Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-02-01


this walng rising from the bottom of the canal height in
some places Of % feet.
From lock 80 to "a there is level of about mile, and
from 81 to 35 Of about threeqsarten Of mile. Imme-
datey below s5 feeder is brought in from he pool formed
by the Government DAM which work constructed across
the Potomac by the United States the purpose obanng
water power for the Amory works Harpers Ferry short
level of about thousand feet takes from lock 35 TO &c.
which last is in line with guard lock No and the dam
above mentioned For much Of the distance lock ss to
this point there much heavy embankment ad bill side cut
ting also heavy waing protect the eubankment from
the river.
From lock So to 81, have level Of about AZ miles,
and from 81 to 3S another of about miles About mid
way Of this last level the aqueduc which carries
the canal Aneam creek here empyingnto the Poto-
This structure is of hard dark blue limestone, with
three arches the centre forty feet span tn. other two OF
feet EACH The beds and joints ofhs structure
cut smooth, the faces left rough.
Over the last mentioned lock 1857 there bridge connect
ing with which the river the line road to
Shepherdstown, Virginia. From lock 80 to 49, there is q
level Of little mile from 80 to 40 Of more than
five miles and from thence to guard lock No. of over
six miles. Here another feeder enters the canal from the
slackwater of dam No. A.
This last mentioned dam backs the water Of M Potomac
up for than eight miles, and the sackwater thus caused
used part Of the canal for upwards Of three miles, BY
shifting the path to the basin side, and carrying along
the margin Of the pool At the upper part Of distance
thus used ledge Of hard limestone rock foamos two
miles length, nearly pependcuary, out Of hs water to
height in places of nearly hundred feet and he owpah
for this distance had to be cut out of this rock.
We pass in succession locks Al A. 40, and A, for dis
..ncs Of abont and half miles, when reach heown
of Wiamsport, which is just hundred miles above
Georgetown.
The Conococheague, large tributary of the Potomac,
empties itself into the river at the upper end of Wlmspor
and the canal carried by avery substantial aqueduct
of the description Of meston with that Of the Ane
TAM consists Of three arches IF sixty feet span fifteen
feet rise EACH The beds and o also the face of the
ing, cut the Of the face lines
1t is altogether very fine structure Of great strength
Contpuing on this level for abut seven miles further we
reach guardock No. where the canal receives feeder
from the sackwaer of dam No. This slack water is used
part of the canal for about hf me when we ascend
through locks As, 46, and Az The united levels between
them amounting to less than two miles, Here we leave the
river margin and rise twenty ourfee through locks 49,
and So which enables the to be carried very
considerable bend Of the river called Prahers Neck ; the
river being reached again at the end of about mile. Pursu
ing this level for about eight mics further come to the
aqueduct over Licking creek. i
This very beautiful structure sof the same description of
limestone with the two last mentiued II consists of but
single arch, which is, like most oilers this canal seq
ment Of circle The span Of ths arch is ninety feet with
but fifteen feet rise. The arch stoles skew backs water ia
b coping and inside Of the paap cut the rest Of the
masonry of ubble work. The chef engineer Of the canal
Charles B. Fisk, Esq, had mu confidence in his plan
of this aqueduc and in the workmake manner in which
had been executed by Mr. Holdswoh the contractor that he
ordered the ceeng to be struck andaken out at one ope
ration instead Of its being eased down IN successive days. as
is customary with large arches allow them to settle gadu
ally. The event justified this confidence The incest in
struments did not show any degree settling It to be re-
gretted that noble piece of work this should be so far
from any town much equened road be seen only
by the very few persons whom business takes it's neigh
borhood. ~. "...~ ... X N y.
The level of the water this aqueducs extending as
does from Prahers Neck to lock 81, within less than two
miles Of Hancock, has extent Of fourteen miles As
csndng locks 81 and 3D. Immediately upon the Big
Tenolowsy Aqueduct which is of single arch sixty two
feet span, twenty feet se It's material and portions Of cut
and rubble work same as the last
About and half miles above this we cross the tile
Tenooway cuver Of such dimensions that we ma
exception to the rule with, of speaking of The
culves This has span Of forty feet, and serves fc
road well water way. The town Of Hancock is situate
between the Big and Little Tenoloway, and in carrying The
canal through it, basin has been formed at each end of he
town for the accommodation Of trade.
In moving beyond this town. we next come to lock S,
the whole level between and So being fraction over sewn
miles. Passing this have another level of about -four
miles to lock 50. Then 900 feet brings us to lock st.
by the side of which guardloek No is placed and in col
nexion with the abutment of dam No. g. The canal is hee
fed through this guadock directly from the sackwater form
ed by this dam Rising through lock 5s we have level
little two miles to lock S. after passing which ".
to Sdelng Hill creek which by another aque
duct of single arch Of sixty feet span, twelve feet RISE The
sheetng of this arch Of limestone and the remainder Of the
structure Of sandstone The portions Of work and rubbe
same as the two preceding
Three miles brings to lock 81, after rising which
we soon come to the aqueduc Feenme creek at the
small town Of Orleans. This aqueduct s built entirely of
very hard sandstone 1t has but arch and that Of fifty
feet span ten feet se The portions Of cut and rubbe work
same the last. ..~
traveller fond Of the picturesque here looking back
the route he has pursued but be struck BY the gran
deur Of the Mr. Jefferson once said that sight Of
the spot where the Potomac breaks through the Blue Ridge
was worth voyage across the Atlantic We here where
it has broken through the much loier Sideling Hill Ridge
and the space through which flows seems but the merest
gap in a mighty wall.
Rising in succession through locks 5S So co. 81 and g.
with long levels between them, amounting to about fifteen
miles in ALL reach the base of the Pawpaw RIDGE which
davb md