National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-06-12

most that IL had attained by means OF the
sluce ways and the locks and dams In the
Potomac river was ono foot of permanent
wafer In the upper coursc and four feet Of
water In the lower portion Of the stream.
Gondolas or batteaux were made for years to
navigate up and down such portion Of this
way a. was finished, but beyond a mere mat
ter Of local convenience In such q small way
there were no practical good results accom-
pllshed.
After long probation Of years Of discus
sion the Erie canal was begun In July, 1917.
IL was matter Of concern to every man In
the nation who had any interest with such
great questions as had Allied the mind OF
Washington, when contemplating the means
Of internal lnter-conncctiou. "A the work
went on, so there spread wide desire OF
emulation. and thus In those years the canal
system was thoroughly tried In the Eastern
and Middle States. Following upqrh,oT In
cited by this, those who had Inheritsd frpm
their fathers q love for and belief IN the
Potomac ronte, and those to whom had fallen
the remains OF the Potomac Company, and
those other, new men, who could appreciate
the argument In favor Of q canal hence TO the
Ohio, were Inspired by the spirit of the times
to embark In the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Company. The design was to start from the
District Of Columbia, thence up the Potomac
river to tho mouth Of Savage creek, on the
north branch Of said river, and extend thence
across the Allegheny mountain to some con-
yenlcnt point on tho nayigable waters OF tho
Ohio river or some some one OF Its
tributary streams. This company was
duly organized In june, 1925 the Potomac
Company was then merged into II, and
thus ceased Its existence. The amount OF
stock was SO, 039 shares, at sl00 each-the
United States subscribed for 10, 600, the cities
Of this District 1000, and Maryland 5000:
individuals took the remainder. The method
Of calculating this cost constitutes, as IL seems
to me, one OF those vagaries In the history Cf
all such grand undertakings. These esti-
mates generally mean so much, more or less,
and almost always there Is IN indefinite In
crease on tue original calculation. In the
discussion a. to the probable cost OF this
water way much stress was laid on the official
report Of General Bernard, who had been once
Napoleon's chief Typographical officer, and
was thon at the head OF the engineer corps Of
our army, after his survey Of the route In
1850 wherein the cost was estimated at
about s22 600, 900. This was so stupcndous q
sum for those days that the public mind was
only quiCted into q belief that the undertake
Ing was within the possibility Of much less
and more reasonable expense by the articles
from the pen of David Shriyer, IT,, who had
been q member Of the United states board
OF internal Improvement, published In the
National intelligencer: by the estimates OF
Thomas Moore chief engineer Of Virginia,
(who has the honor on record Of first sng-
gestlng the possibility Of waterway or canal
from the Potomac entirely through to the
Ohio y by the estimates Of a commission APP
pointed by Virginia and Maryland; by tie
estimates of General Oliver Lacock, who had
been q Senator, who agreed, In company with
other solid men, to contract for the work at
his said estimate and by the able report to
the United States House Of Representative los
by Hon. Andrew Stewart of Pennsylvan'l,
In 1925. The fallacy Of these estimates Is TO
DO chiefly found In the basis Of tho calcula-
tlOn. The one party meant canal that
would serve the purposes Of commerce the
Others, n canal Of about forty feet width nj
top, and four feet depth but before the work
was actually begun, the United States fOrtu-
nately insisted upon width Of from fifty TO
sixty feet, and depth Of six feet
The canal was finished to Harpcr's Ferry
In 1885, and then the funds gave out. But nj
different times and In one way or another
Maryland or the United States Government
came to the aid of the enterprise at its mo-
mcnts Of languishlng and supplied the ne
CessaTy money, so that In October, 1850, the
first boat passed from Georgetown to Cum
berland.
Here the great coal fields were tapped and
began to furnish a full supply Of freight for
the entire capacity OF the canal: The long
aud continued disappointment of this enter
prise, which had been 50 expensive, brought
the advocates Of this plan, who were now
men Of mature on advanced years to pause In
their efforts, and the new men coming upon
the scene were more fully persuaded that the
day OF the canal hal gone and the day Of the
railroad was at hand. Hence the talent and
capital and force Of the communities here
abOuts were diverted towards the develop
ment Of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad,
which was begun In July, Sl2S, and opened
for business January IL, 1853
Aud In about this manner, my dear sir, the
case has stood up to, during, and since the
war. The commerce Of this canal has row
so increased that its boats bring annually
from Cumberland not less than two and half
millions Of tons Of coal or (taking the
common estimate Of total supply Of the
United States In 1871, us thlrty-iour millions
OF tons) about ne-thirtccnth Of the entire coal
crop Of the country! And make no men
ton of the adaional general merchandise
freight.
This canal Is 1871 miles long, 20 to 90 feet
wide at top, about 3Sfeot at bottom, and 'eet
deep; has "a lift-locks, and a total4lft Of 600
feet. II has cost some si0 500, 800. The
United States Government having many
years ago assumed the subscriptions Of the
cities OF Washington and Georgetown, now
owns 81, SOC, 600 In the canal. At the last
Congress, In pursuance Of the paragraph In
the Presidents message recommending,
on extension Of this canal 10 the Ohio, Mr..
Richie, OF Maryland, offered a bill providing
for the examination or survey Of route 10
connect the Ohio river and the sea-boaid by
canal or slackwater navigation by way 0f
the Chesapeake aud Ohio canal, first, from
the mouth Of tho south branch Of the Potomac
river up and along said river, and by the way
Of the Elk and Great Kanawha rivers TO
Point Pleasant on the Ohio river; secondly,
from the city of Cumberland up and along
the north branch OF the Potomac river,
thence by or near Saint Georges Court
house and Hughes or Little Kanawha river
to Parkersburg; and thirdly, In connection
said north branch by the way Of the Yough-
iogheny river and the Monongahela river
to Pittsburg. l believe no action was had on
this bill at the last session. The routes above
proposed are each about three hundred and
nifty miles long. In consequence,
81 this bill, however, rs l suppose, an
appropriation Of 5000 was made Tor the ex-
plOration Of the routes by the North and
South branches Of the Potomac. This survey
will be Immediately commenced under the
charge Of that able and accomplished officer,
Col. W. f.. Merrill, of the United States On
gincer corps. .r
need not point you now to the well-known
fact that the day Of tho canal has come again.
The great and common demand over the
whole country for o cheaper and q safol
means Of communication than the railroad
has awakened such an Interest In this depart
ment Of Internal improvement US will not
rest TILL several of these grand waterways
arc opened TO bear To aud from the ocean the
vast burdens Of commerce. The Erie canal
frozen up for near Ave months In the year
yet remains one Of our hest triumphs IN In
ternal improvements. Nor has II lessened
the traffic of the railroad; the sphere OF the
two Il quite distinct. This new energy Ia re-
spect to these internal Improvement Is per-
haps sufficiently plainly manifested In the
action Of Congress, Us above referred TO, In
appointing so able committee to investigate
and report upon the whole matter.
And now, my point In writing you Is this,
that may incite In You such an Interest In
this great matter "a shall Induce you to call
the attention Of our citizens our press, our
Legislature, our Territorial authorities and
our Delegate In Congress to the stakes at
issue, so that the public mind may be directed
to a consideration and careful study Of the
subject aud that thus we may create u pub
lie sentiment In the plan as shall be folt In
Congress, aud thence find utterance In legis-
lation and In appropriations. Nor must we
allow this Senatorial Committee TO remain
about this canal. We should at
once begin to impress upon them, by argu-
ments and statistics, the Importance Of this
water way over all other similar ones, begun
or projected, on or near this latitude. Nor
must II be left out 81 sight that the field Il
not wholly unoccupied; for we both know
aud have watched with sollcltude the energy
and ability with which the james river and