Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-09-28
From The National Hiehgencer.

Of profit upon the New York Canals, maintain,
ed Ina, the nett revenue from that which con-
meets Albany with Lake Erie, is eight per cent,
on the sum which that Canal would have cost,
had il not been constructed without the benefit
of experience, and when every article required
for il was at the highest price: and having, IN
that analysis, shown, that every article which
swells the profit Of this Canal is TO be found on
the Potomac, and the navigable waters empty>
ing into il, water lime, gypsum, and salt, only
excepted: proceed to show, in the next place,
the relative capacity Of the territories border
ing on those Canals, TO supply the articles COM
mon TO both; and TO compare them, IN those
particulars in which either may claim superb
ority over the other, In the number or quantity
as well as quality, Of the articles which taey
respectively furnish. One observation, already
limited, respecting the plans OF those canals,
ought not 10 be forgotten. II relates to their
relative dimensions The Erie Canal is forty
feet wide at the surface, twenty eight at bot>
tom, and four feet deep. The ordinary breadth
and depth Of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal,
We have seen, exceeds those proportions, by
eight fee, for the former, and one foot Tor the
la,,er. Wherever easy excavation occurs, this
excess of breadth will be extended 10 twenty
fesl The United States Engineers have de-
monsirated, that the superior dimensions OF the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal will, a compar-
ison with those Of the New York Canal, atone
for all the lockage necessary TO overcome
rise and fall, together, Of near three thousand
.wo hundred feet But the Eastern section OF
the Chesapeake and OHIO Canal, IN distance
OF one hundred aud righty-six miles, has fall
Of hut five hundred and sevrnty-eight feet On
tina, part Of this Canal therefore, This advan-
tage will have nothing TO deraet from its imf1u-
ence il will bs sensbly felt in the diminished
resistance OF the boats, and, consequently, their
superior velocity or burthen: calculated TO ct
feet correspondent reduction Of the price OF
fr-ighJ, by shortening the time Of each voyage,
or allowing much greater weight 10 be trans
ported in a given time that is, with a given
velocity. Thu breadth Of the boat being thir-
teen and half feet, and the Canal sixty feet
wide and FIVE deep, two horses would draw
b al, with a given load, as easily IS three on
Canal bu, forty fee. wide and four feet deep
BY increasing the tonnage which can pass it
il given time, the Canal oil larger dimensions
Can afford To charge lower toll for its use.
To proceed to advantages vet more obvious
to common observers. In the present condi-
tion OF the respective counties which do, or
may be, expected to yield supplies 10 the Ches-
aprake and Ohio, and TO he Erie Canals, il
should he noticed, that the extern, OF the for
met if the Lakes are excluded from the compa
paiison, niue b exceeds tha, of the latter. Bran
rs from both Canals may be constructed, il
is true, TO great advantage: and New York,
with commenGable enterprise, has already
begun several. But, setting aside Erie and its
tribu' AIRY rivers and lakes, (and their present
prodncti,eness as correctly measured by The
tolls received al Buffalo and Black Rock) New
York has no navigation leading from the Erie
canal into the interior of her own territory, or
that OF her nsighbors, OF any very great extent,
and none whatever al all comparable with that
OF the South branch OF the Potomac, which is
na,igable. al pres mt; for one hundred and for.
ty miles; and the Shenandoah, which, with its
N"rth brano h, is already havigab'c for more
than two hundred aud forty miles. Added 10
these, are streams of considerable magnitude
na, gable 10 the Potomac from the very heart
OF the riches, limestone valleys in the United
States, as the MoDocacy, the Antieram, and
Conoe ocbe sgue, in Maryland, and the Ope-
guam, Carapchon, and Patterson, in Virginia.
All those streams, together, afford collateral
inland navigation extending from the main
riv, e, of more than FIVE hundred miles. The
Country which they drain is of, also, great
breadth, as the eye will readily discover on
turning TO the map. With much inarable
mountain in sight from their banks, and some
times washed by their currents, they wind thro'
very extensive tracts Of 6ne grain lands. The
Canal ut New York, on the other hand, has
Lake Ontario very near TO its Northern Border,
for considerable distance, and holds, by pre-
CAUTIOUS tenure, any commerce which il may
draw from the opposite Canadian frontier.
Having briefly described the Potomac couu-
try and its channels of commerce, its produc-
tions merit regard: and, first, those OF ils vast,
and, may say, inrxhauslibe forests.
Near two-thirds Of The descending tonnage
Of the Erie Canal is derived, we have seen,
from this single source. How long this sup.
ply may continue, is at least doubtful; but what
shall hereafter limit the quantity Of lumber,
anu materials Of wood of every variety, to be
derived from TIE numerous hills and mountains
OF the Shenandoah, and Of the South & North
branches of the Potomac, added 10 those which
border on the main river? Nor will the quail
~ 81 those forests, consisting Of walnut, wild
cherry, locust, cedar, chestnut, yellow poplar,