1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



555 



for the ffreiUcr part oflhe way, with broken stone, 

 measuring not more tlr.ui an incli or two cube, 

 to prevent abrasion. The stone ia found to pre- 

 serve the baniss well, and will be used for this 

 purpose throuiihout. 



After h^'ivinij (ieorirelown, until the principal 

 falls are passed, the banks on citlier side of the 

 Potomac crowd on the river, and the canal ciinss 

 along the northern bank with frequently [lerpendi- 

 cular blutfs of rock, 50 leet high one side, and 

 elone walling on the other, to protect it from the 

 river. The valley oflhe river, however, soon 

 widens. The recedinjr hills ^ive more room for 

 the canal, and a better location is obtained on a 

 gentle slope, free at once from the heavy cutting or 

 walling. The hills frequently again approach the 

 river, and again there is very heavy work. Such 

 are the general features of the location from 

 Georuretown to the Point of Rocks, at which place 

 the Potomac breaks through the first range of the 

 Blue Ridge, under the appellation of the Catoc- 

 tin Mountains. From this point to Harper's Fer- 

 ry, the canal and Baltimore and Ohio railroad run 

 side by side, frequently along the side of precipi- 

 tous hills, with rocks hanging a hundred feet 

 above them. 



At several places below the Point of Rocks, 

 the canal cuts throiJgh the beautiful Potomac 

 breccia, the material of the columns in the hall 

 of congress at Washington : in fact, those co- 

 lumns were taken from this very place. There 

 was a long suit between the canal and railroad 

 companies, with reirard to the riixht of way be- 

 tween the Point of Rocks and Harper's Ferry. 

 The canal company, being the first chartered, and 

 believing that the railroad would seriously injure 

 their interests, strenuously opposed the passai^e of 

 the railroad. The suit was decided against the 

 railroad company; but the matter was afterwards 

 compromised, and, in consideration of a certain 

 sum of money, the right of way was granted to the 

 railway. 



The Monocacy and Catoclin aqueilucts, across 

 streams of the same names, are the principal struc- 

 tures below Harper's Ferry. The iormer consists 

 of 7 arches, each about 55 feet span, the latter of 

 3 arches. They are built entirely of stone. A 

 part of the Catoctin aqueduct fell down about 

 June last, and they are now engaged in re])air- 

 ing it. 



Harper's Ferry is situated in the (iirk of the 

 Potomac and the Shenandoah. You have heard 

 much of the scenery in its vicinity. iMy anticipa- 

 tions were very great, but they were not disap- 

 pointed. F reached it a little after dark, and saw 

 it both by day and moon-lighr. On ap|)roaching it 

 from the Point of Rocks, the scenery combines 

 both beauty and sublimity. The Clue Ridire is 

 soon passed, and the traveller is enclosed by 

 mountains — the river falling and tumbling over 

 rocks — the quiet canal calmly winding its way in 

 graceful curves — the long train of engine and 

 coaches hurrying rapidly past — the high and rug- 

 ged mountains on either side at times presenting 

 to the eye nothing hut naked rocks, at others co- 

 vered with all the lints of autumnal fijiiage, and 

 the setting sun with its reflected light streaming 

 along the bosom of 'he water, all combine to fur- 

 nish a scene truly enchanting. A little farther, 

 and the course ol" the river becomes more and 

 more intricate ; its egress can no longer be traced, 



nor can the eye find where it enters tlie barrier of 

 mountains. On reaching Har[)er's Ferry, the 

 effect of the scenery is still increased : up the 

 Potomac or down the Potomac, or up the She- 

 nandoah, all is beautiful. 



/Jlexandria Canal and jfqueduct. 



The proper termination of the Chesapeake and 

 Ohio cantil is undoubtedly at Georgetown ; but 

 both Washington and Alexandria have deter- 

 mined to extend it through their respective 

 bounds. To this end, Washington has expended 

 a sum of ,9225,000 in converting what was once 

 an ugly and filthy creek, into a broad canal, 

 which extends through the lower part of the 

 ground of the corporation, to the east branch of 

 the Potomac. The Alexandria canal is on the 

 south side of the Potomac, and is to be united to 

 the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, by means of an 

 aqueduct, now in the course of construction, at 

 Georgetown. Think of a navigable canal being 

 carried across the tide-water of the mighty Poto- 

 mac ! The aqueduct will consist of nine spans 

 of about ninety feet each. It was commenced 

 four years ago, and has heretofore proceeded 

 slowly. They seem now, however, to be push- 

 ing the work with more energy ; and it will not 

 be long before the canal boats will be gliding 

 across, at an elevation of 35 feet above the surface 

 of the water. One abutment and 3 piers are now 

 finished ; 2 other piers are above high-water, and 

 3 have yet to be founded. The masonry of the 

 abutments and piers does great credit both to the 

 builders and superintendents, and the coffer-dams 

 and fixtures, (accounts of which have been pub- 

 lished in some of the European journals,^ show 

 ^reat professional knowledge on the part of their 

 enjjineers. The piers are founded on solid rock, as 

 much as 35 or 40 feet below the surflice of the 

 water. A steam engine is used to pump the v^^a- 

 ter from the coffer-dams. 



As much, however, as I admire the execution 

 of the aqueduct, so fir as it is finished, and, indeed, 

 as noble and magnificent as is the undertaking, I 

 still more wonder at the consummate folly which 

 throws away hundreds of thousands in construct 

 ing a canal by the side of such a river as the Po- 

 tomac. A striking comment on the wisdom with 

 which this work was conceived, is the fact that a 

 steamboat plies almost hourly between George- 

 town and Alexandria, and the fact, that I saw at 

 the wharf of Georgetown, at the very head of this 

 canal, a full-riwfTed ship of not less than 350 or 400 

 tons. It is attributable to the same petty jealousy, 

 no doubt, which is so often found throughout our 

 widely extended country, causing immense sums 

 to be sometimes expended in vain, and, at others, 

 preventing the expenditure of a cent, where 

 thousands might be expended with profit. 



Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. 



This work was commenced in 1828, and is in- 

 teresting in as much as it was one of the first rail- 

 roads in this country — and because its company 

 has done more than any other to advance and im- 

 prove the railway system. Almost every different 

 kind of superstructure has been tried, and experi- 

 ments made without regard to cost, in order to at- 

 tain tliat which was really best. 



