounds
'hrse people Of little faith remind me Of small
1ecdoIc wi ich will relate. When commenced
perations, sSsut four years since, upon my las,
ontract on The Erie Canal, OH The Eastern section.
ear the margin Of the Mohawk iser | rrcoilect