National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-06-12
WESTWARD WATER WAYS.
THE CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO CANAL

the West with Harder 10 the Di.trict-
Importance OF Its Csu-idera'ieu by oar
Citizens.
Tho following il the concurrent resolution
Of the District Legislature for tho appoint
ment Of joint special committee to consult
with Senator windoms Senate committee re-
gardng the Chesapeake and Ohio waterway
Whereas In hls annual message TO Congress
for 1872 the President Of the United States
recommended an examination Of transporta-
ton routes from the West to the Atlantic sea-
board; and
Whereas at its last session the Senate Of
the United States appointed "selcct COM
mittce on transportation routes to the sea
board;" and
Whereas said ''select committee" In their
published plan for investigating and consld-
ering the subject referred TO them, have
designated, frst, the 81. LawTescc route; sec
ond the Erie canal route; third, the James
river and Knnawha canal route; fourth, the
proposed Georgia canal route; and fifth, the
MissIssippi river route, overlooking or for
getting the Chesapeake and Ohio canal route,
which owes lts beginning to our great WASH
ington, which was fostered and encouraged
by municipal subscription Of tho cities Of
Washington and Georgctown, aided by Con-
greasional action, and completed by the State
of Maryland; and which, when sold canal Ia
best, cheapest, and most direct artificial water
way to connect the seaboard with the valley
Of the Mississippi, thus opening up an outlet OF
immediate necessity to tn, West, and pro-
viding for commerce Of national import
anoe; and
Whereas the select committee" referred to
IA now In session In this city, and ready TO
hear and attend TO whatever matters may
be presented upon tho subject; therefore
he IT.
m =
joint special committee, OF three from each
house, he appointed TO confer with the Gov
rrnor, the Board Of Public Works, the Board
Of Trade, and with citizens OF this District,
and after such conference TO take Immediate
steps 10 bring to the notice OF the "sclect
committee on transportation routes to the
seaboard" the great merit and Importance OF
the extension Of the Chesapeake and Ohio
canal to the Ohio river, to the end that such
extension may be embraced In the report Of
said select committee, and thereby invite the
attention not only OF Congress, but Of the
whole country to this great national enter
prise.
In presenting the foregoing, Mr.. Dyer made
the following remarks:
Mn. sPEkKER I take great pleasure In
offering this resolution, because | think lts
subject follows 6tly after the improvements
in this District, which regard as already Sc
cured and certain Of completion at an early
day; and because II embraces within Its com
pass and carries along with II the assurance
Of a secure, commodiOus and convenient hAr-
bor for Washington city and the future sue
cess Of manufactures within our borders.
II Ia favorable time to bring forward this
question, IA there Is now In session In our
city a select committee OF Congress charged
with the duty Of collecting Information as to
the hest means Of transportation from the
Atlantic to the valley Of tho Mississippi.
The State Of Virginia has been moving with
nd IL nj heavy Nv
Tor several years In behalf Of q canal from
Richmond to the kanawha river, and are
now preparing To press upon Congress the
completion Of this work ut q cost TO the Gov
eminent Of some S+0,00o,OOo, asa great ma
tlonal enterprise of common benefit to the
whole country.
The time Is favorable, moreover, because
Il has come to pass that railroads cannot
transport the low-priccd and bulky products
Of the fertile West to the points of domestic
demand and Of foreign shipment at such
rates Us will compensate the producer; be-
cause 1t Is now come To be understood that
there Is business enough for all the transmon-
tame railroads, and for an equal number Of
|. transmontane canals; because II Is now gen.
,Srally agreed that each system OF transpor-
tttion has Its advantages and lis limits OF use
fulness; and because, Il Is believed, rivalry
between these two systems will benefit trade
and commerce everywhere throughout the
whole country.
AWithout dlsparagement to the great yir-
ginia canal, II Is believed that the extension
Of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal can be ac-
compllshed at one third OF the cost OF the
latter, with much smaller lit, With equal
advantages Of supplying feeders, with ap
equal immunity from the frosts Of winter,
aud with saving OF one hundred and fifty
miles OF distance.
This question appeaisto us In many ways
Ia our patriotism; to our local pride; 20 our
pecuniary interests; even to the Imaginative
and romantic side of our natures.
We have had held up to us In history, aud
In the best efforts Of the orator, our great
name-giyer and sole progenitor as the soldier,
as the patriot, as the father Of his country.
Let us now spend moment upon Washington
rs the engineer, sklllful rs the needs Of
his day demanded; as the man Of business,
accurate, careful, methodlcal, and success
ful In such affairs as came under his sole con-
troll; rs the Spectator, In the best sense Of
the word, (Which calls such a character a
statesman, when he holds high Office, far
seeing, proyldent, and large-mlnded, only
falling because his genius reached forward
hundred years beyond the scope Of his con-
temporarics.
Washington, AT an ago whom most boys
have minds divided between school-hooks
and childish sports, had made himself fami
liar with the Potomac from Alexandria to
where Cumberland now stands, had meas
ured the force Of Its currents, the pitch Of Its
various falls and rapids, the points where
dams could be placed TO the bost advantage,
aud In fact, had determined upon plan Of
slack water navigation, by means OF which
loaded boat could transport Its cargo safely
from tlde-waters to the foot OF the Allie
ghanles.
lie had already noted that while the Hudson
was the only river flowing into the Atlantic,
which pierced tho Appalachian mountains
without a fall, whereby the Erie canal be-
came fact, and New York city derives its
unapproachnble present and future I'm
portancc, the Potomac was that river which,
next to the Hudson, most nearly pierced
these mountains, and approached most
closely the waters OF the Ohio, with the
shortest and lowest divide between thom.
Not long after this his mental conclusion rs
10 the slack-water navigation OF the Potomac
was enlarged so as to embrace, In addition, q
graded road across the mountains and slack
water navigation upon one or more branches
Of the ohioi and all this, 10 IL remembered,
when coal lay unsupported upon the very
route and Iron was hardly counted rs busi-
ness itcm,
To the attainment OF this plan and IT, cog
nate successors he gave his time, his pen, his |
influence, and his labOrs for forty yoars,
sharing with II his other scheme for tho im- |
prOyement and development OF the Great |
Dismal swamp. OF the companies formed 10 |
carry these out he was the first president and |
the principal stakeholder, manager and engl- |
neer.
% to the scholar, to whom this projected |
extension shall revive the recollectlons OF hls-
tory and make them living TRUTH TO the |
business man, TO whom this work shall be the |
completion Of his great elder business broth- |
ers' lifelong aspirations; to the energetic and
enthusiastic young man, who will thereby re- |
call the stirring and romantic adventures Of |
the young Washington, by perils OF land and |
water and hostile Indians along the lines Of |
the Potomac and Ohio, so, even To the states |
man, whose fitting and genial labors |
may give the world assurance that the |
genius Of tho first President shall not |
be without Its proper fruit; to all |
these and to many Other classes beside, this |
great work will have an unusual Significance |
aad propriety.
Need / speak Of it, interest to the people |
who live In the city which Washington |
founded, planned and laid out, and which, In |
Its present condition, begins TO prove Its |
eminent wisdom and skil-the city 10 which |
he gave his heart, and to which the whole |
country by unanimous agreement gave his
M nei
10 Washington city aud the District Of
Columbia this Is the great enterprise OF tho
century, the magnificent opportunity which
should be grasped OF once, the realization OF /
which will result In making this District the |
Paris of America; not alone the Paris which i