Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-06-16
Report ofths President and Directors offhe Giles
Gpsske and Ohio Canal Conn n,y.

dressed to shipping company, carrying goods
along a line Of canal Sc miles in length; the cal
citations contained in that communication are
yiyen in the appendix, and seem to be decisive IN
favor of steam power. The company, to which
this letter is addressed, have to pay tor quaint
~ Of horse power, sufficient to deliver forty tons
Of goods, at each extremity OF this line, OF 90
miles, every dav in the year; besides spare pow
el employed chiefly in one particular branch OF
their trade.
The sum they pay for each deveryis one guinea
each way, or at the rate OF about one-ninth Oh
penny per ton, per mile, tor the trackase oil the
goods conveyed. The company in question, sup
pyng the tracking lines, but, with this addition,
the charge for trackase is not increased to one
eighth Of a penny per ton, per mile
"rhis." says MIR. Fairbairn. I" is certainly
small sum, wherein TO effect saving BY change
Of power; but, nevertheless, it appears from Mr..
Grahame's and my own calculations that not only
such saving NAV be effected, but an additional
saving of large portion of time can be made, by
the change from horse to steam power.
Tile calculations here referred to make it
ou;teunuecessary." adds the writer, "to say any
thing on the subject Of steam power, as substi-
tute for trackase, OF canals. Id 1t be so much
cheaper than horses, in the expensive shape ot a
moving and carrying power, united IN the same
-bca., what advantages may not ali canals derive
from its Intr0duc ton, IN the cheap form oil tug
boat, il, place of hOrscs!'
In his appendix. the author adds-"l am the
more convinced Of the efficacy of steam trackase,
above all others, from the circumstances that the
train of boats intended to be lowed would follow
IL each others wake; as the eddy formed by the
leading vessel materially lessons the resistance
opposed to the succeeding boats" "The small
amount of mower required To tow vessel, was re-
marked BY Mr.. Grahame in his account of the
VOYAGE of the Cyclops, from Alloa to Port Dun
das." He states, when we brought her into
the canal, we attached her to the passage boat,
and she drew her along the Canal two miles
one mile in fourteen and the other III hfteen min
utes. We then detached her from the passage
boat and did two other miles, but could not save,
by this decrease Of labor, more than minute, or
a minute and few seconds, in each mIle.' One
thing is very evident, says MIR. Falrbarn, ''lhat
the Introduction of steam, instead Of animal pow
or. would dispense with the annual repairs and
maintenance of the horse paths; the complaints
and DELAYS arising from drivers, horses, &c.
would be avoided, aud many contingent expences
saved by the introduction Of OF their never falling
and very efeI tive agent, as moving power Tor
the towage of boats on canals. :"
The great impor lance of the facts aid views sup
plied by the work Of Mr.. Fairbairn, of which, it
e believed, but very few copies have reached the
United States. will constitute it is hoped, sufh-
Gent apology for the copious extracts here made
from it, Ii this work shall serve but to invite the
public attention to the erroneous. but prevalent
opinion, that no further Improvement can be made
in inland navigation, by canals, because, sustain
ed by monopoly, they have been 50 long station
arv, this notice of Mr.. Fairbairn's work cannot
prove useless, since experience, as he has incon-
testibiy shown. is exploding the doctrines this
subject, hitherto sustained. without exception,
frnm auv quarter, by the exclusive advocates of
? railroads.
But this Board does not fee, that it would dis
CHARGE its tu;y to its immediate constituents, or
10 the public. who are interested in the compile
ton of the great highway, which they have long
been constructing. if they did notproceed one or
two steps farther in this Investigation.
In the course of proceeding to which Com
mittee Of the House Of Delegates OF Maryland re-
sorted, last winter. letters were contemporaries
ouslp addressed by the Chairman of the Com
mittee. TO the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Companies, in
curing, among other topics, for which the under
stoned beg leave to refer the letter ITSELF in
10 the relative expense benefits and facilities Of
snnstruc ting railroads and canals, with view Of
ascertainips to which Of these means the funds of
,be State can be most benefcialy applied. -
Their own answer to this letter, through the OH
c;al communication Of the President of this Board,
will be seen in an accompanying printed pamph-
let.
That of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
pany was made, IN part, through their Chief En-
s,neer: and never having been seen by this Board,
nor the report, Of which it made part, till since
the adjournment of the Legislature of Maryland,
the present affords the first occasion for referring
10 some OF its very curious contents. ;
Reserving for separate notice, the other sub
ects Of the report, and especially, those of per-
sonalsnature, seemingly designed and certainly
calculated. to reflect on the proceedings OF this
Ro,rd. they invite the attention of the stockhol-
lers of the Company, and Of the public. to the
yery singular use, among others, which the Chief
Eny;neer of the Railroad Company, has made of
the Joint survey for railroad apd canal. along
the difficult passes, four in number, somewhat l