Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-01-16
Correspondence of the Ga, ette.
CiHclsKArrl, Jany 9th, 1884;

IlNCItNATIi, Jhny otn, 1850
| promised, at your request, TO furnish you some
hasIy sketches of my tour TO The South, and hasfg
| thev certainly must be. Add even with this quaI
1 fcation, | am not sure, that | have made a
promise which shall find it difficult to redeem. -
! The rapdty OF my loufney--the utter Impractical
| bility OF writing board of the Boats from the
rocking and shaking of the machinery--the nece.-
sty of aPproprioting to observation, enquiry, and
business almost every moment OF my time, will, |
perceive leave ne but little opportunity OF redu-
cling my obscl yations to paper. Still, if you and
your indugeAI readers are contented to take such
sketches as flow from me without study or premed
itaton, and which aim at nothing like precise
curacy in statistical and geographical facts, you
will hear from me at such times as | can command
sufficient leisure to address you few lines.
! left Cumberland on Thursday night at o.
/ clock, having through the poteness and kind Of
fees of the Rail Road Conductor procured a seat
in the Mail stage, in company with agreeable
set Of travelling companions bound the ''lar
west" regretted that this portion of my journey
occurred during the night I'm most other respects
very pleasantly principally it deprived me Of the
qualification which highly enjoyed some ten years
ago--of contemplating the grand and magnificent
scenery ofthe Allegheny Mountains.
! BY daylight, we reached Uniontown, where we
took breakfast The country between Uniontown
and Brownsville affords every indication Of a high
beautiful, undulaling and free from rock and
( sbounds in neat and commodlous farm-h houses,
Substantial stone and brick bsrns verdant grain
fields, meadows well set in grass, post and plank
fences, thrifty orchards, and well fed stock,
! At Brownsville selected the steamboat route
down the Monongahela to PIttsburg have new.
er "tbe Birmingham of America, and could
| not resist the temptation OF accomplishing an OBJ
iect so long desired by me, and especiaIly by SO
attractive route Of travel found the steamer
Massachusetts, high pressure boat Of about 200
| tons, end d. aNing from two to thee and half
feet of water according TO her freight, lying at the
wharf with her steam up, and ready to start, She
rot the regular packet boat for the transporta-
| ton of passengers, but used temporary
substitute for tho regular boat then undergoing re-
| paie. She was rather an old Stacking concern
] but she carried me safe, and should cay nothing
more against her.
! The Monongahela Is very besrtiful stream,
and merits all the laudaton which its admirers
have heaped upon il. From Brownsville TO Pitts
burg, q distance Of 60 miles, its navigation has
| been rendered perfect within the last year. by q
system of Locks and Dams. There are four locks
and dams within that distsnce--,he locks 40 feet
wide and 100 feet in length, constructed of free
stone, excavated from the banks Of the river and
admirably and skillfuly contrived TO answer their
purposes. The whole cost Of this improvement.
learn. has been but $3.50 900. BY IT, the river is
rendered nsvigable at all seasons OF the year, and
must attract vast deal of trade and travel to
| Pittsburg. There four regular steamers now
! plying on this river. The average period OF de-
tention OF a boat at each lock is 4 mnutes-the
whole period of detention by the locksge not a
quarter of an hour. This is the first perfect Illus
tration which have yet seen Of the lock and dam
system of Navigation, and certainly where II will
answer, tits greatly to be preferred to the contin-
ued canal. | am not sufficiently skilled IN Civil
! Engineering To say whether the Potomac and
! James Rivers could not have been improved,
and whether the system would not be adapted to
the navigation of the Shenandoah, but it so, the
greater chenpness of he Lock and Dam Sys
aud its superior capacity for the Accommodate
| of large boats propelled by steam would seem TO
me, TO recommend its adoption.
! The scenery of the Monongahela even at this
season OF the year, when deprived of its ventures
and divestes Of its foliage, is picturesque and at
tractive--in the spring and summer. should Judge
/ it to BE- strikiney beautiful. Handsome country