Evening star., 1927-02-28
WASHINGTON AIDED
WATERWAY PLANS
Search for Titles Reveals
Generals Interest in
Canal Projects.

In the investigations in progress IN
the Dena tment of Justice. IN reEaru
to early day land titles on the water
front the city of Washington and
adjacent thereto. many interesting
facts have been brought out regard
ing the activities and interests or the
men who were foremost in the de
yelorment of the National Capital. in
Gliding Gen. Washington himself
The interest which Gen. Washington
displayed in the industrial and trans
narration activities nf his time arc
shown in connection with the cNalnl-
nation Of titles Of lands along the 70
ton,ac River and in the early develop
nent Of the Chesa peake and ONO
Canal.
Recently was disclosed by the land
title attorneys in the department the
rart which Gen. Washington had IN
connection With the survey Of lands
which were utilized in the develop
Taent Of the Dismal swamp Canal.
connecting Albemarle Sound with the
interior waters of Virginia, thus fur
nfshinS an inland passage for vessels
desiring to avoid the hazards Of open
ocean navigation. In regard TO the
part which Gen. Washington had in
the transportation development which
Y
Canal il would appear that his inter
est really was based upon broad
vision of the possibilities of develop
ment of the interior of the country,
rather than upon immediate invest
ment in the canal project itself
Supported Waterways.
About the time of the location of
the Federal Capital at Washington
there was much discussion in the
country as to the Importance of in
terror transportation by water, and
it is recorded that Gen. Washing
ton made many calculations as to
the probable decreased cost of canal
transportation as compared with
wagon transportation on the turn
pixies of those days. He is known
to. have given support to waterway
propositions pending in his time. and
that he was particularly interested
in a commercial route to the west
ward by way of the Potomac River.
Gen. Washington was substantially
the founder of the Potomac Canal
project, and il is believed that he
had direct interest in bringing about
an assurance that when such canal
project was developed it would con-
meet the City of Washington with
ths Western country. The earliest
foand near Great Falls in the Po-
toIhac, including masonry of lock
walls and the canalway around the
Fails, insured navigation for. those
times, even in low water stages. Nj
n1erous wing dams which still re-
main in the river We're constructed
atfvarious points and locks developed
at Paynes Falls and the Great and
Little Falls were to take the place
ut frCf f,f
lifting boats over inclined planes by
capstan devices.
1t is not shown that Gen. Wash
tngton had any part in the prelimi-
nary developments of the canal or
use of land therefor. but his relation
to~ the general development of the
Potomac Canal Is said to be disclosed
by the fact found in the early records
that the State of Virginia made
subscription to the stock of the canal
company in Gen. Washington's name.
That he did not make direct invest
ments In such enterprises is evidenced
by the fact that he transferred that
interest to the foundation of uni
versity in the City Of Washington.
visioned Future Growth.
Potomac Canal improvement was the
result of far-sighted vision as to the
possibilities of the City of Washing
ton as a tidewater port for the re-
ceipt and delivery Of commodities, and
expectation that large areas of land
which came into the hands Of Gen.
Washington and some of his asso-
ciates in the War Of the Revolution,
as a reward for their services. such
lands being mainly in the Ohio re-
gfon. would in time he benefited by
the canal S%gelopment.
1t is tho opinion of the investiGa
tors, who have ascertained the part
which Gen. Washington had i'm these
early-day transportation movements.
that it was not unlike that which
moves the founders of great trans.
portation and industrial projects I'm
the present day. who are aware that
their projects. when developed, must
be carried on by their successors in
order to realize the full results of
such great enterprises.
So great has been the development
OF transcontinental railroads in recent
times that IL Is of special interest to
note the part which the political and
business leaders of $50 years ago had
in the development of the water trans
portation projects. of that time. So
late as 1923. 25 years after the death
Of Washington, the Chesa peake and
Ohio Canal was actually projected and
canal transportation. 1t was then be-
lieved. would be the transportation
system of the future. although even
at that time preliminary steps had
been taken toward the establishment
of railroad to carry freight and
passengers by methods of steam trans
pOftation.