The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-08-25
LOCAL DEPARTMENT.

90 on Canals Of the Washington City
!ouncil held their last public session last J
y.ning In the Council chamber, city Hall.
resent, DIR. Boyd, chairman, Messrs. Bcail
nd Piper. There were also present quite q
lumber OF our prominent citizens, who have
AIKEN a Lively interest In the discussion OF
he subject Of improving tho Washington
anal. ,
DR.. Boyd having stated the object OF the !,
Meeting, Mr.. Benjamin. scverson read !
,apcr, presented at the previous sessions OF
he committee, setting forth at length MS
views Of the plan that should be adopted 70
make the canal useful, and 10 preVent US
filling up, &C., 10 future.
DR.. J. Z. Hall next addressed the commit.
lee, and gave some interesting facts In refer
,nce to It's past history, and offered num-
Der OF valuable suggestions for the consider
stion Of the committee In maturing their re-
port TO the City Councils.
Mr.. Watson proposed a compromise plan |
TO improve the canal. He said 1t is ad- |
opened for navigation, Is narrowed, or arched |
over for mammoth sewer, It will have to be |
cleaned out. Therefore, to reconcile these
conflicting opinions, so that the improve
ment can commence at once, the following
plan is proposed Dredgc or otherwise ex-
cavate the canal Its entire length, from
Seventeenth street TO the Eastern branch.
width, or about 80 feet; the greater part of
the material to be wheeled or carted into the
low grounds. The western half, or wide
part, Of the canal TO be dredged so feet wide,
keeping In the middle or near the northern
side, so as TO relieve the sewers, the bottoms
Of which are now two feet below the bottom
Of the canal, and II not soon relieved will
soon MI up and burst, or stop the now of
water, compelling the corporation to tear
them up and clean them out, entailing great
trouble aud expense. The material cxca-
waited In the western end to be used to ex-
tend the Monument grounds, or be carried
into the grounds south Of the Presidents,
where Ave feet on an average Is required to
I'LL 1t TO the intended grade, the earth for
which can scarcely be obtained from any
other source, and doubtless the Government
would pay for the same, thus reducing the
cost Of excavation.
Under this plan the excavation would be
$1,000 feet long, 0 feet deep, and 80 feet
wide, making 166, 600 cubic yards, which, at
about $4,000 only. The work to be done
by the corporation at days work, the money
to be appropriated so as to commence the
work as soon rs cool weather sets In, and to
be finished previous TO the hot weather Of
next summer. While the work Is In pro-
gress, or at its completion, final plan Of
Improvement can be determined upon whether
the canal Is to be arched, to be narrowed, or
to be dredged out Its full length for uaviga-
tion, as also the James creek canal to the
arsenal, the whole TO connect with the Ches-
apeake and Ohio canal at Georgetown.
Mr.. Gideon L. Walker advocated the leas-
ing of the canal to responsible company :,
under certain stipulaticnn, as the best wayof
making 1t contribute 70 the prosperity aud
wealth Of the city. The corporation had
after many years trial, iallel eifectually &c
keep the canal either In nav gable order Of
In a sanitary condition.
Something would have 10 be done, anC
why not allow individuals to try the expe
riment. II would not be an experiment fol
he believed that II the RICH. kind of men tool
hold Of the enterprise 1t would prove the bes
investment that was ever made In Washing.
ton.
DR.. Hall asked Mr.. Walker how II would
be possible for a company to keep the canal
clean If the corporation could not do II.
Mr.. Walker, in reply, stated that 1t was
not impossible for the city to do it-but they
had not, and 1t was now public nuisance
DR.. Boyd, chairman Of the canal commit
tee, stated that he should oppose the transfer
Of the canal property to any company or In
dividual until the corporation Of Washington
had practically shown that 1t was incapable
of taking care of 1t. He was In favor o
introducing bill embodying the best plan
suggested, and not until the experiment ha,
been tried would be satisfied that the corpo
ration was not competent to do what indi
vidual enterprise could do. He thought Their
was more enterprise In Washington nov
than ever before, and the failure In time
past to make the canal serviceable had n,
weight whatever with the committee now
They proposed to digest the various plan
offered into report and frame the bill &C
cordngly.
Until the councils otherwise determined h
should advocate the holding OF the propert
and the making every Improvement sug
gested that would enhance its value or max
Ii channel of trade.
The closing address was made by Mr.
Michael Nash, who argued that until tn,
river was improved II would be a mere vast,
OF money to try to improve the canal.
DR.. Boyd announced that the public ses.
sions OF the committee on canals would close
He cordially thanked the gentlemen who had
furnished so many valuable suggestions and
contributed their views in writing to the
committee, and assured them that all would
be carefully considered. He did not expect
to be able to present report for some time.
The meeting then adjourned.
THE DEATH OF b. c. MAJoR.-There
seems 10 have been no sufficient reason fol
announcing the death Of Mr.. Major as
having been by suicide. We learn from his
friends in this city that Mr.. Major suffered
Intensely from occasional attacks of collie
produced by lead poisoning some year.
ago, and that he was In the habit Of car
rying small vial Of morphine, which h
used to alleviate the pain. On Sunda,
morning he left his family In excellen
health and spirits. 1t Is supposed that ate
reaching the store he had an attack of thi
collie and took, unlntentlonally, an overdos,
of the morphine. So far from being dc
pressed by loss of money his prospects were
never brighter, and on the LIST OF September
he was to become partner in the store
where he was employed.
In fact the whole life of the man was tn
opposite OF one who would commit suicid
under any circumstances, and his friend
and acquaintance do not believe II. Tn
deceased was well known and highly es
teemed In this community. He was strictl
temperate In his habits and an active men
Der Of the Order OF Sons Of Temperance, b
connection with the Order being In Hon
Division, of which he was Past Worth
Patriarch. His remains were brought
this city yesterday. Lafayette Lodge
Masous and Washington Lodge of Odd Fe
lows, Of both Of which he was member
have made arrangements to attend his #
neral.
METROPOLITAN DIVISION, No. 10, Son
OF TEMPERANCE, is steadily and surely Ia
creasng In numbers and power Its reguls
meeting last night waslargely attended, aut
after the regular business had been trans
acted, exercises of a very interesting charac
ter took place under the head of "Good Of
the Order" An excellent programme o.
vocal and instrumental music was admirabl,
executed by Mrs. Kate Smith, Mrs. Pritchard
and Mr.. John Pugh, and forcble addresses
were delivered by Messrs. Peter Berry, OF
Georgetown, and William p. Drew, OF this
city.
1t has already been announced that the
Division would shortly repeat the pic mic
which was SO successful at Carlin Spring
last week. The time selected is Wednesday,
September l, and the place Analostan Island,
The arrangements have been entrusted to
the hands Of the committee which succeeded
so well on the former occasion, aud his
promises to be equally as successful as the
hrst one. The best Of order will be pre-.
served. To insure this and to guard against
the intrusion OF improper or dlsorderly char
acters, Major Richards has promised dc.
tail OF policemen to guard the interests OF
the division and the members thereof on the
occasion.