Evening star., 1922-03-07

A"SeoA WITHOUT IrAnSsh1pment, ana
would attach Washington to the de.
veloping commence of the Allegheny
country. the Ohio valley and the great
lakes region. ~
When the seat of government was
removed to Washington the Potomac
Improvement Company had cut a way
through the distractions at Harpers
Ferry and Seneca and had built one
short canal, with locks, around Great
Falls and another around Little Falls.
Barges were being poled down from
Cumberland. This was the first link
in waterway to connect the great
lakes with the Atlantic, with a portage
ever the Allegheny mountains. The
railroad was not thought of, and canal
carriage was SO much cheaper than
wagon transport and the canal as q
commerce carrier was in the minds of
all progressive Americans.
The proposed canal had its health
side. 1t would drain two of the marshes
within Washington. These were the
marshes Of Tiber creek and of St.
James creek. Tiber creek, otherwise
Goose creek, started near the eastern
edge Of Robert Peters tract of Mount
Pleasant, in the ridge north Of Florida
avenue. at about 9th street. 1t flowed
southeast across Samuel Blodget's
tract, Jamaica; across the northeast
corner Of Samuel Davidson's tract,
Port Royal" and Motley Young's
tract, THE Mill Tract" 1t crossed the
line Of North Capitol 0street about
New York avenue, flowed south to
about North Capitol street and Massa.
chusetts avenue. and then southwest,
crossing Pennsylvania avenue at about
Srd street, running down to about the
middle Of the park between Maine and
Missouri avenues and 3rd to 4th
streets. Then it bent to the west as
far as 7th street, turned north to
Pennsylvania avenue and then flowed
west on the line Of the Avenue it was
a tidal stream, with marsh borders
about as wide as a city block.
Within the park just west of the
Botanic Garden little stream had its
source and flowed to the southeast. It
crossed Maryland avenue at about 3rd
street, flowed along the line Of Canal
street, which takes it's name from the
canal, and at a. point near South Capt.
tol street turned south, running
through fields and entering the East
ern branch between Greenleafs point
Tor Arsenal point and the village Of
Carrollsburg. That stream was St.
James creek, later called James creek.
These creeks suggested the route of
the canal.
The canal plan was subject of dis
cussion from 1871, but took on legisla-
tive form in 1902, when the Washing
ton Canal Company was authorized by
Congress. Books were opened for sub
subscriptions to the shares and work
was soon begun. but construction cost
more than had been estimated, and
many things delayed the work. The
first canal boat went through in 1915.
The canal as q commerce carrier never
fulfilled expectations and was de-
nounced as breeding more sickness
than had the marshes Of Tiber and st.
James creeks. But it had defenders
and became an institution" Under
the board of public works and the rule
Of Alexander r.. Shepherd the Tiber
part of the canal was filled and part of
the James creek section. though long
section Of that part of the canal was
left open, became an open sewer and
has been filled in by slow degrees until
only a part east of the arsenal grounds
remains.