Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-10-01

which is designed 10 be made ieeder, anc oFihs
wv heir coai. lipkteued in weight by beng
,Ireadv coaed above, Cannot exactly determine:
,,t confidently predict that one third OF me
cost. attending their present operations, "oa'o
he saved. and The consumption OF their iron SO
as 10 double their annual proh!; "n'ii
interposed to reduce tito IT'S natuf- t
raj level. with the profits of other manuiactur-
ing capitals The transportation OF COKE enters
very largely into the sources oil proh', on some
of the canals Of England, as does that oi tue
crude iron ore. To both, as well as iron, tneif
join, product, of which, moreover, the pest nuA
is supplied by lime stone, the Eastern seetioh
of The Potomac Canal may, therefore, look Tor
large augmentation Gifts future revenue.
The Committee have deemed II unnecessary
10 emu merate, il will be seen below, all The uses
of a metal, which as far sutpasses gold IN real
value, as it does in the relative extent TO winch
i, is diffased, by indulgent Providence, over the
surface Of the earth.
That value it derives, however, from the art
which 6,s il for human use, as its use must ex-
tend with the facility and cheapDcss Of lis pro-
duction. Coal, therefore, is not less valuable
than iron In many respects, !, is more 500
since, while the one is the instrument OF power
the other, pa; taking OF The character OF power
itself. is in some sort, the source oi motion
Ne doubt can be entertained that iron VIII,
in time, b. applied in America to all the P"r
poses in which it has been made to SuNcrscdc
the use Of timber or wood in Europe.
| From being the chief instrument employed
in the numerous arts which consPire TO iced
and clothe, and multiply the comforts and lax
uries Of man; from constituting an essential
part of the engines which he employs to extend
his dominion. and to augment his security, 1t
will begin at last to supply bis entire dwellings;
The enclosures Of his fields; the bridge which
| carries him over the nrigh5orlng river, the
road which bears to market the fruits OF his
labor, and the vessel which floats him on The
wave
! 1t would not be an eXtravaga2t position to
maintain, thai the nation which possesses coaI
and iron in the greatest abundance, ana 81
most easy attainment, must in time, surpass
the rest of the world, not only i'll wealth and
power, but in every art and every science.
| And now, l trust, that, from the great proht
already realized by the Erie Canal, from the
| tonnare of those articles which are common
both TO it and to the Potomac, among wnl' II,
however, neither coal nor iron appears but IN
the inconsiderable quantity of the latter,
which have already stated, and from the vast
alb ndance OF both, ich must hereafter swell
the tolls Of The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
| the friends OF the latter may confidently an
anticipate an ample indemnity for their sub
scriptions TO its stock, computing the cost OF
| reaching the coal banks at four or even five
millions Of dollars, and leaving Incomplete,
! the Western section of the NOR, Sou herE Ca
nal, till adequate funds shall! be provided for
! its cons ruction
! But that this estimate truly IS, asst was de
! signed to be liberal one. fresh Evidence has
been supplied me, since these essay were be
gun in letter of recent date, from the expert
enced Commissioners Of the Western Section
of the Pennss lvania Canal, General Abner La
cock. whose name and authority have been al
ready quoted in a former number; and whose
know &c of the whole Potomac country as
well as of that in which he has long lived, rem
ders him peculiarly competent to institute a
comparison between the cost of the work upon
which he is engaged, and of the Chesapeake
and Ohio Canal. confident that every
| friend Of the latter will thank me for closing
this essay with the following extract from his
recent communication:
"Upon the subject of revenue for the prose
cution of this work; we must look principally
to Congress and the District of Columbia.
| {" If, as you state, solid subscrip ion Of two
millions Can be had, of the latter, not an hour
| ShOhld DC lOSl IN commencing the WORK. Il
primary object with you is, or should be, to
reach the coal mines. his can be done vi h
the aid of half a million more, or say, if YOU
please, Cncluding superintehdence, private
damages, bridges, fencing, &C. one million id
ditional. speak advisedly, " hen assure you
that three millions of dol ars is sum amply
sufficient to complete the navigation from
Georgetown to Cumberland; and that this nav
iga,ion may as well be completed in three
years, as three hundred
About one year since, l commenced in this
line and shall on the frs, day of March next
| unless prevented by unforeseen casually, com
plete and open the navigation Of more than
! fifty miles, and have thirty more in state of
forwardness, SO that, if funds are provided, the
| navigation will be Completed from Pittsburg
to the foot OF the Allegheny next December
Twelve month. The distance will be about one
hundred and twenty miles. | have now 600
men employed, and the number is fast increa-
sing. You are already in possession of the
facts, SO far as regards the contracts entered
in o uDCn this line A fh, pricnS StinuI, tori