The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1948-12-02
HORSE AND
BUGGY DAYS,
by
Ida 10 Martin


Canal, the work of the Potomac
Company, especially in breaking the
ground and preparing the way for
the later canal, must never be for
gotten, when we think of the past
of Washington County. But the time
came that the inadaquacy OF the sys-
tenn was realized. So about 1920
definite plans began to develope for
an entirely new system.
There was much discussion of
three types of water navigation for
rivers: an improvement of the
"Sluice Navigation" then in use;
Lock and Dam Navigation" con-
sisting of high dams, which deepen
the river bed sufficiently for naviga-
ton. with short canals and locks
around the dams; and the third plan,
the one adopted, still Water Nav
igation," an independent canal, which
should border the river and be sup
piled with water from it, but in on
" rare cases should the transporta
ton actually be on the river.
Interest in the work of the Po-
tomac Company had Jagged to the
point of almost no support. But with
the talk of an independent canal, and
the plans for other canals to the
midwest through other states, the
peoples of the states near the Po-
tomac renewed their interest and
enthusiasm in the Potomac Pro-
ject. Then, when commission was
appointed and reported that the pro-
posed canal would be entirely prac-
ticable, the new plan rapidly gained
the support that made work pos
sible.
An estimate of the Canal said it
would cost approximately one and
a half million dollars for the one
hundred and eighty miles of canal
from Washington to Cumberland.
Perhaps this conservation estimate
helped to increase the early en-
thusiasm and optimism, but it sure
ly missed the mark: for when the
canal was finished, it had cost some
eleven millions, and it would be safe
to say that the same project at to-
days wages and costs would have
cost many times this amount,
Perhaps two of the biggest factors
that escaped the eyes of this early
commission, were the narrowness of
the Potomac's passage through
many of the mountains, requiring
extensive excavations; and the near
ness to the Potomac this required,
with the resulting damage to the
canal from the Potomac's many
f1oodings. An indication of the OPP
timism at this time was the great
amount of talk of a canal from Cum
berland to the headWaters of the
Ohio near Pittsburg, either by means
of deep cuts, or tunnels under the
mountains The canal was also to
go on to connect with the Great
Lakes, at Lake Erie.
Then in 1924 the government
showed enough interest to assign an
Army commission of engineers to
go over the route of the Canal and
prepare an official estimate. This
they did very painstakingly, and
their report nearly dealt a death
blow to the Canal. The entire canal
would cost over $4,000, 100000! The
eastern section, to Cumberland,
would cost over $8,00O,0OO00, in
stead of one and a half million. The
leaders of the project were dismay-
ed. They Immediately set out to
prove that the Army was not well
enough acquainted with the locality
to give a fair estimate, and that
their figure was more than double
the true cost 1t is interesting to
note that when this part of the canal
was finally completed, it had cost
two million more than the Army
predicted.
But a resurvey by civil engineers
did boost the morale of the support
ers so that the plans went ahead.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Company was organized on June 20,
1928. There was an authorization of
capital stock amounting to three mil
lion dollars. The first president was
Charles Fenton Mercer. All rights
along the River owned by the old
Potomac Company were turned over
to the new Company by deed, and the
new Company lost no time in getting
started. Elaborate plans were made
for an official opening of the work
of construction to take place on July
the same year.
Original plans for the canal were
for a width of forty feet at the sur
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