Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1886-04-02
HEsApEAKE AND OHIO CANAL.

ETluay morning '''''"ApIll q, iooo'
CHESA PEAKE AND OHIO CANAL.
The first action of the new Board under
the change of parties, to which we have re-
ferred, was TO assemble and turn Frank
Thomas and the Democratic Board of Di-
rectors out of office and put Wings in their
place.
One of the Board, Allen Bowie Davis,
Esq, of this county, then young man and
an unhedged politician, took the conspicu-
Gus ground that he agreed with his col
leagues that the Wings being in power had
a right to control, and were entitled to
majority in the Board, but as works of in
ternal improvement by the State were con-
structed at the expense of Democrats as
well as Wings, he did not think it right al
together to ignore the former, and that they
ought to have at least minority in the man
agement of the work.
After considerable discussion the justice
and fairness OF this position was admitted,
and new Board, with two-thirds Wings
and one-third Democrats, was elected, and
so remained for the ten years following and
until the canal was completed to Cumber-
land. Politics was ignored, and the only
change in the subordinates of the company
was the restoration of Mr.. Fisk, the chief
engineer, and this not upon political grounds,
but because of distinguished ability and
large experience in the work.
- After several abortive attsmpts-agdm y
I've wckk upon the canal Ithe act of 1874,
chapter 281, entitled an act tor the compile
ton Of the canal TO Cumberland and for
other purposes was passed, by which the
State waived, postponed and deferred all of
its prior liens and mortgages, and author
lied the company to execute deed of trust
TO give the "lullest effect" to said act upon
all of its tolls, water-rights and works TO
the extent of 100000 in favor of parties
who would advance that sum for the com
pletion Of the canal from Dam No. to the
town Of Cumberland, in Allegany county.
Under this act, the product of the genius
and pressing efforts Of Gen. James M. Cole
of Frederick county, who was elected Pres
ident of the company in 1S43, the canal was
declared finally completed and opened to
navigation in November, 1919.
Upon the completion Of this great water
way, which had consumed millions of dol
lars in its construction and called into re-
QUESTION some of the best executive talent
that could be found at that time in the state,
it was predicted that the work would bring
forth rich fruits for the whole people OF Ma
ryland. 1t was said that the State would
not get, and probably would never receive,
repayment of all the money she had ex-
pended 10 develop the resources of Allega
ny. That the State must eventually look
for recompense and remuneration in the i'm
mense increase that would at some future
day be manifested in all that section of the
State to which the canal is of such vital i'm
portance, TO that numerous, hardy, enter.
prising people who would make Allegany
their permanent homes, and in so doing as
sist in giving to Maryland her proper posi-
ton in our growing confederasy, Opinions
varied rs to the time when the canal would
bear on its bosom quantity of coal suffi'
cient to yield dividends to its stockholders !;
but there was no diversity of opinion as to
the immense value Of the coal regions of
the Alleghanies From the Pennsylvania
liiiiaets- thc,fairiax stone, standing at the
head of the North Branch of the Potomac,
distance of over thirty miles, are coal
veins two miles broad. These veins are
from eighteen inches to eleven feet in thick
ness. In the summit coal field and in the
coal field extending along the valley of the
Youghiougheny river, explored by Prof
Ducatell, there is quantity of coal equal
to that deposited in the field first mentioned
10 all this immeasurable wealth was TO be
added the vast deposits of iron ore slumber-
ing in the Allegheny Mountains, together
with the immense virgin forest of timber
all of which would, through the opening
up of this work, add to the wealth and
power of the State
We should have stated earlier in this ar.
ticle that the United States detailed Gen.
Bernard, French engineer from Bona
parties army, who had acquired great &C.
lebrity in Europe, to examine the line of the
Potomac TO ascertain what a canal would
cost, one OF considerable lower dimensions
than now adopted. Gen. Bernard, in his
report, estimated that five-foot canal to
Cumberland would cost nine millions of
dollars. On the reception of this report a
committee of gentlemen from the Internal
improvement Convention, which met at
Washington, was appointed to examine the
line, and they reported it could be done at
cost of from three to four millions, with
six instead of tive-foot canal--the cost was
a little over eleven millions-not great
way from Gen Demands estimation We
have seen it stated that the canal, at the
time OF its completion to Cumberland, cost
over sixteen millions.
In 1850 the cry Of retrenchment and re-
form was again raised in Maryland, which
resulted in the calling of a convention of
the State TO reform and remodel the Con.
stitutlon of the State, and which assembled
in Annapolis in December of that year.
Among the members returned from the
the different counties was ex.Gov Frank
Thomas, at the head of the reform ticket
from Frederick city, among. the most con-
spicuous and influential me-, sSers, If not the
most Influential man of that remarkable
body, distinguished as ii was as body OF
the ablest and most influential men ever as.
sembled in the State.
Mr.. Thomas introduced scheme for the
creation of a permanent Board Of Public
Works who were to supervise and vote the
stock in all public works in which the State
had an interest. One Of whom was to be
elected upon the ticket at the time of hold.
ing general elections for governor, members
of the legislature, &C., from each of four dis
tricts into which the State was divided, the
result Of which, as claimed by its author,
would be to elect two Wings and two