Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-10
THE CANAL AND THE BUILDERS.
Interests that are Affected by the Sus-
pension of Traffic.


VIEWS OF BUILDERS, ARCHITECTS. BRICKNEy AND
sCPPLY-NEN-TEE sToNE-QUARRIEs Up THE
cANAL-wHERE THE LIME AND CEMENT SUP
PLIEs COME FKoM-THE CUMBERLAND COAL.
The building interests of the city are affected
to some extent by the suspension of traffic on
the Chesapeake and Ohio canal. A portion of
the supplies of lime. stone. building stone and
cement. besides the Cumberland coal used in
the brickyards. have come by way of the canal.
There Is a diversity of opinion. however. as to
the extent 70 which such interests are affected.
STAR reporters have interviewed a number of
builders, architects. brick men. and dealers in
building supplies on the subject.
ARCHITECT FLEMINGs VIEWS.
Col. Robert /. Fleming architect and builder
said that he regarded the loss of the canal as a
matter Of serious consequence to the city. In
the building trades he said. the lack of water
transportation for lime. cement coal and stone
Will DC felt In the increase of prices which will
be charged for these articles. The cost of
building. he thought, would be increased con-
slderably. The supply of lime was mainly
from local sources, and that would now
be cut off and the supply obtained
from Baltimore. New York. and other places.
The same Is true OF cement. although not TO
the same extent. He said that there would
naturally be an advance in the cost of brick as
Cumberland coal would increase in value. Col.
Fleming. who Is in charge of the work of build
ing the tower of the Church of the Covenant.
said that work had stopped owing to the lack
of brick and stone. The former obtained
from the quarrIes owned 10y A. l.. Barber. They
are located about four miles up the river. and the
stone when quarried was brought to the city
by boat on The canal. Since the recent
freshet. Mr.. Barber has directed the quarries
to be abandoned and all the wOrkmen have
been discharged lie said. however. he had no
objection to others taking out stone and so Mr..
W {. Morrison. the builder. has sent men up
there TO quarry the stone and II will be brought
to the city III wagons. Fortunately. Col. Flem-
ing said, there not much more stone
needed to finish the church tower The bricks
would be supplied when the connection with
the brick yards on the Virginia side had i'm
proved
Street Improvements" continued the col
onel. will also be affected by the damage TO
the canal. for considerable quantities of cement
from ShephcrdstOwn Is used on them as well as
IN building operations. and the stock now here
cannot last long. This. of course will affect
the price OF cement from other points. 1t
looks now as If the disaster which has fallen on
West Washington III the damage to the canal
will be felt b. the District generally and if
the canal Is not put iii order at
once the trade is gone. / do not know
the extent of the damage. but i am
satisfied that with large force of workmen
well managed the banks should be restored in
longer time. There should be herculean efforts
put forth TO effect restoration of the canal
that trade may be resumed. Ii l. not only the
lime, cement and stone. the prices of which
will advance from fifteen TO twenty per cent
that are affected. but the milling interests also
and II Will nOt DO to permit them to be ADAM
dOned for want of water. The coal trade must
not be abandoned before every effort is made
TO have the canal repaired and business re-
sumed.
-
Mr.. ". P. Lipscomb. the builder. said he sup
posed that prices of certain building material
would be higher in consequence of the lack of
canal facilities. He had already been informed
that brick would advance a dollar on the
thousand. and he supposed that there would
be a slight advance in lime and cement
He did not expect that the advance would be
sufficient to interfere with building operations
to any great cgtent. 1t might check what is
known speculative building. but he did not
think that /. would prevent anyone from build
ing who wished to have a new house. He did
not know what the advance i'll lime and cement
would be.
Mr.. J. b Hammond proprietor of planning
mill, said that i'll his opinion the cutting off OF
the canal would have bad effect upon the
business interests of the city generally. As far
As his business concerned he would not be
affected except IN the event that Cumberland
coal advanced III price. as he supposed
it would. All his lumber supplies came
over lAt IdlIIOtO. lie ndU not heard
expressions of opinion from the builders but
whatever effected unfavOrably one class of bus
mess had an influence on all the others. and he
believed that the building trade would suffer
II not so much directly. at any rate indirectly
If other interests III the community were affect
ed unfayorabiy.
Mr.. ". Bruce GRAY. the architect was of the
opinion that the increase i'll the cost of build
ing material, III consequence OF the canal stop
page, would not amount to enough to have anv
effect buItllnp cI+,-
he said that lime and cement could
be obtained elsewhere than i'll MARYLAND
The demand here he said, has never been met
by the local production and even with the low
canal tolls the M&ryland cement and lime could
not compete with that III outside markets
The proportion of stone from the duarries
along the canal used in this city as compared
with the amount OF stone from other sections
OF the country was small. and the cutting off
OF that supply. lie thought, would not have the
slightest influence upon the cost OF building.
LINE AND CEMENT.
Mr.. James 1 Walker. OF Walker K Son. deal
ers III lime, cement. &c. when asked what he
thought of the situation said: The people of
Georgetown should adopt the phrase. slightly
dlstgured Tut still III the ring and put forth
all energy to restore the canal and business II
business IN the old burg is ruined
sufier. Much cement. lime and stone has
been brought down by the canal in the past
but II Is virtually cut off from the District Ii
Is time that the lime and cement from way ND
the river may be brought here by rail- but a
little experl, nee will soon show that the freights
by rall run tine prices higher than per sons are
willing 10 pay. The immediate effect ON the
market here Is an advance in prices and 81
cents per barrel has been added on
Portland cement. 1t is no use to saw
that the canal does not affect business. twill
be felt by every man. woman. and child in the
District II the Increased cost of coal and bread
sturs. a. also IN the cost of building material
II has killed Georgetown for all time unless the
work Is speedily repaired or a railroad is con-
structed IN place Of the canal. and some meas
ures should be taken TO that end AT once"
Mr.. James Robbins. who is associated with
Nessrs. James l.. Barbour. Smith Petit James
Dripps. and others III extensive building opera-
tons, said that tie destruction of the canal if
u Is a destruction. was 4 calamity for the entire
District. and would be felt i'll Washington
well IS NJ the immediate terminus
1hR frst nffDnt 10.