Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-04-13
LOCAIuaN EMS.
THE ALEXANDRIA .CANALss@1A.
"a. :. PROTEST

Is We mentioned, Jon "Wednesday, that aremon-
STRANGE against the passage Of a bill reported in
the House of Representatives, providing for
the construction Of draw: bridge at the Aque-
duct, would, be prepared and forwarded to
Washington. This has been done, and we
.subioin copy, which will doubtless be read
with interest: ass,si2fs t's.z :at,,@4 lsa. i,
$50 the Hon. EBoN G. INGERsoLL Chairman
+ OF the Committee Of the House of Repre-
sentatives on the District of Columbia. =. =
/. SIR: The undersigned, on behalf of the city
of the Alexandria Canal Company, have the
sage OF a bill which, on the 1Othof April, 1866,
was, by the House of Representatives, referred
to your Committee, entitled a bill to provide
for the construction of a aw-bridgs at the
!Aqueduct, across the Potomac river at George
town. D. e.. and invite your attention to the,
following statement -. b -
We have not been able to see the memorial
of Joshua Richie and others referred to, but
from the notice which is this morning publish
ed 1T, observe that it alleges that the Aque
duct is an insufferable impeachment to naviga.
ytion; that the Aqueduct has proved to be an
abortive project; that its trade has scarcely at
any time exceeded its expenses that it is nov
in dilapidated condition, and used as militia
ry road, and cannot be restored to its original
use withouta heavy outlay of money by Cor
gress; but if it was constructed with a draw for
the passage Of vessels, it might be turned to
profitable account, yielding to the Government
revenue from customs paid by commerce.
A brief examination will show that these
statements, though plausible, are not substan
tally true. ~ g 80" 80. '.'"
The Aqueduct is not an 'insuferable imped-
linen. TO navigation Tor the reason that the
Potomac, owing to the rapidity of the current,
the rocks and boulders in its bed, and the shoal
water above the piers, is not nayigable for large
vessels, and was never used exceptby fiat boats
and vessels not carrying spars; Tor that class
derstood, that the original founders of George
town, desiring to locate at the head of navi
cation, established the city below the present
location Of the Aqueduc,
The memorial treats the Aqueduet as dis
tinct work by itself, which it is not, but it is
part and parcel of the Alexandria Canal, a pub
lie improvement, constructed to furnish an out
let for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal to nav
igable waters Prior to the commencement of
this work, its necessity was SO apparent that
general meeting was called, at which the Gov
ernmeut of the United States, the Chesapeake
and Ohio Canal, the cities Of Washington,
Georgetown, and Alexandria were duly repre-
sented, and the location of the Aqueduct was
then by resolution, established where it now is,
and Georgetown voted for it. The cost of the
Canal, including the Aqueduct, was one million
two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and by
the passage Of the bill in question, the work
will be totally destroyed The cost Of the fouu-
dations and piers was five hundred and twenty
five thousand dollars. This portion Of the
work is now in perfect condition, and the only
part which is out of repair is the trunk or wood
work, which cost only ffty-six thousand dol
lars. @ ".~A ~#,.e.
That the project has not proved abortive, is
shown abundantly by the business done on the