Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-08-14
THE CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO CANAL

III T. IN ES8I Ian r a NJ A'Iilp AN Al
The question how 20 deal with this canal Is
Just now agitaung The Marvla State Consti-
tutonal Convention. The Chesapeake ami
Ohio Canal seems, in fact. much such al
elephant on the hands o. the State OF Maryland
As is the Washington Canal upon the hands
oftnIs Corporation. l. appears from the state
ments made that he affairs of the Chesapeake
and ONO Canal are yet In anything but a
prosperous condition. There now upon
the canal 81 boats. OF this number one hun
dred aad fifty are tied up idle, and 200 mules
have been sold from the canal boats since July
last, 10 enable the Captains 10 pay debts IN
CURED while idle. The Cum berland boat yards
are idle, and boats built in 1866 are rottng IN
the dock wirhou ut making single trip The rea-
son alleged for the suspension of business is the
difference in the cost OF trans portatIou between
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and tn-
canal. The freight by canal to Georgetown,
II. @, is much higher than by railroad. The
railroad has The power to regulate its own
freights at all tunes TO suit the demands of the
trace. while the canal is hampered BY having
TO submit us ra'es of freight to The Board OF
Public Works f-r approval. The boats now
running are those which the coal companies
hold mortgages upon, allowing fifty dollars 10
b. retained from the freight of each trip, as the
deit would have proved worthless, unless the
boat employed. The wear 1856 promised
a largely increased business. Those captains
who bad invested their all in canal boats,
horses and mules were in high hopes of pro-
ftsbis season. But these fattering antcipa-
lions were blasted, as he Baltimore end OHIO
Railroad Company opened The trade by
duction Of freight on coal seventy five cents
per ton, both from Cumberland and Piedmont,
while the tolls on he canal, BY direction of
the Board Cf Public Works, remained the
same, thereby drawing the trade of the canal
10 he raIiI DAD a. the cheaper channel.
strenuous effort is now being made by the
stockholders 70 secure more flexible manage
ment Of the rate Of toll, by which the canal
can enter fully into competition with the
railroad. Usually water carriage is deemed a
much cheaper mode of conveyance for heavy
freight than railroad carriage. and II is held u
be al anomaly taat the naI should be placed
in a position debarring her from competing
successfully with the railroad in the mat
ter OF cheap carriage. II requires more
money TO keep The canal III Eavi gable order
Tor 500 boats than II does for 30. With tn tolls
fixed at the highest revenue point, and a con-
hcepce III its permanent management, 500
boats would be placed on the canal, and thus
give employment 10 1850 men and boys and
require 1900 mules, besides q large number of
mecha mics employed in the boaryards, which
would create floating city the canal,
bringing their supplies from the counties OF
Montgomery, Frederick w Washington and AL
leRhany. affordihg home market 10 the farmer
for bis oats, hay, corn and bacon, and TO the
merchants Of the villages and towns on the
line of the canal for their respective articles or
trade.