Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1880-05-22
The CanalInyestigation.


The members of the Maryland Leglsla-
tive Committee 10 investigate the manage
ment of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
reached Point of Rocks the latter part OF
last week, having proceeded from George
town in the Company's Steamer Mary
land as far as Shepherdstown and return
inc to that point TO take the cars for Balt:-
more. They expressed themselves very
well satisfied with the good management
of the canal. The committee spent two
days and nights on the canal, and will at
some day in the near future devote sever
al days to the upper division and the coal
fields of the State, from which the canal
derives the great bulk of its traffic.
From Georgetown, d. c., to Shepherds
town, the distance is y miles, and from
ShepherdstOwn to Cumberland l12 miles.
Since the introduction of the telephone
the managers have been enabled to dis
pense with four superintendent, retain
inc two instead of six, As heretofore. The
Observation-Disclosures are Messrs. Moore
for the Georgetown division, 81 miles,
and Stanhope for the division, 100 miles.
Besides saving in the employment OF men,
the telephone enables the two Superin-
tendentS to work their labor ten per cent,
cheaper, both in time and money. Re
pairs on waterway are things Of hourly
necessity. Heretofore delays in convey
ing intelligence of break and in bring
ing up a force 10 make repairs often SUBJ
jectcd the company to great cost. Now
intelligence can be conveyed instantly
from 80 telephone stations. There are
switches at dam No. 4 and Williamsport,
where messages are repeated in order to
insure perfect distinctneSs, but 1t is quite
possible to talk between Georgetown and
Cumberland over the whole lSi miles,
though the sound is not quite clear. The
telephones are the very best instruments
in use, the most inexperienced persons
being able to speak and hear through
them without difficulty. The rental for
telephones is $50 the first year for each.
In Georgetown the committee were
greatly interested in the water power,
which supplies nine large Touring and
other mills, and paying to the company
annually $ll 900. The company has re-
gained control of rights to very great
extent which had under former manage
ments been diverted or sacrificed.
Probably the committee was more in
terested in the celebrated "Outlet lock,
| l2 miles above Georgetown, rented from
the Georgetown Lock and Dock Company
for $l5, 600 a year, than any other part OF
the work. 1t will be remembered that
this lock has been the subject of charges
against the present management OF the
canal it has formed the topic of PAM
phlcts and numerous newspaper articles.
it great piece of engineering work,
for it transfers Il canal boat, carrying 4
full load of ! l6 to III tons of coal, bodily
from the canal level TO the river level,
thirty or more feet below. The outlet
lock is a large iron caisson or tank into
which the loaded canal boat is floated rs
into dry deck for repairs. 1t is then let
down an inclined plane by strong ma
chiuery until it reaches the level Of the
river, when it is tlOated out to vessels IN
the stream, where they may be unloadcd
free of charges for wharf privileges, dc.
Seventeen miles from Georgetown the
committee stopped the first night, at the
Great Falls of the Potomac, from which
point conduit of the same capacity, ana
three times rs long rs the GunpOwder tun-
mel to supply Baltimore, carries the Po-
tomac water with fall of $50 fcet,.to tide
1T Washington. Gen. Meigs, whose name
Is written in crumbling sandstone at the
gate-house, was twelve years in building
the Washington water-works, but he was
packed ny lne SeHet"I SoHTiHih0'it "iVi
longpurse.
After tying to the bernie bank at Har-
per's Ferry for the second night, the trip
was resumed early Wednesday morning
as far as Shepherdstown, where the Shen-
andoah Valley abroad will cross on
four lofty piers both the Potomac river
and the canal, on the way to llagerstown.
A short time was spent in examining this
work. and the canal steamer turned a
bout, reaching Point of Rocks in time for
the afternoon train to Washington and
Baltimore. -IIagerstown Globe.