Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-07-08
Georgetown VS. the Alexandria Canal aqueducs.
From the Washington Union

Georgetown VS.. the Alexandria Canal aqueduct.
from the Washington Union, /
After the transaction of business at the George
town Exchange on Saturday. a meeting consist
ing of members OF the Exchange and number
of our leading business men, was called to order
by George Waters, esq, who stated the object
of the meeting to be the further development
of the commerce and great water-power Of the
District After which he introduced Mr.. John
A. Wills, who said, although u stranger to
many before him, he had been laborlng tor the
last two wears to prevent the enemies to the
business of Georgetown and Washington from
further obstrur.ng the commerce 0i these two
cities After speaking Of the great advantages
to be derived from the removal OF the Alexan-
dria Aaueduct Tor in case ii is allowed to re-
main and be reconstructed, to have draw In
it, he offered the following resolutions which
were unanimously adopted:
Resolved, That Georgetown possesses great
natural advantages for navigation, commerce,
and manufactures, being situated at the head
Of tide-Water navigation on the Potomac, and
at the original outlet Of the Chesapeake a nd
Ohio Canal into said river--its port and harbor
having natural waterfront of more than
three miles Of deep navigable water on said
river, aud also in close proximity to it, water
power, supplied by said Cana, capable of be-
ing made equal to any in the United States
and that in view of these natural advantages
all that is needed to insure its greatness as a
commercial and manufacturing city, is, that
they shall be properly improved, and that the
artificial distractions to its development, I'M
posed and now sought to be continued BY willy
adversaries, shall be removed at all hazards
and ct any cost.
Resolved That in these respects the inter
ests of Georgetown, Washington, and Alexan.
dria are all essentially the same being similarly
situated and that the competition for the
great coal trade Of the West is now no longer,
as formerly, between them, but iskeally between
them and Baltimore which seeks:,Sby divisions
by the revival Of old feuds, by the continuance
Of old artificial distractions. and by the crea-
ton of new ones, to divert to IFS port by rail
road the trade which would otherwise, more
naturally and cheapy, find ils way TO market
from their ports by means Of the Chesapeake
and Ohio Canal and Potomac River
Resolved, That the Alexandria Canal as a
means of transportation tor the coal trade t! 10
that city, is now entirely uscleSs-every lcgltl-
mate end which it can accomplish Tor Alexan-
aria and this region Of country beingnow easily
and cheaply attainable By means OF canal boats
towed from the outet-lock at Georgetown to
Alexandria by tow boats on the Potomac river
Resolved, That while this canal, as a whole,
js thus useless, the Aqueduct, by which it
crosses the Potomac at Georgetown, is worse
than useless that it is positive nuisance, de-
structiye of the best interests OF the whole COM
munity, and that as such, it must be abated.
Resolved, That the lessees of the Alexan-
dria canal we'll know and admit the useessness
of the canal as such, and would gladly be re-
leased from their obligations to maintain 1t,
but under the present misconcsptlon OF Alex
andra, as to her true interests, they use it
merely as pretext whereby to acquire the use
of the piers Of the aqueduct for railroad pur-
poses, and to that end have entered into COM
bination with Baltimore and its agents to per-
petuate the obstruction formed by the aque-
duct. to the development OF the navigation,
commerce, and manufacturers OF this city, and
also to create others By the erection OF railroad
and other bridges on the piers OF the aqueduct,
without draw bridges therein.
Resolved, That this whole community with,
out distinction OF persons, is vltally interested
in preventing the reconstruction OF the aque-
duct now fortunately in ruins; and that 1t IS
equally interested as whole, in preventing
the use of the piers thereof, under whatever
insidious preterce for bridge or railroad pur-
poses, except upon the Indispensable and
unalterable alternative of draw bridges in any
structure which may be placed thereon, or or
the elevation OF said piers to such height as
to permit the free and unobstructive passage Of
vessels of the largest class under said structures
in high water
Resolved, That according to the bcst OF our
information, after careful examination. the
piers of the aqueduct cannot be used 10r
bridge or railroad purposes without the leg
islation OF Congress, and that every attempt
to obtain such legislation should be met with
persistent and undying hostility except upon
the conditions of draw bridges on the George
town side.
Resolved, That the people of Georgetown
have too long sumbered and slept, and ln-
doently submitted to be made the victims
of the cupidity and ambitious designs of Others
and that, in our judgment, every laborlng
man, every property holder, every merchant
In short, every person identified with the pre-
sent and future prosperity of our city, is now
imperatively called upon to discountenance
and resist by every legitimate means in their
power the re-enactment, in new form OF the
insidious scheme for it's destruction which was
originally plotted when the aqueduct was
located at its present site.
Resolved, That q copy OF these resolutions
be transmitted TO the Mayor and Councils of
Georgetown, as the proper representation of
our common interests, and that they be urged
to take active measures and Co cooperate
with the citizens 10 obtaining from the courts
and from Congress, protection from the evils
which threaten our destruction.
Messrs.Wm Duval, Geo. Waters, Jenkln
Thomas, W, H. Tenney, and others, made
remarks on the subject, after which the meet
ing adjourned to meet again on Thursday next.
NV o 0 L
w 80 JACOB RAMSBURG & SONS
Q4ate Ramsburg & Ehert,4