Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1827-09-01
VOL. I.-NO. 6.
From Ponlson' s American Daily Advertiser.
PHILADELPHIA, August 30, 1877.
IN Tho Yyon I,S Y, S..r.,..,,.t YJ,.

To the Hon. Jas. Barbour, Secretary al War.
SIR--For my intrusion on your notice,
lave 10 otter as an apo ogy, the Importance
I'm my view,) Of the subject Of my letter.
need net inform you tina, IN a few months,
The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal will be
IN naviGahle state. aud will enable YES
sells 10 pass from the Chesapeake to the Del
aware, drawing sew n feet Of water; II iheu
follows, as matter ofcourse. thai the trade
between Philadelphia aud Washington.
Georgetown and Alexandria, Will pass
through this Canal, and that thus will pro.
duce u great saving of time and expense in
the transportation Of merchandise between
the above places.
L now wish to point OIL! {, YOU another
link 90 be added TO this chain of Navigation.
which will be very interesting to The nation
as well az TO individuals. From Washing
ton City to the mouth Of the Potomac, is a
distance Of at least one hundred miles, the
navigation extremely tedious, and even in.
tricate, owing chiefly to I've unusu Ally win d.
leg course of the river, and from The mouth
OF the river to Anna polls, is about 80 miles,
making The whole distance from Washing
ton 10 Annapolis, about 16J miles now L
! propose TO dimnish this distance. by redu.
ling IL TO about %, or at mast 80 miles.
canal cut from either Annapolis. South
" 4
| any event, exceed 80 miles, and thus save
IN the navigation between these places, about
80 miles in the single trip, or 21O miles az
the complete voyage nor is this all; il will
save in voyage from Philadelphia TO WASH
ingtOn. aud back, an average of one week,
al time. Surely, then, ii is worthy Of the
scrious consideration of the Government,
aud ought, think, To be examined and sur.
veyed by home of their Engineers for ihe
purpose OF determining if il be prae,Icahlo
III the first place TO make u canal us above
designated, and secondly, TO ascertain if
there will be a sufficient supply Of water 10
feed a canal, and Insufficient, Of whs, dim-u
sions the canal should be. The supply
which 1 shall point out is Paiuxent river
and its branches, and the north east branch
of the Potomac.
do know that distinguished Engineers
are OF opinion that this plan is perfectly
practicable, and if SO, it requires no argu.
ment to prove its Importance.
The cost of,his work will be trifle COM
pared to the advantages TO be gained by il
Tor ii n canal can be made of 8 feet waller,
il will enable the government to trans port,
IN large vessels, any thing they may wish,
from the seat of Government to Trenton on
he Delaware, without risk or delay or trans
shipment, and SO soon as a canal is cut tbro'
Ne" Jersey, tney may De cOnducted on to
Albany In the same vessel in which the ship
ment is made al Washington. The canal
which have suggested would shorten the
voyage from Washington TO Norfolk, by
producing a saving Of at least two days in
each trip, or four days in a complete voyage:
and would materially diminish the risk oc-
easioned by the numerous shoals in the Pc.
tomac river: IT w6nld also he of Importance
10 the trade of Georgetown, as it would en-
able the merchants of thai place TO send on
The produce received from the Chesapeake
and Ohio Cana! TO this market, which will
DE 81 advantage TO them, and will give EN-
ploymept to our .hippins. and of course be
public benefit; for whatever lends 10 I'M
prove the condition of even u portion of the
population Of the union, must be considered
q benefit 10 The whole.
In the hope that the suggestions which
have made may draw your attention serious
ly TO the subject Of this letter,
am with great respect,
Your obedient servant,
A PElLADELPHlh