Gazette Of The United States & Evening Advertiser

THE following observations have been

submitted to the inspection of the FIRST

CHARACTERS in the United States—and

have received their approbation, as con-

taining the best information relative to the

important objects to which they refer—

as such, they have been handed to the

public in the form of a pamphlet—for the

purpose of a more general circulation, you

are requested to publish them in the Ga-

zette of the United States.

Yours,

G. J.

OBSERVATIONS

ON THE

RIVER POTOMACK.

THE COUNTRY ADJACENT, AND THE

CITY OF WASHINGTON.

THE permanent seat of government of

the United States, having been fixed on the

river Potomack, by a solemn act of the go-

vernment—This river, the country about it,

and particularly the spot chosen for the seat

of government, become objects of interesting

enquiry, both at home and abroad.—This

consideration has drawn the following ob-

servations from a person who, to a general

knowledge of the Potomack and its dependen-

cies, adds the advantage of having been long

in a situation, where he has had an opportu-

nity of obtaining the best information on the

points mentioned in the following sheets.

THE river Potomack forms a junction

with the bay of Chesapeake, one hundred

and fifty miles from the sea. From thence

to the head of tide-water is about one

hundred and sixty miles.

This river is one and an half miles

wide at its mouth ; four and an half at

Nomony Bay: three at Aquia; one and

an half at Hollowing-Point; one and a

quarter at Alexandria ; and the same from

thence to the city of Washington, which

is within three miles of the head of tide-

water.—Its soundings are seven fathoms

at the mouth ; five at St. George's Island;

four and an half at Lower Matchodic;

three at Sheridan's Point, and the same from

thence to the city. [Mr. Jefferson's

Notes on Virginia.]

From the Capes of the Chesapeake to

the city of Washington, is upwards of

three hundred miles; but the navigation

is easy and perfectly safe.—A vessel of

twelve hundred hogsheads of tobacco has

loaded at and sailed from Alexandria, and

one of seven hundred hogsheads at George-

Town, which is above the city.

At the city the water rises four feet in

a common tide.

From the city of Washington to Cum-

berland, a flourishing town at the head of

the river, is about two hundred and thirty

miles as the river runs.

Early in life General Washington con-

templated the opening of this river, from

tide-water to its source, so as to make it

navigable for such vessels as were suitable

for carrying the produce of the country

to the shipping ports below. His public

employments in the part of the country

through which the Potomack and its

branches run, had given him a more com-

plete knowledge of this river, than almost

any other man possessed at that time; and

his mind was strongly impressed with its

future importance. But the period for

undertaking a work of such magnitude

had not yet arrived.—The country was

then but sparingly inhabited. Canals and


Locks but little understood, especially in

America : and but few men of property

were willing to engage in an undertaking,

the cost of which they could not clearly

calculate, and the profits of which were to

many doubtful. General Washington,

however, kept the object steadily in view,

waiting until time and circumstances should

enable him to bring it forward, with a pro-

spect of success.

The war with Great Britain took place

about the time when the importance of

this object began to be understood, and a

willingness to embark in it began to appear

among men of property. Until the close

of that war nothing, however could be

attempted in the business.—But no soon-

er had a happy termination of it enabled

Gen. Washington to retire from his high

public station, than he resumed this object

which had so long before occupied his

mind. He found gentlemen of the first

property and respectability in the neigh-

borhood of the Potomack, both in Virgi-

nia and Maryland, ready to engage in the

enterprise. In the year 1784 a company

was formed for the purpose of removing

the obstructions, and opening the naviga-

tion of the river from its source down to

tide water, and an act of incorporation,

passed by the assemblies of Virginia and

Maryland, authorizing the company to

take the necessary measures for carrying

into effect the objects for which they were

incorporated—and granting to them for

ever the tolls which may arise therefrom ;

which tolls are fixed by the same law that

empowers the company to undertake the

business. The sum agreed upon to com-

plete the navigation was 50,000l. sterling,

divided into 500 shares of 100l. each, to

be paid by such instalments, and at such

times, as the Directors of the Company

should find necessary for the prosecution of

the work. Ten years were allowed the

company to settle the business.

The company have prosecuted their

work with great success, and what is not

common in undertakings of this nature,

they will complete it for something less

than the sum subscribed. The rate of toll

being fixed, and knowing with some accu-

racy the quantity of produce that is now

brought by land from those parts of the

country, which will of course, throw the

same upon the river, they have a certainty

of receiving, on the first opening of the

river, a handsome percentage on their ca-

pital, (even without calculating upon the

articles which will be sent up the river,)

and the increase will be almost incredible.

Those who best know the circumstances of

the country, and some, who are not among

the most sanguine with respect to the pro-

fits of this undertaking, have no doubt

of the capital's producing fifty per cent.

annually, in less than ten years from the

time of the toll's commencing.

The principal work in completing the

above mentioned navigation, is at the

Great Falls, fourteen miles above the city

of Washington—at the Little Falls, four

miles above the said city, and in clearing

the river between these two Falls. At the

Great Falls, the water falls 72 feet in 1 1/2 mile

and at the Little Falls 36 feet 8 inches in about two miles.—At the for-

mer there will be six, and at the latter

three locks. The locks at the Little Falls

will be finished this season, and fit for use:

those at the Great Falls are in forward-

ness and, with clearing the bed of the ri-

ver between the two falls, will be completed

next year. This will finish the navigation

of the main river, from Cumberland down

to tide-water, and enable the Company to

receive the reward of their expense and la-

bor. Boats, carrying from one hundred

and fifty to two hundred barrels of flour,

have actually been brought in boats to the

already pass from Cumberland to the Great

Falls; and many thousand barrels of flour

at the latter place during the present year.

offer the prospect of transporting to the

Besides the main river of the Poto-

mack, its numerous and extensive branches

main river, and from thence to the ship-

ping ports, an immense quantity of pro-

v, duce.

The following are the principal streams

which empty into the Potomack, above

d tide-water, and the distances to which

d they are navigable in their natural state,

from their confluence with the Potowmack.
Patterson's Creek, which falls into the river ten miles below Cumberland, is navigable twenty miles above its mouth:-
The South Branch, seventeen miles below Cumberland, is navigable one hundred miles;-Connogocheque, ninety miles below, is navigable twenty-four miles; O.
pecan, one hundred and twenty-five miles below, is navigable twenty-five miles from its mouth, and within a few miles of Win-
chester, which, after Lancaster, is the larg-
est inland town in the United States;-
The Shanandoah, one hundred and thir-
ty miles below, runs into the country at
right angles from the Potowmack, nearly
two hundred miles, and the navigation of
it, for one hundred and fifty miles of that
distance, is but little interrupted; the
chief obstruction is, where it enters the
Potowmack; and, so trifling is that, com-
pared with the great advantages of this
noble branch, that its removal and clearing
other parts, will not cost more than twen-
ty-five thousand dollars. The Potowmack
Company have already made a beginning
on this work.—The Monocacy, one hun-
dred and fifty miles below Cumberland, is
navigable thirty miles above its mouth.
This branch is within two miles of Frede-
rick-Town, in Maryland, one of the larg-
est inland towns in the United States. *
These several streams, as well as the
main river, pass through a country not
exceeded in fertility of soil and salubrity
of air, by any in America, if any in the
world; and few parts of America can
boast of being equally healthy with the
banks of this river, and the adjacent coun-
try.
* Report of the committee appointed
by the Merchants of Georgetown and Al-
exandria, which, being founded on the
actual observations made by order of the
Directors of the Potomack company, may
be deemed authentic.
[TO BE CONTINUED.]