, 1874-01-04

'', T,,snce to Pittsburgh, IS miles, would cost
"a %. IS locks, and GIG feet descent Gen.
S.,d believed that the canal would augment
- r.1ae of lauds, products, etc., in six years
~. '.r ;ts opening, nearly to tho amount Of
sa:,ooo.ooo.
Th;s ,eport Of Gen. Bernard had such an ap-
~.1;r- effect upon subscriptions that tue pro-
.o.ars Of tie scheme resorted to The trick Of
throwing imputution upon their conscientious
s-,hor They iutimated that two responsible
encincers had offered to contract to build the
c,naI as fur up as Cumberland for S2, 500, 00o-
Tro well-kuown Northern canal-enginecrs,
lanes Geddes and Nathan S. Roberts, estimated
:, rou1d cost about "a 500, 600 to reach Cumber-
Ind with the canal AID thence to Pittsburgh
.bout Ss,000,0oo.
TUE ACTUAL COST
=, The canal from the old mouth Of the Tiber, at
.,a foot of Seventeenth street in Washington, to
80 c;tr of Cumberland, was s11, ,071.17G, or less
I.n sGg 600 per mile. The entire distance be-
.roon the points named is 185 7-10 mics.
T1,. rrie Canal, which is 1854 miles long, origi-
,,,v cost above 9l0, 100000, but it WAS soon
,,;,anaa At further cost. ltwns opened Oct. 20,
,sos The Chesapeake l. Ohio Canal Was OPEN
"A f,oro tde-water to the coal-felds, Oct. 10,
$50.
DESCRIPTION.
The Chesapeake l. Ohio Canal, as it appeared
:, ,s7t when finished, followed tue Maryland
s;ao of The river throughout its whole length,
ercept 1t Pawpaw Bend. twenty-scvcn miles be-
1or Cumberland, whero it passes through the
mountain by au arched brick tunnel 3, 118 feet
,onp which saves six miles Of detour-
There we're eeycnty-four lift locks on the
rsn.l. and two tide locks, ono at Rock Crock
basin. and the other on the Tiber.
Tie total r1se Of the canal between mean tide
and the BASIN at Cumberland was GOO ITO feet,
Ths canal was 6 feet deep throughout. Be-
treen Georgetown and Harrer's Fe1y,-si1ty
,,iles.-t WAS GO feet wide at the surface, and 42
feet vide at the bottom. For forty-Esyen miles
.bo7e Harper's Ferry, it is 50 feet wido at tho
surface, and 90 feet wide at the bottom. Above
Ibis point. to Cumberland, tue width is 81 feet.
.ad 80 feet at the bottom. The average lit OF
lie locss is above feet they arc 100 feet long
Ind IS feet wide in the clesr, aud can pass boats
..a11ying l2o tons.
The Alexandria Branch Canal, which is seven
miles long, leaves the main conduit above one
mile vest of Rock Greek, and crosses tue Poto-
usc by an aqueduct 900 feet long. Tho aque-
duct Is built On stone piers, resting On bedrock
from 20 to 30 feet below thu surface Of the river.
This aqueduct WAS authorized in 1882
B7 enlarging its subscription tue State Of
M,rrland has been in control Of this canal since
1887. ind, the railroad interest being paramount.
the inhabitants Of the District OF Columbia COM
plsia that they do not have tho full benefit OF
thc season Of navigation. In 1872, the canal
debt was about S3.50o,0oo; the net revenue
<9oO.000 the average movement cF freight per
annum. $3.50, 900 lons-
Since the year 1880 there has be'E
NO SUCCESSFUL REVIVAL
Of tbs scheme TO carry the Potomac Canal across
Tie mountains either to tho YoushiogLeny, or
the Cheat River although the agitation OF tile
Tess for increased transportation for their grain
n 1873 led to convention at the City OF Cum
bcrland.
It WAS proposed ut one time to raise su1nnlt
dam In lie Hooppcle NErrows IS feet high, to
back The Allegheny Glade water up, and then,
With tunn.l in the mountain, complete the
passage. It Was always doubted, however,
whether there was enough water in the Glades,
xhen subject to evaporation, with surface OF
from 5000 to 10, 600 acres, to answer the Tur-
pose; this lake would, besides, destroy some of
the best meadow land in the world To raise q
boat, by series Of locks, 2, 400 feet, aud again
lower it 1.700 feet, has always seemed an e1-
uavagaut project
Tie most complete examination OF
TOPOGRAPHY
ever made in the mountain parts OF Maryland
was in association with tho old Potomac Com
pany about 1922. The best informed man in all
this region was William Hoye- James shrirer,
who afterwards wrote book on the country,
made many individual surveys and GAMMA
tionB.
Tie surveyors commenced their e1amina-
tons on Deep Creek, the summit-tribu-
tnry Of the YouShioyheny and Ohio,
about one mile above the Narrows,
where. by breach forty or fifty yards wide, the
stream passes tho Hooppole Mountain. It was
noticed 1T the time of the survey that the
northern wild fowl frequently took advantage
.of the transitory mountain-lake, produced by
the widening Of Deep Creek above the noun
lain gorge.
At md above the Narrows, Deep Creek was
found to be from to feet deep, and from
15to 20 feet broad, and below the falls, nt the
Narows, it passed q volume OF water Is by
sNN
stream VAS from % to 25 feet wide. At the falls
the creek, which had hitherto pursued a tame
md ainuous course OF fifteen miles. WAS precipl-
. tated ever continued ser1es Of irregular fails
2oo fee. in half mile to its junction with the
'Yonghogheny. Below the mouth Of Deep Creek
the Iough. descends 142 feet in two and quar-
ter miles, and is afterwards smooth and free from
n-ksfor dyo miles, falling only A feet: Thence
iotE.rd With craggy and precjp,tous sides Of 100
feet the river falls more than 500 feet in little
kbors miles; from the mouth OF Bear Creek
to toCasselman's, or Turkey-Foot River, 16 miles
md half. The Youghiogheny is generally from
Dto 80 yards wide, navigable for shallow boats
and the fall ia only 81 feet. Below the Turkey
to~; River the Toughiogheny. is confined
toa napow chanuel for S miles an d
thenceforward for miles more ia smooth
tnd uncbstructed to the Ohiopile Falls, when the
Tatets descend 16 feet in distance OF chains,
Ind ire then precipitated 1G more, by perpen-
Ar pitch oyer bed of solid rock. After pass
lng the 0hiopiie Falls the Youghlogheny. BY an
Distracted and narrow passage, tumbles for 10
nuea and q half to the mouth of Indian Creek.
tno thela widens from 80 yards to about 100
!atos. From that point to Connelsyille, over
nies, It falls S3 feet.
ne aee particular to ressato these figures, in