Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-12-01


The Chairman gave it as his opinion that the
resolution was in violation Of the bylaws.
Col. Willis favored the owners OF stack rid
ing over the road once Il year TO Io"A alter
their property, and that the adnptoH Ut his
resolution would obviatc ali difficulty about
riding on stock certificates. &c. He thought, too,
that it would be the nleaDs c. iuducDg people
in the country to buy stock
Mr.. McCrackeu seconded the resolution. He
would ue willing to sell his stock for what it
cost for ride to Lyuchburg anu back.
The Chairman put the question upon the
adoption of the resolution, AID 1t was lost by
rising vote--ayes >, Messrs. Willis aud Me
Cracken, noes, the rest of the meeting.
Ou motion OF Mr.. Barbour the thanks Of the
| stockholders were then rendered the officers OF
the meeting, which then adjourned sine die.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
Few persons have any idea Of the magu'' ude
and proportions OF this great work Of Internal
| improvement, which now, from poc end To an-
other, is in perfect working order, showing cT-
licences of the good management OF The present
Board OF Direction The canal is divided Into
FIVE divisions. The first diyi,ior is about tween
tytwo miles in length, excluding from George
| town to Seneca, of which Mr.. John /. Fetchali
is the Superintendent: the second divls9n the
Monocacy, is forty miles in length, extending
from Seneca to the head Of Harper Ferry
Falls, of which Mr.. j. } Moore is Supcr.n-
| teudeDt; the third division, the AntletaD: Is
about lWeLty-tRo miles IN eng:h. extending
from The Harrer's Ferry Falls 10 the head II
| the great slackwater, eleven miles below VIII
| . l. L. Al
| the Superintendent; the fourth Is ;he Hancock
division, fifty miles IL length. extending iroui
! Antietam division to dam NO 4, ten miles Wcsi
of Hancock. of which Mr.. Lewis &. Stauhope
! is Superintendent; and the fifth is abou: fifty
miles u length, extending from the Hancock
division to Cumberland. 1t is called the Cum
berland division, and Mr.. Edward Mulvancy i
the Superintendent. The canal, BY exact
measurement, is lS4 400 mics in Icrgth,
with about an average width OF sixty feet aud
uniform depth ct water Of SIX feet. The boats,
/ which are owned by coal companies and indl
viduals, plumber $50. averaging capacity Of
/ l25 tons each; 800 of these boats are engaged
10 the coal trade alone.
THE LOCKS AND BOARDING HOUSES.
There are seveDty.6ve hit locks on the cauaI,
with an average of eight feet llft. They are
100 feet BY Is feet in the clear. There are also
| FIVE feeder locks, aud six locks n,U the Poto-
mac. They are massively constructed, and are
worked BY lock keeper and an assistant. At
the lift lock, generally there is a country store.
! The laborers on the canal receive 81 ~ per
day, and are boarded 10 comfortable houses
constructed Oh hulls, so that they can be moved
to any portio0 of the canal, and the Company
charges each man fifty cents per day for lis
board. The boats carry five horses or uuirs,
which are stabbed in the front part of the b2at.
! 1t takes two or three horses Or mules to pull
| loaded boat. There are four meu IN each boat,
| besides cook. Two men are on duty at Il
time, and change every SIX hours. The aver
age number OF trips per boat per month is
abou, two and a-haIt. Many of the families OF
the captains live on board. The boats are gen
orally decorated literally with flags, aud pre-
sent picturesque Appearance. The tow line.
used consists OF a rope, which lasts abou; one
round trip aod a-ha!t wheu it is thrown away,
and is sold by the boatuan Tor old rope or utl.
lied about the boat. The boatIuea seem to be
set of happy aud hearty men, and they
tighten their IaborS as they pass aioug by sing
ing the popular songs OF the day.
STEAM on THE CANAL.
Steam as a propeIing power on this canal
was first introduced III 1858, anu before the
building OF the metropolitan Branch Road a
steam packet boat for passengers ran from the
Point OF Rock. to Georgetown. This boat las
now been converted into horse boat. Three
or four steamboats, are now run up the canal
and they are being watched closely, IN order
to see what advantage they possess over the
old fashioned motive power aloug the tOT-path.
The present steamers reduce the cost three or
four cents per too, aud it has been demonstrate
ed that 10 the course of time they will >uupIant
the horse-boats A Committee OF the Board
have been 10 New I ork to Investigate the i'm
proved machinery used on caua! boats, aud the
Board are Of the opinion that steam as the
motive power will ulrmate y be generally adopt
ed on the canal If they ruu at the rate Ut three
miles an hour (the present boats averaging two
miles, there Is 20 washing or iGjlry to the
banks Of the canal
TIE COST OF THE WORK.
The original cost of the construction Of the
canal was Sll0U0.U0O. The work was en-
menced in 1926, aud flushed ~ Cumberland
in 1851. OF the cos; the State OF Mary aud
contributed IS 900 600. the Uultcd States and
District of Columbia contributed - SuO,nVo
aud private sub>crl pton $500 600 The carp
ipgs last year were S5OU,UUU, which yielded
net profit of $3.50 900. The present admins.
tration have paid off since lS72 :G6S, ZOO Of
the debt of the Company, besides Improving
the canal throughout its entire length. About
500 persons are employed In the work OF re-
pairing the canal, about !, 100 gain their llveIl-
hood from it. Nearly every corporation in the
country siuce the panic has reduc the nun
Der and wages of lis employees. but no red NC.
ton has been made on tie cauaI. 1t has be-
come necessary, however, TO make reduction
of the force which will go iUto effect toe first
of next mouth, bur there will be no reduction
Of wages.
THE COAL TRADE.
Notwithstanding he depression IN trade the
coal trade has steadily increased. LII 1873 the
number of boats loaded was between 1000 and
5000. The cost Of transportation per ton
from Cumberland ISIS 35 TO the boatmen and
81 cents for toll, making the entire cost, other
than wharfage, s. Sc per ton. Al Gun crIand
the wharfage i, cents per ton and at George
,orv, Ok cants nar toD which the present dlrec-