Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-12-12
POTOMAC COAL.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE ALrx,xn,,

on the Lehigh and Schuylkil and s 04 uad,
ing increase, now propose to give . .'Oas-
tracts from the report with the rates NJ NEE
transportation on these and some o,b., y "
With this data and some other, ob,ain., Is'a
from the report and partly from enmi,;.. "'s
tuted by myself (of the correctness ~ la
every one may judge, who will take ,hs Saa
to examine,) / mean to hazard som. uo0Ss
tons, LIST. as to the rate at which coal ,,' a'at
believe will, be brought to the Ds,ric, !'%
and, 2dly. as to the probable amopn, IS %t
the Canal after it shall be finished to ,h. |Aa
or above Cumberland: s'u
The tolls charged by the Unio, o.,
Lehigh Navigation Company do MT s Uanal sN
an average, two cents ton per miIe "a A.eec, d
modites; and the cost of trackaoe y" 81 Con-
does not, and certainly will not hers, "ess
if at all, exceed the half of that sum much
In note on the same page, We are Ds,-
" On coal, it is half cent per ton no,
on the Pennsylvania State Canal: tbrspp &c mt
of a cent on the Union Canal; and Gonr s sa
a cent on the Schuylki." 'A''sd
Page ESQ, after describing the Lebvb :.
provement, its cost, &C, it says:
"The estimate of the late able suner;,,,,,
of this work, makes the cost of transnor."NN
upon it, in seventy five ton boats PLYING bs,a.t
Mauch Chunk and Easton, at two.tSirSs "ea
cent ton per mile, supposing trim betva.'
Easton and Mauch Chunk to consume forr e.,
a half days, and to require three men and ,.s
horses, and to return empty"
Il" In reply to certain queries addressed n
President of the Board of Canal CommssioOsr
General Stephen Van Rensselaer, BY the cS.i'
man of the Committee on Roads and c ona,'
he was politely favored with the following ~
swers."-(p. 22l)
Of these answers, the Cd, 4th, and 5,h oD,r
are extracted as necessary to our present mn,
pose:
I'd. The rates Of transportation vary on df
ferent articles, but the average price wi,bom
tolls is about cents per ton per mile. Sah
plaster and agricultural productions arecharpsS
at from TO It cents; merchandise, furniture
&C. at cents per ton per mile"
4th. The greatest tonnage is IS tons, but N,
average freight of the loaded boats is abou, 10
tons.
" 9Th. Two horses are required for freiph
boats; they are navigated by five men, travel
day and night, and perform fifty miles in tven
ty-four hours"
BY the above extracts, il will be seen thath,
trackage or transportation on the Erie Cana,
with 40 ton boats, on salt, &C., is II cts. pf
ton on the Lehgh, with descending trade on,
ly; but with boats of tons, which is nearer h.
capacity Of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
the trackage is of cent per ton per mile
when, then, we admit that boats of l00tons may,
and no doubt will, navigate this Canal it is r.a.
sonable to suppose, that the freight or trackar
on it will not much exceed one half of the same
charge on the Erie Canal with its 40 ton boat,
and be less than the Lehigh with IFS IS ton boats
fully believe that it will be from Cumberland
with coal, as it is now from Harper's Ferry with
-four; that is, the rate Of traCkage and toll will
be the same. From Haper's Ferry, ] am in.
formed, the freight on barrel Of flour to George.
town is now Is cts, including toll, which is l2i
cts The toll as now fixed by the President
and Directors on coal, from Cumberland 10
Georgetown. is cts per bushel. When the
trade shall be fairly established and in full ope.
ration, there can be no doubt they will find i
expedent to reduce the rate TO 3 cts or less.
The following calculation, which has been I-
hibited to, and admitted 10 be fair by. men Of
experience and intelligence, shews that The
transportation may be effected, as before stated,
for the same sum as the toll. To it is added
the present rates for coal at Cumberland and
Westernport, to shew that the assertion OF Mr.
Mercer, previous to the subscriptions oil stock
in this company, and which many secuted I"
visionary, will prove TO be beneficent reality
viz: That coal could be brought to the District
and sold at l2I cts per bushel:
Length of Canal from Cumberland to 49,.
From Georgetown to Alexandria, by
lateral canal,
Miles 1874
The rate Of toll, cts per bushel Tor lSo
miles. is equal to 3 5 Of cent per ton
~ as cont ,S SIG o.
On the Northern canals, 26 miles IS a gay
travel, equal to u days from CnmoerIano, s !"
Alexandra-same to return, or ID days 10, Wv
trip, allow days to load and unload hd""S
20 days. .ho,t
Now, it takes, to work and manage ''e O''''
2 men, boy, and horses.
Hire of man for 20 days or of month, =, =,
20 pc '''o"'' do 5a