Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-07-18
The Caual1er'S BIOcka,lp.


Since the strike on the Chesapeake aui OHIO
canal begun, about three weeks age Tie rive!
| front at Georgetown has lost Ill It's lie. Tie
coal wharvca are deserted. Tier" is 10 bust
ness, and great many workiag nI1n haze been
thrown out Of employment. Wheu the strike
| began Quite number Of vessels 2crr lying ia
the harbor, waiting for cirg0c9, but Is there
was 20 prospect Of getting any coal most ct
them have since sailed aHay uGlalsn. -Four Or
| five vessels undergoing repairs still Irl4a'r.
Any serious interruption III the BUSHES: OF the
canal is vital to Georgetown, aud, Of Course al!
| fects the whole District Beside, the money
directly thrown ibto Georgetown b9 the Goa!
trade, many persons we're engaged ia business
10 Furnishing supplies for the cau4Im:ti. There
| are over 500 boats on the canal, which when
| business is good, arc constantly pliog back aud
forth. Georgetown being an important port,
much OF the money paid out b. the caua COM
pany has been spent there.
At Cumberland it is declared that The strike
| is virtually at 40 end but The coal agents and
canal men at this end do not see upon what
| grounds such an assertion Is based, especially
az the effects OF termination ot the strike
have not yet bten felt. The blockade still ex-
isis. The boatmen stick Tor their dollar per
| ton freight. and the agents and contractors are
equally determined not to give the dollar. Boat
men say that they can make nothing by boating
for less than dollar per ton Coal men say
that they might as we'll give up business as to
pay such rates, as they cannot get enough Tor
the coal after it is shipped to pay them any
profits. There is talk amoag the coal men Of
forming transportation company, and doing
away entirely with the independent boating
system, out oil which the strike has grown II
| the transportation on the canal was managed
| by one company tue freight rates would be uol-
form, and transportation could be cheaper ed,
AZ there would not be so many Individuals eager
| for profits
| The boatnen formerly received rates Us high
as $l.l5 per ton, bu! the slringency OF the
| times affected them as it has affected all lahar-
ing mel.
-Four boats bound to WiIIiamsporl q;
for the Western Maryland Railroad Ia Goa
cd to pass through The blockade ~, we're atIoT
run after much tagging, VIII 81 or 0onu
in the payment Of fifty O. "a unany ttsul''o
ular forty cents per r -n'S 'ns''aa Vi Tue reg
| The steamer ,l ill., p,,,,, ,,,.,; :.
Mr. Henry = Wasper Of Geo1pc ,nUOSi iosdsS
up at Cur ..Oerland last Wednesday,, and i is ex
or at Georgetown to, day, its owner having
J -Apcl with the requirements OF the striker:
and paid the dollar freight. Mr.. Wagner i:
under contrac! for the delivery Of coal, and i:
obliged to pay the rates demanded or suffer tlIl
Consequences Of breaking the contract.
Many OF the persons who have Invested money
ID the cana! believe that the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad is at the bottom Of the strike.
The traffic on the canal has been large, and by
shutting it off the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
gets all OF the transportation. the Baltimore
and ONO Road is charged not only with inspir-
ing the strike, but with supporting aud main.
tanning it. 1t is certain that SOME persons arc
contributing to tho support OF the boaimcn,
else they could not have held out so long, and
would not DO SO defiant \ canal boat left Cum.
6erlaDd last Saturday loaded with provisions
Tor the strikers.
In three weeks over one hundred aud twenty.
| hVe thousand tons Of coal, which would other.
wise have been shipped over III, caaal hsys
| been transported by rail.
] The demand Ou the carrying capacity al the
| Baltimore and Ohio Road has 50 Increased
| since the strike on the canal that the ccn;aauv
| has issued orders to have large DumGt. Of il.
boppers, tormer = used in carrying g:a;D, cot
| ter ready tor the transportation Of coal.
The blockade is at Sir Johns ron, VIII n !.
situated about l24 miles tr3m George ,owr.
There are about two hundred boats enca ,ei IT,
It, and they stretch along the cana, b .twsrc
Sir Johns luo and Hancock There ar 10 a!
about i've hundred boats cm,i0ytl % the "a
nal, and The blockading boats comprise og.r :
third OF the whole squadron The str ;ko.s ar;
very comfortably fixed. They lD..n if asa.i .,ss
turc lands Tor the mules, and az, iisi NJ :, sor
OF picnic life, having proysio' = and 81 hcr sec,
sarIea sent 10 them from s. m, sonry.
When they Wish to X - thai. homn. a..
railroad is at their Iii: oosaI and il costs ,be,;
1othlos. They are 50 comfortable that the,
Mill No, ,nat ~ .hrS are in 10 hurry to leave Hnt
Ill., ,i uo' ~ 90 Eating again until they get thI
uoNal Hs's' +. No boat could possibly &c
~. .lloush " blockade without the consent U
enG S - SIS The strikers ,lsa % lorce, bu
IFts = .ock up the way. They ma kc 10 tbrcatS
49,, u0atmen goes up 10 get load OF coal they
what freight rates be is going to receive
and tell him to "ook out" 'l"he blockade ap
pears to be intended only to binder The boats
engaged in carrying coal. A boat l2aded With
lumber, consigned to Georgeto~D, passed
| through all right last Saturday. No cLlcstioos
vera asked, and the strikers lent hand 10 help
the boa. through tho blockade. Only one IN
stance is reported where the canallers have re.
sorted to violence. The boat Brady attempted
to pass through the blockade and number 81
men got on the high bank on the side Of the
canal and rolled down big stones until they in.
duced the boat to stop.
Meanwhile in Georgetown 1hore is inactivity.
| Four or five boats whch happened to be on his
| side Of tho blockade have conc into port with
coal Along the wharves and the canal 90 one Is
at work The canaerS lie in the shade ali dag
aud play mumblc!y peg. hoping for better
times. 1t is the same 10 Cumberland.
A reporter, ina vain search for news. stepped
into the Office of the Borden Mining Company
at the aqueduct There were hall a-do2an men
lolling and yawniug 10 the ottiao and pa1.ng
away tho time 10 different ways.
Il came to see If | could learn ans news
from the canal, y said the repot Ter. Introducing
himself
mo ue~$,' IaconclIIy rspli, d an elderly
gentleman.
ut looks dull around the whars rs, 7ulrcat-
al M