Evening star., 1924-08-10
r.---..--.-------- -
FLOODS PUT END
TOFAMOUS CANAL
c. & O., Washington's Dream
of Uniting East and West,
! Now Dead to Traffic.
COMPLETED IN 1850
Roject Given Start Under Ill
r Omened Auspice When Spade
Defies President Adams.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.

last ana the West, for the first sea
son since its completion in 1850, has
ialled to operate. The announcement,
several days ago by its owners that
all employees had been discharged and
is maintenance discontinued is be-
HeNeu to indicate that the historic
sto waterway, stretching from the rich
eedt lands above Cumberland Ia
georgetown. viii never again reopen,
- Inc waterway through one of the
rfchest and most picturesque sections
OF the East, following the Potomac
RlVer FROM Cumberland to George
town, was dealt it's death blow by the
t~o floods which swept down the
valleys Of the Potomac and Shenan-
aoah TINS Spring. The canal which
has been losing money for the past
Few years, probably would have con-
tinued in operation a few more Years
but for the floods
The first President of the United
States first conceived such. an inland
waterway as the Chesapeake and
ONO Canal and he was instrumental
in the formation of the Potomac Com
pany shortly before his death. This
company, however, failed to raise
SqHclent money or to interest enough
people IN the project and it soon died.
. Project is Revived.
But in 1923 a new project was con-
ceived, but ii was Washington's orig
inal idea which was followed by the
people who were instrumental in the
euilding of the Chesapeake and Ohio
canal. 1t was the idea of this new
Seneern to construct a canal along
the Potomac River to its headwaters
and thence to the waters Of the Ohio
River. This scheme was brought be-
fore the Legislature of Maryland and
met with general approval. The Legis-
Iature. as result, called a canal con-
Nention to take into consideration the
practicahility and expediency of unit
ing by canal navigation. the waters
of Chesapeake Bay with those of the
Ohio River and to devise means and
ways to effect that object Delegates
Pennsylvania and from the three
cities of fle District of Columbia
Mashlngtoha st4aooEgetowns and Alex
on November s: 1928, this conven-
tien met in the Nations Capital and
reassembled on December 6, 1925. The
convention was presided over by Gov
Joseph Kent of Maryland, while Wal
ter Jones of Washington acted as sec
rotary. At this convention a commu-
'Fcation was presented from citizens
OF Belmont County, Ohio, declaring
that 1t was their opinion that such
canal would be the outlet for all the
trade of the Ohio River, and they an
yeipated a great advance in the value
of their land when the work was in
operation. At this convention it was
decided to build such waterway,
and in a resolution declared that such
d waterway leading from the seat of
the general Government to the Ohio
River was one of great Importance
t2 the States and was of inestimable
value to the future security, union
and happiness of the United States.
8 Name Is Adopted.
The Legislature of Virginia had al
ready passed an act in 1928 incorpo-
rating the Potomac Canal Company,
and the charter of this company, with
few notifications, was. accepted at
this meeting, among which was the
change of the name to the "Chesa-
peake and Ohio Canal"
AT this meeting. it. was suggested
that the canal company be incorpo-
rated for s2,75o.0Oo. Two -elevenths of
tbis sum was apportiOned to the State
of Maryland. three e-elevenths to the
State of Virginia, four elevenths to the
United States, two -elevenths to the
District of Columbia, Ohio was urged
to contribute to the cost of construct
ing the canal, but never did So,
fThe. canal company was required
to maintain, the Potomac River in a
CATION should be prepared and the
right to all streams in the mountains
west of Cumberland necessary to the
cQnStructlon and operation of the work
also conferred, and the canal was de-
Cared a public highway. Provision was
made for the condemnation of land re-
qllired, and it was enacted that on pay
rnent of the awarded damages the
company should seize the land. To
all cases arising from controversies
nf Nd
coming. up the courts precedence
was to be given over all other cases
so that the work might not be delayed.
The canal was to. be divided into
former to extend from tidewater in
the District of Columbia to the mouth
of the Savage River in the north
branch. of the Potomac at the base
of, the Allegheny Mountains, second or
western section to extend thence
along the Savage River as far as
nractca BILE to reach some. convenient
lroint for connecting the eastern and
western waters by tunnel through
the dividing ridge between the same
and thence after crossing the ridge,
to the highest steamboat navigation
df the Ohio River 1t was later de-
c3ded. however, that the western ter
Fiinus was to be Pittsburgh. Mary
land later decided to build a lateral
branch TO Baltimore.
Right Within Capital.
Then, in 1925, the President of the
United States signed an act of CON
gress confirming the charter in order
TO grant the right of construction
and operation within the District of
Columbia. -. ;.
1T was in June, 1928 that a suffi-
cent amount Of stock had been
taken and the company was duly
incorporated At this time s3,69S,900
worth of stock had been sold.
ifAt the first meeting Of the stock
holders, held, in the City Hotel, Wash
Mercer Of Virginia, was elected presi-
dent. The directors were Phineas
.Lanney of Alexandria, Joseph Kent
of Maryland, Peter Lenox and Fred
erfck. May OF Washington, Walter
smith of Georgetown and Andrew
Stewart ofFPennsyivania-
.Then, on July Z, 1875, the work of
constructing, the canal was begun at
Mes. Thirty miles distant, at the
same hour-cand day, ground was
broken for another enterprise, later
TO gain centroi"ef the canaiA-the Bal
urnore and. Ohio Railroad: 80
aThe first sUAieful OF earth for the
canal, was T rssn4. ed BY Erssident John
Quincy Adams. President Adams
spade struck sxNekt a nd: did not sink
in. The Presifene: tried again, with
hastily. threw rdoBa" the spade, strip
ned OFF his coat and went seriously
to work. The great multitude raised
a tremendous cheer, and the applause,
history relates, lasted for some time
after the President had mastered the
difficulty. [t>-.
An old newspaper says: "The pro-
cession to the place for beginning the
work was formed ! in Washington,
which was at that time separated
from Georgetown by a considerable.
space. and with no better method of