Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-09-13

money much, II al all, exceeding the eee"ho'e'
of Messrs. Geddes aud Roberts, which was, IN
truth, much less than moiely OF that OF the y.
States Engineers. 8
The estimate Of The former, for canal from
the upper boundary Of Georgetown to harpers
Ferry, was 81, l2o,76s, exclusive OF 'he usuat
allowance Of ten per cent. Tor contingencies VI
this distance, in all about sixty miles, they sup
posed but Asa miles, 10 be sixty ieet az the sur
face, the remaining l4a miles being recuSea' IN
their plan, TO forty feet. In the III mles AL
ready let, the lowest reduction Of breadth is
to so feet at The surface; and that Tor but three
Of the seven miles and half which Messrs.
Geddes and Roberts had reduced 10 40 feei.
In these III miles, however, the gruhoinS
and clearing, excavation and embark trs, pud'
ding and external walling, being about one mol
ETY. in value Of the computed labor OF SO h"cn
OF the perfect canal, has been put uncer ac'ua.
contract, for Sl2l 900 less than the estimate oil
Messrs Geddes and Boberts. An allowance oi
IS per cent. advance, for double LOCKS, upon
their estimate Of the value OF single LOCKS, VIII
au gmen, the cost Of the locks OF the hrsI Sky
miles Of the canal, by Sl45,soo dollars; and II
so 900 dollars be added 10 this sum, Tor the In
ner pavement Of the sides Of the canal through
out the same distance, supposing no r. ductlon
by future contracts, il the estimate OF the cost
of the other portions OF he SIXTY miles, ana OF
other items on the line now under contract, the
advance for the double locks and inner slope,
stone lining OF the entire sixty miles, Will De
but 81 900 dollars, or, at the rate OF !4oo dol>
lars the mir
A reference to the standard Of prices furnish.
ed BY the recent contracts, and by the estimates
Of Messrs. Geddes and Roberts, affords, how
ever, we'll grounded hope, that considerable
reduction Of The actual cost below the estimate
will be effected on the residue OF the line below
the Blue Ridge.
A part Of the saving Of expense effected by
the late contracts is, indeed, due 10 total
change Of what is technically termed, IN the
sense Of word Of American origin, the location
| Of the canal. In The route proposed by the u
nited States Engineers, and followed by the
Civil Engineers who succeeded them, tom the
Greal Falls towards the District, Tor several
miles, the canal line passed near the margin oil
the river, and in contact with its rocky cliffs
In that recently adopted by Messrs. Wright
and Martineau, and which is shor'er, by near
half mile than the former, the line of the canal
leaves the margin OF The river, at very high
elevation, next below he Grea, Falls, and thence
gradually des' ends, through few miles OF Ia
voraDie e o ind, 10 he river shore again. But
OF the reduction of price, ia manifest, from
comparison of the average prices and amounts
in value Of the several species Of work involved
in the contracts already made, with the cores
ponding estimate. Of Messrs. Geddes and Ro-
berts Tor the same work.
In relation to the improved location Of so
much OF lhc Canal, and the reduction OF its
cost il is but lust 10 remark, that the late SUR
vey could not but have prouted by the prior
suggestions Of those surveys which preceded II;
and that Messrs. Geddes and Roberts entered
as umpres between the Chesapsaks and Ohio
Internal Improvement, upon the review of es-
Inmates on the one hand somewhat less indeed;
but on the other very greatly exceeding their
own And in relation to the last two estimates
ir the contract price falls short OF the lowest Of
the m, it is 10 be remarked, that the contracts
follow a very abundant harvest Of almost every
species OF food for mcn and animals This ad.
vantage will be common TO all tue contracts TO
be executed in the ensuing year, and consti-
tn es Of itself strong argument in favor not
only of the most rapid prosecution Of the whole
work, but of its Immediate execution on the
most approved plan.
! Much is expe1 ted hhat line of unin,cr.upt.
ed communication bywater, which is univer>
sally acknowledged asit is demonstrated TO be,
the shortest that can L devised, between the
tide Of the Atlantic, tie valley Of the Ohio, and
the So ores of the grea Northern Lakes, an in,
ternal communicationShich is destined 10 be
the great connecting NIX o. those inland seas
with the Gulpn Of Mx'co and The Atlantic
oc: an. II is with a Jut view to the great i'm
portance Of this wor sand the Perfection as
we'll as economy Of us uucture, hat the Board
have planned their schne Tor It's final location,
and its faithful construei pn. They have sought
for the abest eng ineer Rnd called to their aid
assistants from sa,iou,a or,ions Of the Union,
in order to avail theut,es Of the most ap>
proved skill, aud Of thehversi6ed fruits of The
most enlarged e1periere. Of three Of those
engineers they have cptituled Board, the
members of which will ave severally allotted
TO their special supernndance one third of
the Eastern section Of DE Canal, as II shall
progress; but they viii proceed together in
tracing the line which ihall occupy, and they
will be associated in one,ody for mutual con-
sutation and advice, whe.srr cases Of novelty
or difficulty occur in ,subsequent execu-