Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-07-01

the Baltimore and Potomac road Is completed
to send here large quantities OF anthracite coal,
direct from the Pennsylvania mines. Ii is more
than probable therefore that Mr.. Garrett will
take hand in the ooal-shipping business %
this point, and in a pretty large way, from
the fact that he has considerable advan-
tages over the canal. Bituminous coal trans
ported by rail reaches market in 80 much
better condition than BY canal that IL bears 9
higher price; usually not less than fifty cents .
ton. The reason is that there is so much less
handling and breakaee; a., for instance, coal
dropped in the cars al Piedmont is unloaded at
tide-wster direct into the coal yard or into YES
sells taking il 20 other port, while the coal trans
ported by canal is first shuted into the boats at
the mines, and on reaching Georgetown is
shoveled into cars run over TO the coal wharVes,
and shuted again into vessels. &. s..
When Mr.. Garrett gets his Junction railroad
connection south through this city. he can drop
coal with a single handling from the mines di-
rect into the Oeean-bound vessels al Georgetown.
He will be apt to do It.
In the way of travel, Washington Will, OF
course, reap the advantages of the shortened CON-
munications with the west. We shall have the
advantage of direct communication with the
rich agricultural, stock raising and dairy regions
of western aryland, western Pennsylvania, and
the valley of Virginia. We ought to be bene-
fitted, too, by the short communication with the
great petroleum market and with the varied
manufactures of Pittsburgh. The cost Of the
large qualities Of iron wares, glass wares, &C.,
that now come to us by way of Baltimore from
Pittsburgh, ought 20 be materially reduced 10 us.
Baltimore expects TO reap great advantages from
the diversion of the oil trade in this direction by
the new road TO Pittsburgh, and Washington
ought to share in those advantages. Western
A.
used here, ought TO reach us ut much less cost
Indeed, the advantages that ought to come 70 us
are almost innumerable.
Something About Tunnels Under
Streets. .
The question or the advantages and disad-
vantages of tunneling under cities as a means of
transit, as compared with surface passage, Is now
under discussion, both i'm Washington and Balti-
more, and a number Of our party from both
cities paid visit 30 the tunnel under Pittsburgh
for the use of the Pan Handle railroad. We
passed over a considerable portion of the ground
traversed by the tunnel. and made inquiries OF
the people occupying buildings above it, and
tn esum Of our information was to the effect that
no inconvenience is experienced where the tun-
mel follows the line Of street but that from the
looseness of the soil of Pittsburgh considerable
damage has been done to walls of houses where
the tunne! passes directly under them. No shafts
are used along the tunnel, and consequently no
inconvenience is experienced from smoke or
sparks. Formerly it was thought requisite 10
have shafts and air-hOles at regular intervals
along the line OF tunnel, bat experience has
shown them TO be unnecessary, and even the
shafts made at 50 much cost on the long King
wood tunnel, on the Baltimore and Ohio road,
have been found useless, and have been filed up.
Historic Rusufs
DR.. Brodhead and others of our Washington
party have found considerable interest in hunt
ing up historic points about Pittsburgh. Near
the confluence Of the huskingum and the Allie
gheny rivers, on the highest ground OF the city,
stood old Fort Pitt. The site is now occupied bv
a railroad depot. In IT5O-S1 it was under the
command of Col. Brodhead, an ancestor o
Comptrolleri BrOdhead. Col. BrOdhead wa
somewhat renowned as an Indian fighter. and
his correspondence with Washington while lie
was in command here, is very interesting, and
was published few years ago. Col. Brodhead
was succeeded 10y Col. Gibson, father of Genera
Gibson, lately Commissary General at washing
ton. The change was the cause Of a bitter feud
between the two officers, which called for the in
exposition of Washington. Col. Gibson was
shortly afterwards killed by the Indians. A short
distance back from the site of Fort Pitt stood
the old French Fort Du Quesne, so conspicuous
in our colonial history. A small ancient hooking
brick building in little dirty lane still stands,
which was erected in his, and was the head
quarters Of the commandant,C Col. BoQuet. Stone
inserted in the wall gave the date and use OF the
building, but ii has been recently removed and
put as a memorial in a new house. This seems
somewhat liking placing the gravestoneof one
OF the Pilgrim Fathers at the head OF the grave
Of little child who died yesterday. C.S.S