Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-05
OUR MAIL POUCH.
The Proposed Truns-AlleRheny CannI-A
Route vim the Youghiogheny River
What it Would Cost 10 Get Through the
Mountains-S5O.O 600. 600 nm Es,imate.

| The Proposed Trims. ALLEGHENY CauaI-A
| Roure vi, III, v,ut;., p;
~, w.,,,, r., m,,
| """'' ~ost 10 "eI lhro"eh INC
| mouutains-S5O,0 100000 an Estimate.
| To the Editor of The Disnotch:
|
| | AN Slau to see the interest taken by The
DISPATCH in reyiyinp an interest in the
subject of q trans Allegheny Canal Whom we
| consider the mapnituda Of The conn,,,oroa &C ~
| o,is.s 70 do,, -. 20, 90 ~
oAs !' pe1"eeh the Mlsslsslpp Nalley
anu Ine lake regions and the Seaboard and the
| phenomenal rapidity of its growth and then
think of the restrictions which tho +rorr,,t,, =,
| of the country nresents +o drnIio,ti -,
| aI W uoPca'ne ei1ner
| promises TO possess great importance in the
future. flttsourg, at the head of the Ohio
rlVer, Is the Key to the Mississippi Valley, and
peaore long 1t Will be demonstrated that ship
canai Is entireiy practicable to connect her
Win Ine iakes' suppose we grant that such a
canal from the lakes to Pittsburg were in ex-
lstence, and that vessels of 1000 or 1,2O0 tons
actual carrying capacity reached this harbor
with ore ana otner freight from the Northwest,
IL "ouiu ho. De lohg until the demand 1or the
extension oi the canal would De heard from
baltimore ana Washington.
Immense quantities of grain are now carried
on the heavy grades over the Allegheny Noun
tains to reach the tide water ports of the Ches-
apeake Bay, and this beinp tho case the ones
+;o, .i,nr,y is. c. -. -.
tioh simply ID: Gan canal De Dulit across
tnese mountains which can carry produce
more cheaply than the railroads are now
oo1ng or are nkely to do in the future: 1t IS
10 10 pe teGo!lecteu Ihat a canal mere is not
pro plougnt iie1 co5npetitlon with level or even
low grade railroads. And another thing also is
10 De remembered that II such canal IS ever
constructed IL VIII De national Undertaking
and made tree, as the Erie Canal of New York
IS now practlcally Tree L think there is no
uouot u ~, snat IN u iarge-slzeq Gahal-partlcuiarly II
5 IL De lree-Gdn successfully compete with the
railfoaus. very much could De sald on thls
supJect, puI as uesired only 10 speak Oh routes
must Iorego tne question OF rates for the pres
ent.
HE DISPATCH will no doubt before long
discover that its first proposition, to take
the canal via Morpantown. ia A. mistake.
.1o-oo - , - - Wv. IJ;-:: -, -,
glance at map of'West virginia Will disclose
the 1acI that there are three parallel rivers run
CARTS Valley, the Cheat and the Youghiogheny
rivers. The Tygart's Valley lies to the west of
the other two. MorgdntOwn is on the Tygarts
Valley route. Suppose, from Morgantown on
the Monongahela river, or from some point
above-say Grafton, on the Tygart's Valley-a
tunnel Through the mountains" was under
taken; said tunnel would merely let the canal
through to ths Cheat. Then another tunnel
YOU'D iet US through 10 the mead waters OF the
1ougnlogheny. and stliI we would pc west OF
l Tue Allegheny range. irHe, we nilgnt 20 up 70 70
ene neaoa ~ oi Ilie lysarts anes rpeI anu olos'
oYer W tne soutn t prancn @ VI sns - o1olS' E,i
@ culsoiIo.s Ino SIeAc anu .ne - iouE ono u, 1u 1us
such route Woulu De not less IMAM ZoU miles
longer thap tne hatural route, WHICH Is up tne
1oughlogheny.
,o rms route was falth1ully surveyed IN io4 ana
IoI9 uhGer mel CoioneI MeTrnIs ultection, py
Colonel Iaolnds Seug VICE, anu III lne Iep1n III,
VI tnooe oHicers lull ueIalls may NC Hau. tne
1olloWlng presents summary OF Ine features