Still less than Philadelphia, could Baltimore think of a continuous
canal to the Ohio. Wishing to avoid the transhipments which are
necessary on the Pennsylvania line, the Baltimoreans decided on the
construction of a railroad extending from their city to Pittsburg or
Wheeling, the whole length of which would be about 360 miles. It is
now finished as far as Harper's Ferry on the Potomac, a distance of 80
miles, and the company seem to have given up the design of carrying it
further. It will here be connected with the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal,
of which I shall speak below, as the Columbia railroad is connected
with the Pennsylvania canal. It is probable, that, on approaching
the crest of the Alleghanies, the canal will in turn give away to a
railroad across the mountains, and thus the Maryland works will be
similar to the Pennsylvania line.[BR]