Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-08
GREAT WATER ROUTES.
Useful Even In These Days of Railroads.
A Big Enterprise in EnRland-How
Government or Private Capital Could
Connect Pittsburg With Seaboard


when they failed to embody clause providing
for the perpetual management and control of
the canals by the State, as is the wise provision
in the Constitution of the State of New York,
which is now legislating for the enlargement of
its canals, while Maryland is endeavoring to
enact law which will crush out of existence
Its water route. which, by improvement and ex-
tension, could be made the most immensely im-
portant artificial waterway on this continent.
There are numerous localities throughout the
world that are seeking the advantages of navi-
gable water at enormous cost. For one in
stance, Manchester. Eng, located 40 miles in
land. as remedy for its commercial salvation
against Liverpool, is constructing deep water
way to the coast. This project is being prose-
cuted at the expense of a private stock COM
pany, at a cost of S50,000,0 000 The construction
of this canal suggests pertinent question in
comparison with that of the proposed Cumber-
land-Morgantown canal; that is. If the pro-
jectors of the Manchester canal, after careful
calculation and investigation, determined that
they we're justified in a monetary sense in in
vesting their millions in a waterway that is to
connect only one city with the ocean, how
much more would our State and national Gov
ernments or private corporation be justified
in completing waterway that would Join .he
numerous cities and landings on our Western
rivers with those on our Atlantic seaboard, in
cluding also all the foreign ports of the world?
THE construction of the proposed tunnel
water-route should not be considered great
engineering feat. Such work is going on every
day. 1t would be unparalleled only in regard
to its length and perhaps also as to its height,
which would be 40 feet to the top of the arch,
and the cost would be trifling when the benefits
are considered, The expense of constructing
large tunnels is considerably less in proportion
to the excavation than small ones, as there is
more bench, which can be quarried at about
the same expense as surface rock and could be
sold for building and other purposes. The
prosecution of work on this tunnel would fur
nish employment for boats on the present canal
east of Cumberland, in transporting stone to
Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and other
points, and likewise on the Monongahela river
Its completion could be hastened by first driv-
ing an ordinary sized railroad tunnel, which
could also be hastened by sinking shafts at in
tervals to the tunnel level, and working two
gangs toward each other on each section After
this small tunnel was cut through there the
bench could be lowered gradually. The shafts
could be preserved and maintained as ventila-
tors for the tunnel.
As THE Monongahela river flows at right
angles to the proposed water route, tine
west terminus of the latter could be at such
point on the river as would insure continuous
level pool to Cumberland. The water supply
would be furnished at both ends by backwater
from DAMS therefore there would be no cur
rent Aside from the model barges. without
power, there could be long, easy model, screw
propeller freight barges. built expressly for
navigating between Pittsburg, Washington and
Baltimore, via the Chesapeake Bay, Chesa-
peake and Delaware Canal and Delaware river
to Philadelphia-all inland navigation. 1t
could be SO devised that it would not be neces-
sary to use the steering gear of these fast
freight barges after they enter the tunnel by
placing wheels on projecting braces, one on
each side, fore and aft of the barge. These
wheels would be about six feet in diameter
and would roll again the smooth sides of the
tunnel and keep the boat in position in the
center Of the canal. which possibly would not
be possible by using the rudders in conse-
quence of the high rate of speed. The tunnel
should be straight between the termini.
GOVERNOR JACKSON claims that the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company lost S150,000
last year in keeping open the canals under its
control. This is no argument against canals, as
we admit that only small proportion of the
original $50 miles of the Pennsylvania Canal
system were worth preserving. We know that |
not one mile of canal Excluding improved |
rivers) in Western Pennsylvania was worth |
keeping, as in consequence of their routes rail-
roads are superior. But our ancient built canals
should not be compared with our modern built |
railroads. The canals to meet the require |
ments Of the times, should also be improved by |
enlargement. His Excellency cites an instance |
of his having been in the lumber business near |
Norfolk and transporting his product by means |
OF his own tugs and barges to Baltimore there |
by saving % cents per ton and lastly that the |
railroads came and offered to carry it at the |
same rate In this case the available water |
route was the cause of the decrease in rail |
against the railroads returning to the old rates.
The Governor refers to the Chesapeake and |
Ohio Canal causing Maryland to lose S250,000 |
year. We claim it pays the State to lose that |
amount by preserving it, even in its miniature |
condition. as a scarecrow against railroad ex-
tortion. The first railroad built West from
Pittsburg, the Ohio and Pennsylvania, ended |
in the backwoods of Ohio. 1t lay dormant for
years. Some wideawake men conceived the |
idea that it was favorably located for becoming
a good paying investment, they bought the
stock low, then extended and connected it with
other roads to the West, and we now have |
great trunk line, the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne and
Chicago Railroad, and the men who engaged in
the enterprise are millionaires.
NOW the above is the exact condition, posi-
tion and situation of the Chesapeake and
Ohio Canal. 1t is admirably situated for be-
coming section of grand trunk water way
by enlarging and extending it west to the Mis-
sissIppi river system, when the charges on the
river to New Orleans, distance of 1000 miles,
is So cents per ton or about 10 of mill per ton
per mile. 1t is absurd to attempt to compare
railroads with the cheap rates afforded by our
natural and modern artificial water ways
Anyone who attempts it will be knocked out
every time by the presentation of facts to the
contrary. The Manchester, England, Canal
Company is now spending $4,000, 600 against the
position taken by Governor Jackson. The
contractor, Mr.. Walker, is doing the whole
work. and has an army of 1000 workmen en-
ployed and dredging and other machinery that
save the labor of ten times as many men. The |
contractor has not sublet any part OF his con-
tract. but conducts it all himself. He will
complete his contract in 1891 and will then |
have been engaged about four and half years
at the job. The contractor has built, at inter
walls of five miles along the route of the canal,
cottages, chapels and gymnasiums for the use
of the workmen, and schools for their children
This canal is intended to float the largest
steamships direct from the ocean to Man.
chester.
NEW YORK State as measure to save its
commerce from the free canals of Canada,
made its canals free also, and is now maintain
ing them at great expense as a protection
against exorbitant freight charges by the rail-
roads. The New Yorkers are now legislating
for the enlargement of the Erie Canal. They
think, as great portion of the products of the
State, west of New York, passes through this
canal, that the general government should be
at the expense of enlargement As it was the
original object of the projectors of the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Canal to continue it through to |
4 connection with our Western water ways
and as Pennsylvania and our United States
Government subscribed over Sl,OU0,0O0 to the
project with that object in view, leads us to
think that it IS a point of Interstate law
whether the Maryland Legislature possesses
The legal power to iniure make such disposi-
lion of the Chesapeake Bay and Ohio River
T,anal as wOuld obliterata the desired ayDncta- |