COMPILATION OF CANAL TRADE ARTICLES FROM CUMBERLAND ALLEGANIAN a Cumberland, Md. newspaper and THE BALTIMORE SUN a Baltimore, Md., newspaper and TIMES and EVENING STAR two Washington, D. C., newspapers 1900 Compiled by William Bauman C & O Canal Association Volunteer [email protected] FEBRUARY 2020 Canal Trade - 1900 A. PREFACE In this compilation, all the Canal Trade articles were transcribed from the Cumberland Alleganian, a Cumberland, Md. newspaper, the Baltimore Sun, a Baltimore, Md. newspaper, the Times, a District of Columbia newspaper and the Evening Star another District of Columbia newspaper of the era. The articles were compiled, chronologically in a two-column format, much as they appeared in the newspaper. Articles from Cumberland Alleganian are preceded by CA, those from the Baltimore Sun are preceded by Sun, those from the Times are preceded by Times, and those from the Evening Star are preceded by ES. The newspapers were found on-line. There may be some duplication or overlapping of stories due to the varied sources, date of publication, and local interest. The research continues because the reader may yet find a missing date, or better yet, a missing newspaper. Readers will notice that articles from the Times newspaper tend to be very long articles. I hesitated to include them due to their length, but decided their inclusion would give some perspective of life in Washington, D. C. in 1900. Readers not interested should just skip over those articles. Readers are encouraged to search the enclosed report for information on their ancestor, as their time and interest permits. Feel free to send additional observations for the benefit of others. William Bauman Transcribed February 2020 [email protected] 2 Canal Trade - 1900 Canal Trade 1900. condition of the Potomac. The people are becoming thoroughly aroused to the danger ES, Wed. 1/3/00, p. 11. Dr. Young’s that daily menaces their health and lives, and Observation. About one month ago Dr. it is certainly time some effective action Young made a trip from Georgetown to should be taken. Cumberland in a steam launch as the guest of Col. George L. Nicholson, general Sun, Fri. 1/5/00, p. 8. POTOMAC manager of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal. POLLUTION – Cumberland, Md., Jan. 4. – Dr. Young made many observations Gen Joseph Sprigg, chairman of the citizen’s concerning the condition of the water on the mass meeting, today named the executive way up, and today said toa reporter for The committee to carry on the fight against the Star: “The Potomac water was dark from pollution of the Potomac river, the duties of Great Falls up. The inky conditions grew the committee, among other things, to ask worse the higher we went, until in some the intervention of Congress, being detailed places it was coal-black. In the vicinity of in the resolutions adopted by the meeting. Cumberland woody matter, the refuse from The committee, which is called to meet in the pulp mills and tanneries, was distinctly the Council chamber Saturday night, is visible in the water. The river was polluted, composed of Dr. J. Jones Wilson, Hervey not muddy. The claim made by some that Laney, Austin A. Wilson, Charles R. Morris, the discoloration and impurities found in the James P. Gaffney, Levi Shaw, Charles C. water are caused by the decomposition of Hedges, James H. J. House, James M. leaves falling into the river is disproved in Conway, David J. Lewis, County Surveyor observations made at almost any time at John Schmidt, William C. Devecmon, J. W. Harper’s Ferry, where the Potomac and Scott Cochrane, Water Superintendent Shenandoah rivers unite. When the Thomas S. Kean, George W. Snyder, Potomac runs blackest the Shenandoah Samuel J. Edwards, Jasper N. Willison, John water will be translucent. Leaves fall into it, Keating, J. Philip Roman and Postmaster J. and small streams pour their drainage into Henry Holzhn. General Sprigg is chairman the Shenandoah, as well as the Potomac. ex-officio. For a little distance below Harper’s Ferry Congressman George A. Pearre, who the black and clear waters run side by side is now in Cumberland, states that he has until finally the clear water is contaminated prepared a bill to be introduced in the House and the entire body of the stream becomes to prevent the pollution of the Potomac. The black. matter comes within Federal jurisdiction, as “The people of Washington are it affects more than one State. becoming aware of the pressing need of A petition is being circulated among some congressional action,” continued Dr. Baltimore and Ohio employees asking that Young, “and the essential point is speedy the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal be sold to action. Senator Cockerel has introduced in the highest bidder, who is required to the Senate a resolution appropriating $3,000 maintain it as a waterway for 25 years. The for an investigation of the waters of several petition is being generally signed by rivers, especially the Potomac. This is a step employees and outsiders alike, although in the right direction, but Congress should some persons have refused to endorse it. act immediately. The Senate chamber could be flooded with reliable information Sat. 1/6/00, p. 5. John Mosier, Chesapeake regarding the contaminated and injurious and Ohio Canal locktender, on Christmas 3 Canal Trade - 1900 Day shot and killed in the woods, one mile which the town of Hancock, this county, is from Hancock, a catamount that weighed situated. over one hundred pounds. It was a most ferocious specimen, and had been alarming ES, Fri. 2/9/00, p. 5. HAGERSTOWN the country nightly with its cries. Mosier NEWS GRIST. Thirty-nine canal boats on will have the hide sruffed.1 the Chesapeake and Ohio canal are tied up at the landing near Sharpsburg, and thirty-two Sun, Sat. 1/20/00, p. 8. CITY OF at Snyder’s Landing. Many of the boats HAGERSTOWN – William A. Bowles, have families aboard, giving both places the William A. Bowles, Jr., and Preston E. appearance of little towns. Bowles today got out a preliminary injunction against John K. Cowen, Hugh L. Sun, Thu. 2/22/00, p. 9. GREAT FALLS Bond and Joseph Bryon, trustees of the DAM – Rockville, Md. Feb. 21. – John K. bondholders of 1844 of the Chesapeake and Cowen, Hugh L. Bond and Joseph Bryan, as Ohio Canal, restraining them and their trustees of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal employees from planting any fences or Company, yesterday filed a bill in the continuing the same, if now erected, upon Circuit Court of this county asking that the the lands of the plaintiffs, who allege they Great Falls Power Company be restrained own about 45 acres at Hancock, lying from continuing work on the dam across the between the canal and the old National Potomac river at Great Falls, which has been turnpike; that they have had possession of in progress for some time past. the land for at least 70 years, and that the They also ask that the power canal company, which claims ownership of company be required to forthwith remove a parcel of ground adjoining the lands of the any dam or construction of any kind which Bowles, have disseized the plaintiffs of six in any way obstructs or hinders the flow of or seven acres and have commenced to the water of the Potomac river at Great Falls remove the plaintiffs’ fences and to erect in so far as it has been constructed below other fences on the Bowles’ land and to low water mark upon the Virginia side of the occupy it. Judge Edward Stake signed an river. order requiring the canal company trustees The bill alleges that the dam will cut to show cause by January 31 why a off the water from the entrance and destroy permanent injunction should not be issued. the use of what is known and called the Potomac Company’s Canal, the property of ES, Fri. 1/26/00, p. 13. HAGERSTOWN the Chesapeake and Ohio, and will interfere NEWS GRIST. Judge Stake has signed an with the rights of the Chesapeake and Ohio order requiring the trustees of the Canal Company and render them valueless Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company to for the purposes and objects of its show cause by January 31 why a permanent construction. injunction should not be issued in the The bill also alleges that the dam Bowles case for trespassing on lands at crosses an old dam built by the Potomac Hancock. This is one of the cases growing Company and interferes with and destroys out of the disputed title, in which the canal the purposes for which the Potomac company claims ownership under an old Company built its dam. survey to a large portion of the ground on The Potomac Company’s canal and works were begun in the year 1791 and occupied many years in building, and at a 1 Democratic Advocate, Westminster, Md. 4 Canal Trade - 1900 heavy cost. The work consisted of the CA, 3/8/00. AQUEDUCT COLLAPSED. construction on the Virginia shore of a canal Will cause a Delay of Thirty Days in 6,000 feet in length, from 80 to 140 feet in Opening C. & O. Canal. width and 4 feet in depth. One-quarter of The aqueduct on the Chesapeake and the distance was hewn through solid rock. Ohio canal over Licking Creek, near Four locks were hewn out of this rock, Hancock, collapsed on Tuesday, and will making in all a rise of about 80 feet from the cause a delay of at least 30 days in opening bottom to the top.