Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-01-26
chesapeake and Ohio Canal.

The engineers who surveyed the proposed
rnutes Tor the extension of The 4 & y. Canal
from Cumu, r!aud, Nd, to the waters west of
the Aleghauies have completed their labors
ADD are now engaged in preparing report
which will be transmitted during the present
session of Congress to that body through the
Chief of the Engineers of the Army, IN accord
aucc with resolution of Congress directing
the survey to be made. Colonel Merrill If
the Engineer Corps, detailed wcll-knowu civil
engineers in his employ to direct the matter.
The first surveys Of this iuc were made 10 1924
and 1926, under resolution of Congress, and
the commission Of engineers who made the sur
veys filed maps plans and estimates for two
routes, one from Cumberland, by way of Mills
Greek, and through tunnel on the summit lev
e four miles long, at an elevation of 900 feet
above tide water, aud the other known as the
Deep Creek route, along the present line of
the B. 4 D. Railroad, crossing the summit
1926 feet above tide water, through two tuI-
neIs aggregating length Of three and half
miles. Each of these routes was reported to be
practicable, and possessing a sufficient water
supply at these elevations to furnish the amount
needed for lockage, waste, leakage and evapo-
ration The water supply as is determined by
the recent, as we'll as former survey, must
be had from the Youghioghney river, which
h,ws northward along he west side of the
Alleghanies to the Monogahela. The survey
OF last season presents route different IN
many points FROM previous surveys Leading along
the Potomac to Savage river, up which it leads
to point selected for the summit level, which
requires tunnel six miles in leugth, to connect
Oh the wcsl side with the Castleman river feed
er Of the Youghipghney. This tunnel wonli
| be hut l25 feet higher elevation than the Mill
l. lam, tb, ~
| Greek 1t is eighteen miles longer than the Mill
| Creek linc and is estimt tied roughly to cost
| 1000, 900 more only than the amount estimated
for the latter fifty years agp The advantages
claimed for the new Iineare first, the fact that it
leads from Cumberland Md, directly through
| the Cumberland coal basin, thirty miles west
| from the present point o.! coal shipments by
| water, and would thus nj Ike d reduction OF some
eighty cents per ton III cost ef handling, and
second it would open up for operation and use
| the great coal basin on the west slope OF the
| Allegheny mountain, crossing what is known ~
the Salisbury coal fields which are not now ext en-
sivey worked, because of facilities for traHpDrta
tiou TO market The Mills Creek route for fteen
| miles from Cumberland, has all the ground
available occupied by the Baltimore and Ohio,
the ConnclIsvic and Pittsburg. and the Cum
berand and Pennsylvania Railroad track, anl
the Great National Turnpike. This occupancy
would ncccssitate building the canal directy
through the bed Of the creek and that fac, =,
been louad to be almost impracticable in a
mountainous country The estimated Cost u
the Savage and Ca>tIeman river line, inciu ...!r
| the tunuels is twenty millions, and would ex-
| tend the canal from its present terminus at
Cumberland, to Connrllsvill4 Oh the HOughiu-
ghney, distance of 20 miles, tro.n which poiot
there's slack water and river navigation 10 Puts
| burg. The water supply is sufficient to fiji the
proposed reservoirs Is times each season, AMI
each time the reservoirs are filled the supply
would be amply sufficient IL furnish water, al
| loving for every waste, for one hundred and
seventy boats per day for one hundred and ten
working days, nr IA capacity Of six millions OF
| tonnage each season oil ten mouths navigation.
- Baltimore lincicnn