Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-11
THE WRECKED CANAL.
President GambriII's Estimate of the
Damage.

II WOULD TAKE $500, 200 TO MAKE THE WORK
SAvIaABLE-THE GREATEST DESTRUCTION BE-
TWEEN GEORGETOWN AND GREAT FALLS
S30,0OO WILL GIVE GEoR6Erows MILLS WATER.
The examination into the true condition Of
the Chesapeake and Ohio canal and the max
ing OF estimates for the repair thereof has
practically been concluded. President Gam
brill has received a number Of reports from
superintendents, and he now says that at least
$500, 900 will be required to rebuild the water
way, although it could probably be rendered
fit for navigation for s275,0OO. The damage
between Georgetown and the Great Falls is
figured up at $50, 900, and of this ESQ., 900 will
be needed to give the Georgetown millers
necessary wster-power. From Great Falls to
Cumberland the total loss is $4,000.
THE LOSSES AT GEORGETOWN.
Superintendent j. I. Biser reports 10 Presi-
dent Gambrill as follows: ''The Rock creek
dam in Georgetown is destroyed, and the steam
dredge, which cost several thousand dollars,
was carried off, and all the scows on the
Georgetown level are gone. Half a mile above
outlet lock, Georgetown, 125 feet long. II feet
below canal bottom; opposite Little Falls
church, 200 feet long, II feet below the canal
bottom; below Chain bridge, 600 feet long, 4
feet below bottom; from this break westward
1000 feet of tOwpath deeply washed; break at
the Chain bridge, 100 feet long, IL feet deep;
from the Chain bridge to lock No. 5 the tow
path is washed to the depth of az feet. the dis
lance being nearly one mile. At lock No. 5 the
coping has been carried away, and the backing
on each side of the lock walls ripped out
wholly. The fume is washed out as wide and
deep as the canal and the gates damaged The
guard bank and feeder are badly damaged and
feeder gates damaged. To repair these dam
ages, 1t Is estimated, will cost at least $50 000
RUINED LOCKS.
1.-THE towpath Of what is called the half-mile
level and the locks of this and the two-mile
level above are all in . badly-damaged state.
Four locks in succession are nearly DESTROYED
and lock houses and gates carried away, with
bad breaks in the towing-path. Cabin John
culvert is damaged. The cluster of what
Is known as the seven locks got of very
easily. At the log-wall level, miles from
Georgetown, there is a break near the club
house $50 feet long, 80 feet deep. and the re-
tanning wall on the river side, 60 feet high, is
carried away. About 800 yards above this, at
the mouth Of Wide Water, is a break 500 feet
long, so feet wide, 80 feet deep, and the retain
ing wall, 60 feet high, is gone. 1t would re-
quire 100000 carloads of material for filling
in this single locality. In the same neighbor-
hood. just above, is a break 325 feet long, 6 feet
below bottom and 40 feet wide; also another
Dredh lou rect long, 0U leet Ueep; another 81
feet long. 20 feet deep, and another 80 feet
long, 10 feet deep.
THE LoG-wALL BRIDGE
is gone, and the wall for supporting the tow
path, 20 feet high, is washed away for the dis
lance of 1000 yards. This part Of the canal is
60 feet above the river, and therefore the ne
cesslty of having wide entertainments and heavy
retaining walls. the canal there being very
wide and over go feet deep. At Lock No. Is. in
Montgomery county, the stone lockhouse was
carried away entirely, the coping, backing, and
gates OF the lock are gone, the iume work en-
tirely washed out. Lock No. 16 is the same
and the LIGHTHOUSE is also gone. The stop-lock
just above has been cleared ont and the en-
bankment damaged. At lock No. II the lock-
house is gone and the lock and hume damaged.
Lock No. IS is in the same condition and the
LIGHTHOUSE damaged. Lock No. 10 is also con-
siderably damaged.
FROM LITTLE FALLS TO GREAT FALLS
From the Georgetown level to the Great
Falls OF the Potomac, about miles, it will
require $4,000 to restore the canal to the
condition in which it was before the freshet.
The damage to the falls above Carrots store
includesa break 80 feet long and feet below
the bottom. About 300 yards above is another
break $50 feet long. just west of this is
another break 300 feet long and feet deep.
Two miles of the towpath are washed 2I% feet
deep. Dam No. /, at Little Falls, a rubble
dam. will require considerable repairs At
Watts Branch there Is break so feet long
There is also a small break at Muddy Branch
culvert, and the towpath is damaged.
AT Seneca, lock No. 20, is badly washed, and
alsoLock No. "a. in the Seneca reighborhood.
At this point there is break 40 feet long, 4
feet below the bottom"