Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-06-16

We
of railroads TO canals.
The ingenious writer premises, s. that, as 4 ca
nal and railroad cannot be constructed, be-
tween any two points, On the same identical route,
the evidence Of their comparative expense, on
given line, must consequently be that OF an esti-
mate for each; or by an approximate conclusion,
drawn from analogy" IL know" he adds, OF
but one route, on which careful estimates have
been made, at the same time, both for canal and
railroad. The route here alluded to, is along
the Potomac from the Point OF Rocks to Har-
per's Ferry; Or at least so much Of that route as
was included in the narrow passes:" as was In
cluded, he should have added, in mile. out OF
distance Of IL, along which no estimate what
ever was made for a railroad of any description.
The survey of that engineer having been exciu-
svely directed to those narrow passes, as the on
ly lines of expected interference between the ca
nal and railroad.
But his conclusion far outruns his premises
" From these estimates. therefore, adding to the
estimates for the railroad average price Tor the
laying of three tracks of railway on the gradual
ed surface, SO to be prepared, we arrive at results
which will give the comparative probable expense
of both the canal and railroad. The canal was
assumed to be of such dimension. that, with
depth of water Of six feet its cross section should
contain an arena" supposed to be intended for
area "Of SOC square feet. The breadth OF the
graduation for the rail road was to be so feet.
Hence, as the canal was to cost, at these narrow
passes, at the rate of 79,OS6 dollars per mile,
and the railroad constructed on Wooden stills
but SO. s94 dollars per MILE or, after adding 1000
or 1900 dollars per mile for stone stills. something
less than 10000 dollars" the writer concludes.
s'on the ,Choe. since the estimates for the canal
do not include amy iockage, although 40 feet ete-
uation Is 10 be orercOme, betWeen The Point OF
Rocks and Harper's Ferry. nor 5000 dollars a
mile, at which he is pleased to estimate the cost
of lining the interior banks of the canal with stone
"a precauiion," he saws, "UithoW Which the
experience of the Erie Canal sho,cs that no such
,0ork can be conside. edas finished" that the ra-
ito of the probable expense OF a railroad and ca
nal will, on the grounds here estimated, be as
two for the canal. to one for the rail road. )"
So singular does his own conclusion appear TO
| himself, that to guard against criticism, he ac-
knOwedges, in his fourth commentary on these
comparative estimates that he has not seen
the last estimates for the canal on the inter
mediate grounds, (mQre than ten miles OF the
tweve,) and therefore cannot institute so STRICT
comparison with regard to them;" but he makes
up for this deficiency of knowledge bya broad
assertion. that sin the most tarora5ie ground
along the rirer bottom lands, the expense OF the
canal will exceed that of the railroad from % to
so per cent?!
Whether this reasoning proved satisfactory to
the individual, the President OF the Baltimore
and Ohio Rail Road Company, to whom it was
addressed, and by whom twas transmitted. with
out comment, to the committee Of the House OF
Delegates of Maryland, does not further appear,
any more than does the effect, it may have prouuc
Al. ~ D,,i |,
reasoning is so extraordinary in itself, and so con-
Trajectory of known facts. part of which are sup
piled BY the author himself. that it is difficult to
reconcile it to his high reputation for candor.
The spaces, along which, the four short lines
Of Canal and Rail Road were exnReted to come
in COLLISION the longest of which IS in length but
$685. feet, and the shortest 1926, are four diff
cult projecting cliffs of rocks, hemmng in the
current of the Potomac, at the bases of the noun
tains and ridges, by which it descends. from the
Blue Ridge through the Kitoctan mountain. The
Railroad was to be beddcd on these rocks for
space of so feet only in breadth. The Canal,
having a cross section of 500 feet, and depth
of only, could not have breadth at the sur
face of less than 81 feet, aud adding feet for
stretch of the inner slope Of EARTH next the river
IL for the breadth of its tOw-path, and 90 for the
horizontal stretch of the outward slope; suppos-
ing that the towpath bank is not higher, above ITS
base, here in the river, which is improbable. and
that the ansle of the slope steep 450, which
would be expedient, we have space construct
ed partly on rock and partly in water. of the
breadth of Sc feet, compared, by this Engineer,
with one of 50 feet, and the Canal in this space
charged with all the attendant expenses of out
siLe waIIing to guard against abrasion from the
river. puddIiug within its banks in order to re-
tain the water admitted into it, and as the inge-
NOUS and liberal calculator provides $4,000
mile also for paving within, although one of its
sides must be of rock.
Had the writer enquired for the estimates of
the part of the Canal along the - intermediate
grounds" he would have found that the working
estimate prepared, to regulate the acceptance or
rejection of proposals for its construction, does
not extend the cost of the IL miles, after incIud
ing not only its ockage. but the expense of a
substantial dam across the river, Immediately be-
low Harper's Ferry, beyond 100000 dollars; a
sum less than that, which he admits the Railroad
will cost within the same distance. For. putting
down the cost of the road provided for on his own
II