Evening star., 1933-12-17

and Georgetown tried by injunction and other
wise to prevent its construction, but failed to
do so Next it tried to cripple the project by
having a draw placed in the bridge, but in
this it also failed
Georgetown was perfectly justified in its
action though it did not accomplish what it
sought. 1t could see its trade taken from its
very door and continued on to Alexandria
by canal boats. Its trade had already begun
TO diminish from what it had formerly been
when, We are told, not watermelon, a sweet
potato, oyster, a shad a herring
landed direct in Washington but first came
to the harbor Of Georgetown in pungies and
in oyster boats with which the harbor was
always crowded.
THE Alexandria Canal was not financial
success from the beginning, nor was the
Washington Canal the larger project, the
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, and whatever pros
perity was predicted by their founders, who
undoubtedly were in earnest, never material
lied. Whatever hope may have been held by
them for even ultimate success waned rapidly
once the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad got In
full operation, and the entire scheme must
have been ruined when the Metropolitan
Branch from Point of Rocks to Washington.
put in operation many years later.
In 1866, when the Government in .
position to turn the Aqueduct Bridge back to
the Alexandria Canal Co., it was proposed by
the Alexandria stockholders, through the
mayor of that town, Hugh Latham, to lease
the bridge for q term of years, and proposals
were invited in advertisement to this end,
and as this notice contains interesting facts
regarding the bridge it will be repeated in
part, as follows:
This canal extends from the city of Alex
andria, Va. to the city of Georgetown, D. c.,
h. So %I,a
connects with the Chesapeake g. Ohio Canal.
The water is from thence conveyed across the
Potomac in wooden trough and superstruc-
ture, which is built on granite rock piers, and
then by land into the Potomac at Alexandris.
THE following description of the piers of
the aqueduct is from report of the late NJ. G.
Ewing, esq, civil engineer: An abutment is
built against the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal
at Georgetown The Alexandria Canal COM
mencing at this point, is carried across the
Potomac on an aqueduct 1000 feet long. This
aqueduct was located by surveys made in 1881.
OF the eight piers, built. four in
water from 35 to 40 feet deep and four founded
25 to 80 feet below the surface. The abut-
mentS and piers were all built in Golfer dams,
to the solid rock, which they erected
in cement and trowel work from foundation.
This laborious construction was the work Of
several years, with large force engaged night
and day, except during part of the Winter
months. Tne piers are carried up 3O 1eet
above the river surface and are therefore in
height from SIS to 20 feet. They about
70 feet long at base and IL to 81 feet thick
at the water surface. They are of granite
rock laid In cement, and, having stood the
floods and drifts for several years U846), are
believed to be of imperishable material and
workmanship
1.-THE cost Of the aqueduct was $575 ,3S1 .43,
including about $4,000 for the wooden trough
and superstructure. The other portion Of the
entertainments, culverts locks wharves,
ferry at Georgetown, etc.-cost over $500, 900.
THE Alexandria Canal may properly be
called the terminus of the Chesapeake Ss Ohio
Canal. There were transported of coal alone
over the Alexandria Canal in 1850 about 30O,-
900 tons, and the coal trade has largely In
creased since, but owing to the war no coal
has come over the Alexandria Canal for the
reason that the aqueduct has been used by
the Government as wagon road from George
town to Arlington. Parties contracting win
be required TO place and keep the canal and
aqueduct in order and repair, and to use the