Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-14
THE CANALS FUTURE
Fight of Two Railways for Its
Possession.
@A
OFFERS FOR FAR}YLANDS INTEREST
Possibility Of the Employment Of
Electricity.
HISTORY OF THE DITCH
OFFERS FOR HARYLAND'S INTEREST
HISTORY OF THE DITCH
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

u
Gov. Brown was in Annapolis Wednes-
day, as already published in The Star and
opened bids for the states interest in the
Chesapeake and Ohio canal, which runs
from this city to Georgetown, DC, a dis
lance of 1874 miles.
AS Gov. Brown was the only member of
the board of public works present, no
action was taken upon the different bids,
one of which was made in the interest of
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company,
ard the other two in the interest of the
West Virginia Central and Pittsburg rail-
Way.
II Is really fight between the Baltimore
and Ohio and the Pennsylvania railroads,
the latter company being On friendly terms
with the West Virginia Central and Pitts
burg Railway Company.
The latter company has built its railroad
from the Elk Garden region of West Vir-
glria to Cumberland, where it has been
shipping coal over the Pennsylvania rail-
read principally, although small portion
is shipped over the Baltimore and Ohio.
Road Along the Towpnth.
The object of the West Virginia Central
and Pittsburg Railway Company is to
build a railroad over the towpath of the
canal from Cumberland to GEORGETOWN,
which would almost parallel the tracks of
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company
Offers for the Canal.
OF course. the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road Company objects to the sale of the
canal to the West Virginia Central and
Pttsburg Railway Company. The Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad Company offers to
purchase the entire interest of the state for
$4,000. The West Virginia Central and
Plttsburg Railway Company offers s5o6, 600,
ard the Washington and Cumberland Rail-
road Company rent of $4,000 annually to
the state Of Maryland, redeemable on the
Payment of $3DO.OOO, besides the payment of
the principal and interest of the bonds is
sued under the act of 1885, amounting 10
over s60O,OOO, and the payment of % per
cent of the principal of the bonds issued
under the act of 1874; and about $1GO,uUO Of
other claims, including a Judgment of
about $4,000 and s70,HOO in liquidation OF
labor claims from 1877 to 1890.
The company wishes to lease the canal
for ninety-nine years. renewable forever, to
the Cumberland and Washington Railroad
Company, with authority for that company
to use such parts of the property as are
needed for the construction of a line of
railroad from Cumberland to the District
Of Columbia, with authority also to utilize
such parts as We're available still as
waterway.
The Canal Traffic.
The Consolidated Coal Company shipped
during the year 1891 DIS, S3l tons over the
canal. the total shipments over the canal
shipping over the canal were the Georges
Creek Coal and Iron Company, 6O,379 tons
Black. Sheridan & Wilson, Ass tons; West
Virginia Central, "oS tons, and Borden, 81
tens.
The Consolidation Coal Company shipped
from their mines alone in 1894 SSS333S tons
The Georges Creek Company, 364Go0 tons
and Borden Company. 265.546 tons These
three companies could ship over 1,0ooooo
tons by canal, which would soon pay the
interest on the debt of the canal. 1t is not
likely that the canal which cost the state
of Maryland more than $40.oD.UO, will he
sold for any such sum as has been offered
The Canal.
The canal was commenced in 1898 and
| completed to this city in the fall of 1850
The canal was formally opened on Thurs
day. October 10, 1850, forty-five years ago
today, which was a glad day to the people
of Allegany county. The Baltimore and
Ohio railroad had been completed to Cum
berland in 1912. but it was death blow to
the traffic along the line of the old National
road from Cumberland to Wheeling when
| it was completed to the latter place in 1872
The National road was the scene of much
activity, as from twenty-five to thirty
stages and wagons left Cumberland each
DAY for Wheeling. The canal in 1850 had
| made business boom in Cumberland and
all along the zine of the canal. Boat yards
were plentiful. and kept busy all the time
Employment was given to over 1000 people
boats and in the shipyards. Cumberland
seemed destined to be place of great COM
| mercial Importance.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
pany spent u great deal of money in build
ing the Queen City Hotel and the steel rail
| mill in 1870, and the population of Cumber-
land had about doubled in twenty years.
The wharf in South Cumberland was al
ways scene of great activity. The crowd
of hoatmen that gathered, with the shift
ing and dumping of the cars the merry
footing of the boat horns and the singing
of the drivers, made the scene d lively one.
| During Its most prosperous days, from
| 1850 to 1919, there We're 500 boats on the
canal, carrying each about 112 tons of coal.
All the principal coal companies at that
| time were shipping over the canal.
This waterway is of the greatest import
| ance to the miners of Allegany and Garrett
counties. Its trade is yearly increasing
and IS capacity is 1,0M,GOo tons year.
If the canal is not sold, its present man
ayers next year will probably introduce
electricity as the motive power. 1t would
cost S3,ooooOO to equip the canal with cleo
tricity, or $45o.OD0 to furnish it to be
operated by mule power.