The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1944-05-11

umn of + e e. mt
date, in which we
told of the Poto-
mac river being
navigable before
the B. & o. R. R.
and the c. & o. q
Canal were con- As
| Sidered.
Both companies in the years 1928
were getting busy It was on a
Fourth of July that simultaneous Gel
ebrations were planned Ground
was to be broken near Washington
for the canal and near Baltimore for
the railroad Great crowds gathered
at each place. Archer Butler Hur1-
but, in his most interesting book,
'The Great American Canals" says:
"At Washington the streets were
alive with people at an early hour
and at 7 o'clock the directors of the
c. & o. Canal Co. met the honored
guests of the day at Tilley's Hotel.
These included the President of the
United States and cabinet, and the
various ambassadors of foreign coun-
tries then in the city and other dig
nataries, including survivors of the
Revolutionary War. The procession,
attended by troops and RECALLED with
music of bands, marched to the Po-
tomac and embarked on the steam
boat Surprise for a journey to the
Great Falls of the Potomac. Crowds
followed on either bank of the river
Discriminating, the company marched
to canal boats lying in the old canal,
built by the old Washington Potomac
Co., nearly SO years before" Presi-
dent John Quincy Adams raised the
first spadeful of earth.
Mr.. Hurlbut, author of the book
referred to, speaks of "a unique
situation" presenting itself. He
says that there was the c. & Q.
Canal Co, under the presidency of
Charles F. Mercer, of Virginia,
chairman of the committee of Roads
and Canals of the National House
of Representatives, backed by a
capital of over $3,500,000, ready to
proceed in building a canal through
the Potomac Valley from Washing
ton to Cumberland; on the other
hand is the new railroad company,
with Mr.. Thomas as it's head,
backed by $4,0O0,O0O, beginning to
build railroad from Baltimore to
the Potomac Valley, up the valley
to Cumberland and across the
to the Ohio river. 1t
was evident from the start that the
rivalry would be tremendously bit
ter. The canal idea was very new
and the railroad was almost an I'M
tried novelty. The steam engine
had not been successfully adapted
as yet. Horse power was the only
power to be relied upon.
In connection with the railroad,
this scene was being enacted in Bal
timore, as stated by the Baltimore
American: Fortunately the morning
of the Fourth rose not only bright
and cool, to the great comfort of
the immense throng of spectators,
that from a very early hour, filled
every window in Baltimore street,
and the pavement below, from be-
yond Bond street on the east, far
west on Baltimore street extended,
distance of about two miles.
Historian Hubert says that it was
estimated 1000 people were in at
tendance. Charles Carroll of Car
rollton, the only surviving signer of
the Declaration of independence.
was a guest of the day. John B.
Morris, a director of the B. & O.,
in an address said: 1--WE are about
to open the channel through which
the commerce of the mighty coun-
try beyond the Allegheny Noun
tains must seek the ocean-we are
about to afford facilities of inter
course between the east and west,
which will bring the one more
closely to the other, beyond the
power of an increased population of
sectional differences to disunite.
We are in fact commencing a new
era in our history" At the close
of the address Charles Carroll of
Carrollton lifted spade of earth
for the foundation stone.
Our readers are familiar with the
present great B. & o. systef. The
c. & 0. Canal is no more, although
it served its purpose in its time. At
many places along the Potomac are
concrete evidences today of this
historic waterway-but it is gone.
The building of the c. & o. Ca