Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-06-04
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.

The wreck of the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal is by all odds the most serious result
of the flood in the Potomac. 1t means the
total loss of a work which originally cost
over 81 900 900, and upon which has been
expended since its beginning nearly 40,0O0.
600. More than this, 1t means the death OF
Georgetown az coal port and an incalcula-
BILE loss in business TO the merchants of that
place. 1t will also seriously affect this city,
as most of the bitumnous coal used in Alex.
andria is that which is brought down the
canal as far as Georgetown and then via the
river to this city, The shipping interests of
this city and Georgetown will also be ma
,erielly affected. Heretofore vessels bring
ing cargoes to this city and Georgetown gen.
orally received another cargo of coal.
Without the canal the coal trade will cease,
ard the increase in freights which must
follow If the vessels are compelled to sail
empty will necessarily have an effect
upon business The closing of the canal
also means On almost totsl stoppage Of mil
ling operations at Georgetown, as all the
mills at that place are run by water power
supplied from the cansl. If the canal is not
rebuilt, and there is little probability that IL
will be, an attempt will be made by the busl-
ness men of Georgetown to repair the George
town level simply to obtain water to run the
mills There is no doubt of the utter ruin
of the great waterway Throughout nearly
its entire length there are breaks in the
sides extending for distances of quarter
to q half mile. The full extent of the
damage cannot be estimated. The cost OF
the entire canal amounted to 81 OIL ,176.2l.
or $59,01S,6l per mile. The canal
is 1S5 miles in length and through
out its entire distance follows the val
ley of the Potomac, except at Paw.paw
Bend, about twenty seven miles below Cum
berlhnd, where it passes through the mount
ain by tunnel BIS feet long, and lined
and arched with brick laid in cement. 1t
is six feet in depth throughout. and from
forty to sixty feet in width: There are
seventy one locks, each Of which lift little
over eight feet, and are capable of passing
boats carrying 120 TONS The supply of
water for the canal is drawn from the Poto.
mac by means of dams constructed at seven
different point.
The annual meeting OF the stockholders
OF the Canal was held at Annapolis yester-
| day. Owing to the absence of the books OF
the canal, which were sent by Adams Ex-
press from Georgetown on Friday and the
| failure OF many OF the stockholders and d.
rectors to arrive, the meeting was a very
short one, Another meeting will he held
on Thursday, June 13 President Gambrill
submitted his report. The report says that
| the receipts of the canal for the past and
present year have not been sufficient to pay
its current expenses and the interest on the
repair bonds of 1878; that S75 900 in
terest will be due or these bonds on
July i, and that the company has no money
with which 10 pay this interest; that the holders
of majority OF these bonds can forcclose their
mortgage if they 500 fit to do So and that the canal
cannot compete in ratio with the Baltimore and
Ohio and the nnsylvania Railroads The re-
| port concludes rs follows: I'VE are satisfied how
ever. from the mesgro information VIC have re-
ceivcd, and what havo fcen able to see, that it
Will take from 500, coo to 81, 100000 and many
months of labor to put the canal in navigabe con.
dition. We may, therefore, consider tho canal
virtually gone waterway" This dismal close
of the report shows that the canal management
have finally given up ali hope of a future for the
canal.