Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-15
CARVED FIFTY YEARS AGO
Monument Oommemorating the Completion
of @. and o. Canal
Hidden Away in Old Bnsidinw-oficcrs
of Company Had IL Put
in Position.

A monument. was erected Yesterday IN
front of the Cd station house on sd street
adjoining the rcrth side of the canal. WHICH
was carved pe-haps half century ago. ana
which for many years has been stored
avay hidden and forgotten, being brought
10 Light recently in the cleaning Of an old
building. Tho discovery of the monument
was made about three weeks ago. and II
was Cleared and polished up as muth a.
possible, and permit secured 10 efe@l
it in its present place. 1t wa originally de-
signed TO commemorate whal was regarded
as one of the greatest enginee ring feats OF
its day-the commencement and comp elton
If the Chesapeake and Ohio canal
just when the monument was carved is
hard to ascertain. bat +. is supposed 10
have been done some time in $50 when the
waterway completed. In the gIadneSs
over the completion OF their great task the
people at the head Of the canal had the
monument made. intending to erect II AT
SOTEe point along the route. 1t Is believed
however. from the appearance of the stone.
that il was never erected, but was stored
..UtV awaiting a day for its erection. ana
a. time passed by it was forgotten alto-
gethcr. new men assuming control OF the
places held by the projectors of the canal
and knowing nothing of the existence of the
me- mortal
Found in Old Building.
The monument was discovered in back
room in the old Hill paper mill building, on
Water street near Potomac street. The old
htlildine has been leased by company of
LEGAL men for business purposes, and
thorough overhauiiag was necessary IT
Wa While the cleaning up was in progress
that the monument was hrOugh: TO light
II WAS securely boxed up. lying In an I'M
used portion of the building. The monu-
meut was taken out and partly cleaned
II i perhaps eleven feet in height and is
iaade UP Of four pieces A base about
three feet square is composed of two pieces
Of stone about eighteen inches In height
on the pedestal is large block about
thirty inches high and about eighteen
inches square. upon each side Of which
there Is an inscription. Surmouuting this
block is an obe!:sk shaped stone between
six and seven feet high,
After being taken out of the old Hill mill
III. stones were stored in the office of Mr..
II. j. Gilbert. who now occupies the old
station. The canal company was notified,
and General Manager G.. l.. Nico1son took
steps to have IT put in a proper place. The
sic at the northwest corner of the stone
arch crossing the canal at sd street was
selected. and the iron railing was cut
permit the monument to be erected.
The old stone corner removed. in
order 70 rnGke room for the monument. and
u st"rday workingmen with a derrick COM
pi-I,d the task of pie ing il in position.
The Inscriptions.
On the front Of the stone is inscribed the
i"lt'"liAS chesapeake Stttti olllb 1sStilStl
Company. $50 President. James VI. C0ala
Directors. William A. Bradley. Henry DAM
sscrfield. William Cost johnson. John Pick
ell. George Schley. Samuel p Smith. Clerk.
Walter S. Rinsgold Treasurer. Lawrence
Rrauele.
The George Schley referred TO as one of
The directors is supposed to be relative of
Admiral Winfield Scott Schley. On the re-
Verse side is inscribed: Chesapeake and |
Ohio Canal. Commenced at Georgetown,
July !. 1S2s. Chief of Engineers, Benjamin |
Wrigley.
On one of the sides the following is
carved in the stone: Chesapeake and Ohio |
Canal Completed to Cumberland. Oct. 10. |
1850. Chief of Engineers, Charles B. Fisk.
The fourth side Of the monument contains
the names Of the state officers of the COM
panr, as follows: Maryland State Agents,
Samuel Sprigg. Allen B. Davis, William T.
Goldsborough. Tench Tilghman. John Van
Lear.
The monument fails to state that the first
spa dsfui of earth in the construction of the
canal was dug up by John Quincy Adams
who VAS then the President of the Unit ed
States. The scene was near what is now
known as the low grounds, and in honor of
the occasion large multitude Of people at
Tcnued TO witness the exercises. According
to the story Of the day the President
started to shove the spade into the earth
but 1t was harder than he thought. In the
presence of the multitude of people he took
OF his coat. and In his shirt sleeves, and
With Tedolbled efforts. succeeded in bring
ing out monstrous large spadeful, amid