USA > Washington DC > Washington DC > Historical sketches of the ten miles square forming the District of Columbia : with a picture of Washington, describing objects of general interest or curiosity at the metropolis of the Union. > Part 22
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The result has been, that a tunnel from the mouth of Row- - man's Run, in Wills' Creek, to the mouth of Flaugherty Creek, in Casselman's River, was the shortest which could be admitted to procure, at the same time, the other requisite as to the sufficiency of water. The length of this tunnel is 4 miles 80 yards, with a deep cut at each end: the Eastern bring 140 yards long, the Western 1060 yards; the greatest depth of each 35 feet, but the height of the top of the ridge above the bottom of the tunnel is not less than 556 feet.
Let us now examine the resources afforded to feed this sum- mit level. Casselman's River is the only stream upon which we can rely to fulfil this object. It yielded, ou the Sist of June, 1825, at Ploucher's Farm, 12 toiles ab. ve the mouth of Flangherty Creek, 18 cubic feet of water per second; on the 7th of the same month, it yielded at the same place i1 cubic feet per second. On the 10th of July, same year, it vielle 35 cubic feet per second, above the mouth of Flaugherty Creek. It must be observed, that, in consequence of a fresh- et, the stream, on the 24th of June, 1825, yielded at Forney's Mill, 5 miles above Flaugherty Creek, 503 cubic feet per se- cond; three day . afterwards, it still delivered 103 cubic feet. From all these results, we adopt the smallest; and we assume 18 cubic feet as the minimum of water supplied by Cassel- man's above the mouth of Flangherty Creek. Besides this supply of running water, two reservoirs can be made in the bed of the stream: one at Pleucher's Farm, containing 4,673,-
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029 cubic yards; the second, below Forney's Mill, containing 17,091,490 yards, together, about 22,000,000 yards. The dam of the first would be 40 feet high, 230 yards long at the top, the foot 114 feet above the summit level: the dam to form the other would be 50 feet high [to obtain a height of 40 feet of available water, ] and from 140 to 160 yards long at the top. The feeder from the upper reservoir to the lower one would be about 7 miles; but the feeder from the lower and large re- servoir to the summit level would be St miles only. The area of the reservoir at Pleucher's Farm will be 1,040,600 square yards; that of the great reservoir 2,541,000 square yards: total together, 3,581,600 square yards ...
We shall, in the sequel of this report, take into more mi- nute consideration these supplies of water; for the moment we leave the subject to present a comparison between this route of canal, and that by Deep Creek, as suggested in the report A, by and in consequence of the limited facts which, then, it had been in our power to ascertain. The first will be designated Casselman's route, the other Deep Creek route.
The length, assent, descent, of the Casselman's route are as follows:
Mls. Yds. Feet.
From Cumberland Bench mark to the Eas- tern end of the summit level - 29 .240
Ascent in this distance 1,525.
Eastern basin 880 yds.
Eastern deep cut 140
Summit level Tunnel 4 miles 80 5 1,880
Western deep cut 1,060 Western basin 880
From the Western end of the summit level
to the Youghagany, 440 yards below the mouth of' Casselman's River - 35 1,250
Descent in this distance -
636
Total distance and lockage 70 1,010 1,961 The length, ascent, descent, of the Deep Creek route are as follows:
From Cumberland Bench mark to the mouth of Savage River - -
- - 30 350
Ascent in this distance -
327A
From the mouth of Savage to the mouth of Crab Tree Creek - - -
5 000 Ascent in this distance 383
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Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
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Mis. Yds. Fect.
From the mouth of Crab Tree Creek to the Eastern end of the summit level - - 8 1,430
Ascent in this distance -
- 1,051 -
Total ascent - -
- 1,7613 feet.
4+ 20 1,761} .
Eastern deep cut 352 yds.
Summit level Tunnel - 1 568 Western deep cut 5 480 Western end 6 204₫
12 1,604៛
From the Western end of the summit level to the mouth of Bear Creek - - 15 100
Descent
- 912
Frem the mouth of Bear Creek to a point in the Youghagany, 440 yards below the mouth of Casselman's -
- 16 1,075}
Descent in this distance - 164 .
Total descent 1076 fcet
Total distance and lockage 88 1,040 2,8373
Both summits of these routes, being compared, as to alti- tudie, to the Cumberland Bench Mark, will show a difference of level of 4363 feet in favor of the Casselman's route. This difference would be 410 feet, if the level of comparison were assumed at the point of junction of these routes into the Youghagany; but as at this point no well fixed bench mark had been agreed to between the two surveying parties, we rely, in preference, on the former result. This important result shows that, through Casselman's, the lockage will be 873 feet less than through the other route.
As to distance, the foregomg statements exhibit a length of 18 miles 30 vards, in favor of the Casselman's route; which, combined with a less amount of lockage, gives to this route, as to time, a decided advantage over the Deep Creek route.
Let us examine now, which of these routes will afford the greatest facility to the location of the locks.
By assuming 8 feet as a common lift, we find that from Cum- berland to the month of Savage, the average distance between the heads of the two locks, will be - 1,206 yards, - From the mouth of Savage to Crab Tree Creek 183 From the mouth of Crab Tree Creek to the
Eastern end of the summit level - 117 And this on the supposition of an uniform declivity; which is
-
.
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far from being the case, and more especially in the valley of Crab Tree Creek, where, towards the head, the locks, on ac- count of the steepness of the ascent, could not even find room, unless their lift should be considerably increased. To this difficulty we must add the narrowness of the valley, which would oblige to resort to very expensive means to erect, where necessary, double sets of locks, as also to shelter the work from destruction, either by high freshets or by heavy show- ers,
As to the Western section of this route, serions difficulty would be encountered to turn Panther's Point, the sudden fall being great, and the side of the valley very precipitous. It would become necessary to deseend, at once, about 400 feet, in a distanre which could hardly afford room for the location of locks succeeding close to each other, without intermediate ponds. This circumstance would either necessitate a double set of locks, or oblige to stretch, at considerable expense, the line of canal around this steep spur which separates Deep Creek from Hoy's Run.
These difficulties, as to the location of locks, are not to be met with on the Casselman's route. In the valley of Will's Creek, 200 yards will be the shortest distance between the heads of two successive locks, and in that of Casselman's, 500 yards. We must also remark, that, though the valley of Will's Creek becomes gradually narrower above the mouth of Little Will's Creek, yet it affords room enough for the works, and these will be more easily protected against freshets and showers than they could be in the valleys of Crab Tree Creek and Savage River.
The foregoing considerations show that, in relation to aless difficult location of candd, the Casselman's route has, [abstrac- tion being made, for the present, of the tunnel, ] a decided ad- vantage over the Deep Creek route. But another important object is also to be examined; we mean the supply of water at the respective semmit levels. "
Respecting this point, it has been seen that the resources yielded by Casselman's, above the mouth of Flaugheriy Creek, consisted of 18 cubic feet per second of running water, and of two reservoirs of available stored water. amomding to about 22 000, 000 cubic yards. As to the Deep Creak sum- men level, it has been shown, in report A, ;February, 1825,] that Deep Creek delivered, as a minimum. 5. 12 cubic feet per second, [page 32:] the Little and Great Youghagany, to- gether 26.88 cubic feet per second [page 38.] Total of run- uing water 32 cubic feet per second.
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Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
The reservoirs in Deep Creek amount to 2,214,156 cubic yards of available water, [page 32,] and those in the Yongha- gany to 23,689,007 cubic yards together, [page 37.] Total, 25,903,163 cubic yards; we assume 26,000,000. These sup- plies of water will compare as follows:
Cubic feet per second Cubic yards. Deep Creek summit, running water, 32 Reservoirs 26,000,000 Casselman's summit, ditto 18 Ditto 22,000,000
Difference in favor of Deep Creek 14 4,000,000
But the following remarks will attenuate this advantage, and induce to plac . these resources upon a nearer footing .- 1. Deep Creck and both Youghaganies were guaged in 1824, whereas Casselman's River was measured in 1825, whose summer and autumn were dryer than those of the preceding vear. 2. The feeder destined to bring the water of the Youghagany reservoirs into the summit level of Deep Creek, will be about 12 miles long, whilst the feeder from the great reservoir below Forney's Mill will be but 33 miles in length. Therefore, the loss of water by evaporation and leakage, will be for the latter the fourth of that for the former. This fact deserves so much the more due attention, that experience has proved positively that such losses were by far greater in feed- ers than in portions of canal of the same length. 3. The 18 cubic feet per second allowed to Casselman's River, were guaged at Pleucher's Farm, 114 feet above the summit level, and no account has been kent of the water delivered by Mea- dow Run, Tub Run, Pine Run, tributaries of Casselman's, whose mouths are below Plencher's Farm, and higher than the summit level: however, they have yielded together, As a minimum on the last days of June, and first days of July, 1825 13.81 cubic feet per second. 4. The reservoirs in the Youghagany present to evaporation an area of sq. yards. 2
12,152,928 5
Whilst those in Casselman's present but 3,581,600
Difference in favor of the latter 8,871,32S
A difference which will cause a saving of about six millions cubic yards of water, the yearly fall of rain being supposed to be but 36 inches, and the common ratio of 5 to S.being admit- ted between the vearly evaporation and fall of rain upon the surface of a given reservoir.
The foregoing facts and computations lead us to the conclu- sion, that, with respect to water supply, both routes may be considered as on equal footing. It remains now to compare the expense attending the construction of either route.
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Chesapeake und Ohio Canat.
.The lockage on the Deep Creek route is 873 feet more than on the Casselman's route, to which are to be added, for double set of locks in Crabtree Creek, at least 350 feet, and at Pan ther's Point, at least 200 feet, total 1423 feet, or 178 locks 5 feet lift, which would cost $2, 136,000, at the rate of $11,000 cach.
The Deep Cut, from the Western end of the tunnel to the base mark, at Deep Creek bridge, is 5 miles 480 yards long. and has, atits Eastern end, a depth of 40 feet, which diminish- es gradually on approaching the base mark. The amount of its excavation will be 1,407,961 cubic yards, from which sub- tracting 87,556 cubic yards, amount of excavation for the West- ern Deep Cut of the Tunnel at Flangherty, it remains 1,320, 105 cubic yards to the disadvantage of the Deep Creek route. On the reasonable supposition that the ground will require, for excavating, two men, one with shovel, the other with pick, and the transportation being assumed at the distance of ninety yards upon an ascent of one-twelfth, this excavation will cost $448,937 70, at the rate of 34 cents the enbic yard.
The Dewickman's Tunnel is 1 mile 568 yards long, and has 235 feet of height of ridge above its bottom
The Flaugherty's Tunnel is 4 miles 80 yards long. and has 856 feet of height of ridge abort hs bottom.
Difference in favor of Deep Creek, 2 miles 1272 yards in length, and 693 feet in height of ridge above its bottom.
The comparative cost of these Tunnels will be as follows, the substance supposed to be sand stone:
PLAUGHERTY'S.
DEWICKMAN'S.
Shafts
$233,032 95
17,108 99
Diference. 215.923 96
Heading
383,534 83 7,704 27
119,73S 12
263,796 71
Side Heading
5,000 00
Tunnel
2,495,242 80
2,704 27 808,106 50
1,687,136 30
Draining
159,469 30
7,010 90
152,458 40
Total cost, $3,278,984 15
954,668,78
2,324,315 37
Respecting the dams to be erected across the two Yougha- ganies, to form the reservoirs designed to supply the Deep Creek Summit, they should have, at least a height of 50 feet, and may be reduced to four in number. They would also measure, together, a length of 1200 yards at the least. As to those across Casselman's, they may be reduced to one only, below Pornty's mill; its height will be 50 feet, and its length . at the top 160 yards. The expenses for this object will there- fore be seven and a half times as great for the Deep Creek as for the Casselman's route,
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
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The dam below Forney's mill will cost - $27,601 60 Therefore, the dams across the Youghaganics, will cost, together - 207,012 00
Difference in favor of the Cesselman's route $179, :10 40
Finally, the route by Deep Creek will be 18 miles 30 yards longer than by Flaugherty Creek. These 18 miles, in the most favorable supposition of level entting and light grounnd, will cost at the rate of $0,136 per cubic yard, digging and transportation included, $96,940 80.
Recapitulating now the extra expenses for cach route, wc find them as follows:
Deep Creek Route.
For Jookage,
-
$2,136,000 00
the Western Deep Cut
448,957 70
the Dams, -
-
179,410 40
the 18 miles, -
-
. 96,940 80
Total, 2,861,288 90
Casselman's Route.
For two miles 1272 yards of Tunnel, 2,324,315 37
Difference in favor of this route.
$536,973 55
The Casselman's route will, therefore, be less expensive than the Deep Creek route; its supply of water nearly the same; its location more casy; its suminit" level less liable to be encumbered at the ends; and, on account of less lockage and shorter length, it will produce a saving of time of 22 hours. All these results combined, lead us to give to the Casselman's route a decided preference.
Before closing this part of our report, we must exhihit the results of an attempt made to avoid the rugged portion of the Yougharany, where the stream forces its way through Briery Mount and Laurel Hill. To this effect, a route was tried, which, commencing either at the fork of Bear Creek, or above the Swallow Falls, in the Youghagany, runs through Asher Glade, a depression of Briery Mount, thence crosses, by a tunnel, Laurel Hill, to follow afterwards its western side, and debouch into the Youghagany, at the mouth of Dunbar Creek; one mile above Connelsville,
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Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
Mention, has been made of this route in the Report .\. (February, 1825,) page 44. Though the single inspection of the ground had sufficiently shown that very little reliance was to be placed upon it, yet it was essential to try its degree oQ practicability; its surveys and levelling were, therefore, made at as long sights as the ground would admit.
The fork of Bear Creek, that is, the point where the Wes- tern and Eastern branches unite, has been found to be 780 93-100 feet below the base mark, at Deep Creek bridge. and 640 9-100 feet below Briery Mount, at Asher's Glade .- Therefore, Asher's Glade is but 131 34-100 feet below the base mark at Deep Creek. This fact alone shows the abso- lute impracticability of obtaining a line of canal in this direc- tion. It shows, also, that, whatever may be the line devised to reach Asher's Glade, it cannot be kept lower than 131 84-100 feet below the summit level of Deep Creek, and must rely on the Youghagany alone for its supply of water; and this for its whole length, from Deep Creek to the mouth of Dunbar Creek; the resources afforded by the intervening streams being, in summer, of no consequence.
By trying a line through the left side of the Youghagany. we should first cross this stream by an aqueduct of more than 150 feet high, then follow the Western side of the valley. to strike, in succession, the head branches of Buffalo Creek, B: Sandy Creek, Little Sandy Creek. The line would then cross Laurel Hill, by a tunnel of' one and a half mile in length, and 547 feet under the rage, and thence descend to the mouth of Dunbar Creek, after having traversed deep and numerous ra- vines which furrow the Western side of Laurel Hill. It must be remarked, that, from the Little Sands to the month of Dunear Creek, in a distance of about 12 miles, this route of casual would oppose difficulties which would be far greater than those to be met with in the valley of Youghagan. where the stream breaks through Briery Mount and Laurdi Hill.
The distance from Deep Creek to Counelsville, by this route, would be 71 miles, and six miles longer than through the valley of the Yonghagany; and if we add to the foregoing statements the deficiency of water, we must conclude that a canal following this duration is utterly inadmissible.
In conformity to an order of the Engineer Department, a Jevelling has been made, in March 1825, in relation to a feed- er destined to transfer the water supply of Deep Check sum- mit to the Casselman's suma.it. Capt. Wm G. McNeil, of the Topographical Engineers, to whom this duty was assign- ed, received from the Board the necessary instructions, His yeport affords the following results :
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Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
Length of the Feeder. Miles Yds. From the base mark, at Deep Creek bridge, to the
point where the feeder meets Casselman's river, 15 585 From this point to the bridge across Casselman's river, on the national road, (nearly) -
8 880
Thence to the reservoir at Pleucher's farm, -
1 880
Add to the length of the feeder from the dams in
the Youghagany to the reservoir at Deep Creek, 12
Total length,
37 585
On this distance there are four deep cuts and two tunnels, viż :
Miles. Yds.
- A deep cut terminating in Buffalo Marsh Run, 2 757
Thence a tunnel to the valley of Bear Creek, .
5 939
A deep out from the end of this tunnel, - 0 708
A deep cut at the Western side of Negro Moun- taiu,
- 0 278
A tunnel through this mountain, -
-
- 1 1640
A deep cut from the end of this tunnel - - 0 330
Together, 10 1132
Out of which, for deep cuts, having 35 feet of greater depth, 3 miles 313 yards -- for tunnels, 7 miles 819 yards.
It is fortunate that so long and so expensive a feeder can be dispensed with.
The foregoing f: ets and investigations, connected with those exposed in the Report A. (February, 1825.) lead us to re- commend the following route for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
From Georgetown, D. C. to Cumberland. it will ascend the valley of The Potomac, thenee the valley of Will's Creek to the mouth of Bowman's Run. It will then cross the summit ridge by a tunnel, and descend, in succession, the valleys of Cassel- man's river, and the Youghagany, to terminate at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, at the mouth of the Monongahela.
PLAN AND ESTIMATE OF THE CANAL.
The transverse section of the canal is exhib ted on the sheet No. 3. The breadth at the bottom is 33 feet; at the surface, IS feet; the depth of water, 5 feet; the tow-path, 9 feet wide;
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Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
the guard banks, 5 feet at the top; the surf berms, kept on the level of water, 2 feet wide each; the tow-path, and top of the guard bank, 2 feet above the surface of the canal.
This transverse section is to be modified where local cir- cunstances require it; and, more especially, in the cases of deep cutting, steep side cutting, embanking, and, also, where the canal is supported by walls. In the framing of the plan, a due attention has been paid to these modifications, with a view to conciliate the convenience of the work with the strict- test economy. The depth of 5 feet has been preserved throughout the line, but the breadth has been often much les- sened. As to the surf berms, they are intended to protect the slopes from being washed off, as also to lessen the resis- tance opposed to the boat, by affording to the eddy water a free passage.
We must submit, however, the reasons which led us to pro- pose the above dimensions.
The experiments made in 1775, by the French Academi- cians (D'Alembert, Condorcet, and Bossut, ) have shown: 1. 'That the resistance of water to the perpendicular motion of a given plauc, may be regarded as proportional to the square of the velocity; 2. That the velocity being the same, the resis tance of water may be considered as proportional to the area of the plane; 3. That these results obtained only in the case of an indefinite expanse of water; 4. That, in narow canals, the resistance increases in a more rapid ratio than the square of the velocity.
To attenuate, as much as practicable, this inconvenience, researches have been made to ascertain what should be the ratio between the transverse section of the canal and the tran- verse section of the boat, in order that the boat might move through such a canal, as through an indefinite expanse of wa- ter. Experiments made on the subject, by the celebrated Chevalier Dubuat, have shown that, to attain this result, the cross section of the canal ought to be, with moderate veloci- ties, 6 46-100 times the cross section of the boat, and the wa- ter line 43 times the breadth of the boat,
Adopting, to preserve uniformity, 134 feet for the breadth of the boats used on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, [which is the breadth of the Erie Canal and of the Ohio Canal boats;] if we suppose the draft to be three feet, the prow to be rect- angular, and the sides and bottom of the boat to conform to it, the cross section of the boat will be 40-5 square feet .- Taking, now, this area 6 46-100 times, we find 261 2-3 square
unese
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feet for the cross section of the canal, through which the boat would not meet with a greater resistance than through an in- definite expanse of water. The water line should be Gog feet, that is, four times and a half the breadth of the boat.
Were not expense to be taken into consideration, these di- mensions might be recommended; but fitness of the work, and strict economy, must be reconciled as much as practica- ble, and it is in such a view that smaller dimensions are to be fixed upon.
It is to be remarked, that the distance from Georgetown to Pittsburgh, in following the line of canal, is 3113 miles, which at the rate of 23 miles per hour, will be'travelled in about 136 hours.
The ascent and descent, amounting together to 3158 feet, will require, at the rate of 1 minute per foot, about 59
Distance, in time, from Georgetown to Pittsburg, 188 hours.
Though a number of canals, selected among those executed to this day, might afford together the distance and lockage found for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, yet there is not, within our knowledge, any line of the same extent requiring even 1500 feet of ascent and descent taken together: the Eric Canal requires 688 feet for 362 miles, the line from Liver- pool to London, 14513 feet for 264miles; the canal from the Rhone to the Rhine, connecting Lyons with Strasburg, has about 1458 feet of Lockage for a length of 200 miles The proposed canal has, therefore, as to time, a decided inferiority, when compared to a canal of the same length, but having a less amount of lockage; and it becomes, iu the present case, indis- pensable to remedy this inconvenience. The means we pro- pose consists in the increase of the dimensions of the cross section of the canal, with a view to compensate, by a greater weight, [transported without additional power, ) for the virtual increase of distance caused by so great an amount of lockage.
We have shown that this section ought to be 261 square feet, with a water line of 60 feet, to procure a boat 13 feet 6 inches in breadth the advantage of moving on the canal, as on an indefinite extent of water. After many trials and minute calculations, we have concluded to adopt, for the contemplat- ed canal, the 4-5 of the foregoing results, viz: for the cross section, 208 square feet; and for the water line, 48 feet; and from these data we have frained, with a depth of 5 feet, the general transverse profile of the canal, as exhibited on the sheet, No. 3.
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Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
Let us now compare this profile to one having 40 feet at the surface, 98 feet at bottom, and 4 feet in depth-the boat used being the same for both, and having 133 feet in breadth, and 3 feet draft.
We find, by calculations, that the velocity remaining the same, the resistance to the boat moving in the 48 feet canal, is to the resistance to the same boat moving in the 40 feet canal, as 1-21 to 1-58, or as 100 to 130. Therefore, at the same rate of velocity, 100 horses will, on the 48 feet canal, performa the same work as 130 horses on the 40 feet canal; and with the same towing power, the weight transported on the 48 feet canal, will be to the weight transported on the 40 feet canal, as 130 to 100.
But the depth of the 48 feet canal being one foot greater than the depth of the other, let us examine what will be the comparative resistance of the beat being immersed i feet into the 48 feet canal, and but 3 feet into the other. We find, in this case, the ratio to be 1-47 to 1-58, or 100 to 107; and we infer from it that, with a gain of about seven per cent. of tow- ing power, the weight transported on the 48 feet canal will be one-third greater than the weight transported, during the same time, on the 40 feet canal.
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