Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1830-02-10
OUR cITiEs.-TuI CANAL.

OUR ClIlEo.-TuE CANAL.
We have with surprise seen il re
marked. lately. in a highly rcspecta
Bile paper in Virginia. and repeated
elsewhere. that the impression is be
coming almost universal. that Rail
roads, Tor the purposes Of Transports
ton, will altogether superse,le Canals.
We suppose tina, the impression must
prevail to considerable extent, or
we should not have found il in this
form. In whatever form we have
found ~. or may hereafter End IL, We
cannot but consider il erroneous aud
faliacious.
n Railroad. for distant trauspor;a-
ton ~ an experiment wholly untri,d
IN any country, and but lately begun.
IN the instance of the Baltimore Rail
road. The longest Railroad. ever
constructed before. or begun Ia be CON
structed, IS the Manchester and Liver
pool Rail road, IN England. the length
OF whIch Is So or at most 40 miles.
And where - this Rail road situated I:
Ii ~ the conduit from the grea, and
uuequaIled Manufacturing torn Of
Manchester, to the greatest seaport Of
England, whence the Manufactures Of
this and other towns are exported TO
all the world. IL is aIsn connected
will, the great Manufacturing lawns
OF Sheffield. Leeds. &c. and countless
villages and factories. IL passes over
Il comparatively level ground. through
u country dotted with villages. and
a redundant and prosperous popula.
ton. There IS not half a NILE in the
whole distance, perhaps, within which
might not be found assistance and Ia
.ciiitics Co repair accidents. Of any tic.
scrrpfion, occurring To the ears. " agnns,
and steam engines. The good, Ia De
transported on IL are of great value
and small bulk. This Rail road. ne
vcr;hele-s. supported BIZ all the eaiih
oil the Merchants and Manufacturers
ot these towns. has had grca, diff ul
ties TO struggle with. The Rail road.
begun ~ Baltimore. ia our vicinity,
has 10 struggle against obstacles from
which, "a We have seen. The English
Railroad l. comparatively free. and ~
To be Ten times its length. or nearly.
III we Know ourselves, we have no feel.
my unfriendly 90 that undertaking -
We shall be glad, indeed, % see u, in
coed tune, reach its destinations. but
the idea Of it's successfully competing
with Canal of the same length, over
rough and comparatively Wild conn
try. passes the bounds of probability.
Cauais are not experimental works
They exist IN every quarter III the
globe. We have in our own country
a finished canal. IN successful opera
ton. SO long ss TO prove that length
constitutes no objection TO the prac.
ticablliiy Of a Canal.
The first expense Of the construc.
ton at a Rail road, too. is known TO
be greater than that Of a Canal: but
the expense of n transportation upon
u. after ~ Is finished. is far greater.
Something - gained in speed upon "a
Rail road ioT "a short distance; but ~
that respect even there vii be no AL
vantage. ia me long rUH, 10 Rail
read over n Cansl.
These few observations. which We
suppose 90 cuniain uudenisb,c truth,
wv cftlttu W our uDetINAtloH w WV
error that seems 10 prevail on this sub
-ject IN different parts Of TIT, country,
aud which. fron, conhguiiy, may. lor
aught We know. ssirrt sOinr Of our dis
tsnt friends, and render thcm luke
warm t.cePiicsl they cannot be- ~ re
spcct to our own great rbtcrpiiLr, tie
Chesapeake and ohio C0naf.
Oi the Colnple.am 81 this work Of
oors--yes, we will call il o,srs. 81 our
cities deserve tie credit 81 ito the
A'iegsny mountain within few wears.
and al nO remote period "a tie OhIe
River. we have ever entertained foil
confidence. Recent events have placed
the immediate construction 81 the FIRST
Div .ion Of u teyoad TIE rsaeh 81 doubt,
and the other Will follow ~ course.
We are not ~ the habit of BOOSTING
~ the TAR prospect. of the District 81
ColoUbIa. Hitherto. indeed. Ne have
had little 60 boast ~. Bat hsss bright
prospect open. upOn a.. The Csnsl
TO Cumberland - in fact Dsods--ior
we have the sasas5 VI making -, aud