I just got my latest C&O Canal newsletter and this little story appeared in the
newsletter.
I am going to type it out.
On Jan. 1, 1829, Governor of New York Martin Van Buren wrote this to President
Jackson: “The canal system of this country is being threatened by the spread of
a new form of transportation known as “railroads”. As you may well know,
railroad carriages are pulled at the enormous speed of 15 miles per hour by
engines, which, in addition to endangering life and limb of passengers, roar
and snort their way through the countryside. the Almighty certainly never
intended that people should travel at such a breakneck speed”. Though
oft-quoted, the letter I thought by many to be apocryphal. ( not authenticated)
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The above is sort of silly and funny, as the railroads did over come the canals
in the end.
Many of you know I am a big fan of the C&O canal, as I have hiked all 184 miles
of it in the late 60s with the Boy Scouts and Linda and I bike on it just about
every weekend from April to November.
The speed limit on the canal for boats was 4 mph, as any faster, the ripples
from the boats would damage the clay covered canal beds.
I have read that RR employee’s would throw rocks to spook the mules pulling the
boats, as the boats carrying goods, mostly coal was competition.
I have read a book last year called Railroad Triumph which states that the RRs
where coming but due to many canals being built in the early 1800s, there was a
need for faster movement of goods and people, so the canals actually got RR
design going sooner.
The Canal went into bankruptcy in the 1880s as the B&O RR purchased the canal.
The Canal closed in 1924. The B&O RR went bankrupt in 1936, as the government
got the canal then. It was made into a national park in 1971.
I am reading a book written on the C&O Canal, and President Jackson actually
cut off all US Government funding for the building of this canal. He saw no
need for it.
Mike Marmer
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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