Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-06-17
Repor. ofthe President and Directors efthe Ches
GpeaSe and Ohio Canal Company.
( CONTINUED,

of constructing a canal from Baltimore to the
=. Point of Rocks would be double, what the
railroad, 5es,cesn the same points. will cost;
while the reason that he gives for this belief, U.s.
that the estimate reported by DE-. Howard, "ior
a canal from Georgetown to Baltimore, ,he
leagth being 44i miles, amounted TO Ok ooo,-
OO0.n Now, this author OF the comparative es-
innate of the cost Of railroads and canals. thight
have. as we'll, assumed any other estimated
route for canal as this, Tor has standard OF CON"
harrison, since the BALTIMORE and Ohio Railroad,
IN nassing TO the Point of Rocks, occupies but
very small part, il any, of that space which DIR.
Howard surveyed for canal from Baltimore to
Georgetown; and this Engineer very we'll Knew,
al the same time, that the estimate OF the cost OF
this canal. was founded on the same erroneous
data. which led DIR. Howard, in conjunction
with the United States Engineers, to compute
canal with cross section Of 202 5 feet, only, at
nrice greatly exceeding the actual cost OF one
Of SOC feet along the valley of the Potomac, and
over very nearly the same ground. Let the es-
Innate for the Baltimore Canal be reduced BY
reference to the cost Of the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal, and the estimated cost Of that, BY recur-
ring from its actual TO its former estimated dlmen-
sions, aud canal from Georgetown to Baltimore,
as feet wide and feet deep, would appear capa-
BILE of construction, by this fair standard, at less
of Rail Road from Baltimore to the Point of
Rocks, or of q substantial Rail Road from Balti-
more to Georgetown.
II is not is not little surprising, that IN reply
70 the grave call of a Legislature, this Engineer
did not recur to the ascertaned cost OF the archie
TYNE and model Of all modern railroads.; that,
between Manchester and Liverpool, for one term
Of his comparative estimate OF the cost oil rail-
roads and canals. In looking to his other term,
It is equally strange that he should have passed,
unheedingly, by the numerous canals of the
United States. Those, for example, OF New
York, of Pennsylvania, and OF Ohio.
By All early report Of her Canal Commissioners,
the canals of New York were stated to have cost
about SI7, 600 mile. BY the last report OF the
Canal Commissioners of Ohio, 100 miles Of Ca
nal in that State, extending from Lake Erie to
the north end of the Licking Summit, and now
regarded as finished, have been constructed. with
ali their costly appurtenances, at price which,
embracing every contingent expense, is less than
IL 900 a mile; or, by 5000, short OF the cost of
the mere rails of a double track on stone stills Of
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, according to
the same Engineer.
This comparison, omits any allowance for gra-
,luation. and contingencies Of every description.
Yet this practical civil Engineer presumes to tell
the Legislature Of Maryland that ''in the most
favorable ground along the river bottom lands" OF
the Potomac, it is presumed, "the expense OF the
Canal, would exceed that OF the Railroad from
a5 to so per cent If the Chief Engineer could
have awaited the late Annual Report OF the Lii
verpool and Manchester Railroad Company, he
would have seen that Railway OF only two trao ks,
overcoming in S2s miles an elevation of less than
$50 feet, had cost, including all contingencies,
9865.OOO sterling, sum exceeding 1870, 900
A.. ha hay 10
magnificent canal Of Languedoc, IN length l48
miles, with mean breadth of 40 feet, aad over
canning summit of more than 600 feet, with
lockaoe of l2OO--though constructed with the
revenues of the French Monarchy, cost much less
ner mile. than the halfSf that sum. He would
also have perceived that the present charge for
transporting a bale of cotton, on the Liverpool
and Manchester Railroad, is los. sterling ton
for distance Of S9A miles, and IS. sterling for
each passenger. Rates which, for commodities,
are treble the cost Of transportation, for like dis
tances, on the canals Of Pennsylvania and New
York; and, for passengers, more than double the
cost of transpos taton Tor the greater distance OF
SO miles, on the canal between Glasgow aud Lii
verpool
AS to the cost of repairs on Canals and Rail-
ways, which must regulate their nett profits, ex-
per,ence, until matured by time, can furnish no
measure of their relative extent. Much must
depend upon the excellence Of their construction
A celebrated constructor OF steam-engines and
carriages who has recently returned to America,
from England, apprizes the public, that there is
G NO Railroad, in America, OF SUFFICIENT strength
10 bear the free use of locomotive engines; and
whether the Railroad of Liverpool and Manehes-
ter will sustain their use, with profit to the Com
pany, by which that costly work has been con-
structed, remains 10 be verified by the fulhlment
of promises not yet realized, and against the sug
eestions of nine months experience, on perfect
" new and very smooth road
Lest the estimate of this Board, that the Canal
between Georgetown aud Cumberland viii! cost
5000, 600 dollars, should appear to be impaired,
by passing unnoticed another error of the same
Ene;neer' to whose calculations reference has
been so often made, it Is proper to remark, that
If the experiments on the Ardrossan, and other
canals Of Scotland, have not destroyed all aPpre-