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THE POETRY OF RAILROADS AND CANALS NO FICTION.

J. E. BLOOMFIELD, Esq., a gentleman known to the readers of the Merchants' Maga zine by his contributions to its pages in years past, says:—

It is more than eighty years ago that Darwin wrote:

"Soon shall thy power, unconquered Steam! afar
Drag the swift barge and drive the rapid car,"

a prediction as remarkable as its accomplishment.

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Joel Barlow wrote his epic poem of the "Vision of Columbus," seventy years ago. In the Paris edition, book ix., from page 253 to 262, he portrays "the future progress of society with respect to Commerce, discoveries, and the opening of canals." From it I make the following extracts. The Erie, Ohio, and Illinois Canals are foretold:"Now, round the yielding canopy of shade, Again the Guide his heav'nly power display'd.

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He saw, as widely spread the unchanneled plain,
Where inland realms for ages bloomed in vain,
Canals, long-winding, ope a watery flight,
And distant streams, and seas, and lakes unite.
Where Darien's hills o'erlook the gulfy tide,
By human art the ridgy banks divide;
Ascending sails the opening pass pursue,
And waft the sparkling treasures of Peru.
Janeiro's stream from Plata winds its way,
Madeira greets the waves of Paraguay.
From rich Albania, tow'rd the falling sun,
Back thro' the midland, numerous channels run,
Meet the far lakes, their beauteous towns that lave,
And Hudson join to broad Ohio's wave.

From dim Superior, whose unfathom'd sea
Drinks the mild sunbeams of the setting day,
New paths unfolding, lead their watery pride,
And towns and empires rise along their side;
To Mississippi's source the passes bend,
And to the broad Pacific main extend.

The prediction of Darwin, relative to railways, is not more singular than the de

scription by Barlow of the Erie, the Ohio, the Wabash, and Illinois Canals. Barlow's poem, written, he states, (page 256,) "previous to the late war"-(meaning the Revolution)—is a remarkable production. He has certainly the right, with General Washington and General Schuyler, to claim the paternity of the Erie Canal.

Fulton, you may recollect, adopted Darwin's idea, in the "Lady Clinton Barge," attached to his first experiments in steam on the North River. But I am admonished not to trespass further on the pages of the Merchants' Magazine than to mention that Colonel J. Stevens, of Hoboken, said in 1811:-"I should not be surprised at seeing steam-carriages propelled at the rate of forty and fifty miles per hour, and I can see nothing to hinder one from moving on these ways with the velocity of one hundred miles an hour."

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The Little Miami Road runs from Cincinnati to Springfield, Ohio, and is eighty-three and a half miles long, single track, costing $2,409,748, or say $27,661 per mile, all equipped. The following is an account of its earnings for the year:

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The gain in gross earnings over 1850 is $82,148 82, or about 20 per cent. The miles run in 1851 were 301,640, against 274,303 in 1850:

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The current expenses have been 39.02 per cent of the receipts. The following is a comparative statement of the gross and net earnings, expenses, and passengers carried,

for the two past years:—

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REVENUES FROM RAILROADS AND CANALS IN UNITED STATES.

We give below a table showing the revenues of some of the leading corporate and public works in the United States, in each year from 1848 to 1851, inclusive:—

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The following modifications in the rate of tolls on this work have been made pablis In all other articles the tolls will be the same as in 1851:

Passengers...

Merchandise, including such as is specified in schedule of 1851, pr 1,000 lbs. pr mile

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.per cubic yard

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DANGERS NEAR ASSATEAGUE LIGHT-HOUSE.

The Superintendent of the Coast Survey of the United States, (under date, CoastSurvey Office, April 19, 1852,) has communicated to the Treasury Department, at Washington, the subjoined report of the dangers in the vicinity of Assateague LightHouse, on the coast of Virginia, derived from Lieutenant Commanding JOHN ALMY, United States Navy, assistant in the Coast Survey, who has been in charge of the hydrographic party working on that coast during the past season, as follows:-

DANGERS IN THE VICINITY OF ASSATEAGUE LIGHT-HOUSE.

Notes.-The light-house stands on an elevation about one mile distant from the beach, and is in latitude 37° 54′ 37′′ north, and longitude 75° 21' 04" west from Greenwich.

In the list of dangers, the bearings, &c., within brackets, are true; those without are magnetic, or by compass. The distances are in nautical miles.

Winter-Quarter Shoal is one mile long, and one-third of a mile wide, running in a direction E. by N. & N., and W. by S. & S., [E. N. E. and W. S. W.,] with not over 3 fathoms water upon it. The least water is 12 feet, in several places, at low tide. On the seaward side the soundings change suddenly from 9 to 4, and then to 2 fathoms. It is 6 miles distant from the nearest land, with 10 fathoms water between it and the shore. In clear weather the lantern of Assateague Light-House is just visible from it. The center of the shoal bears from Assateague light E. by N. Ñ., [E. by N. & N.,] distant 11 miles. This is a highly dangerous shoal, as the soundings change suddenly, and it lies directly in the track of vessels. The sea breaks upon it in heavy weather. Chincoteague Shoal is a long narrow bank or ridge, running in a direction N. E. E., and S. W. W., [N. E. † E., and S. W. † W.,] 44 miles long, with an average width of a quarter of a mile, and distant from 4 to 6 miles from the shore, with from 3 to 5 fathoms water upon it. Its north end bears E. by S., [E. & S.,] distant 7 miles, and its south end Ŝ. E. † S., [S. E. S.,] distant 54 miles from Assateague LightHouse.

A dangerous shoal lies S. by E. 4 E., [S. S. E.,] distant 4 miles from Assateague Light-House, with 13 feet water upon it.

Another, with 9 feet water upon it, lies S. E., [S. by E.,] distant 44 miles from the light-house.

Another, with 9 feet water upon it, lies S., [S. † E.,] distant 34 miles from the light-house.

Within a semi-circle of 12 miles, Assateague Light-House being the center, the bottom is exceedingly broken and uneven. The general set of the current along this part of the coast is to the southward and westward; and vessels from the West Indies and Southern ports, bound into Delaware Bay, have been set in shore among these dangers by it. The coast in this vicinity is dangerous for large vessels navigated by persons not well acquainted with it. Vessels supposing themselves in this vicinity, after striking eleven and twelve fathoms water, should keep the lead going, and keep a bright lookout. In the daytime large vessels should not approach nearer the land than eight or nine miles, with the trees just in sight from the deck; nor at night, even in clear weather, when coming from the southward, nearer than just to keep Assateague light in sight, until it is brought to bear, by compass, to the southward of west. After that it will be necessary to keep further off, and run it out of sight, in order to avoid "Winter-Quarter Shoal."

This light, in clear weather, at night can be seen at a distance of about 12 miles. I would respectfully request authority to publish this communication.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Hon. THOMAS CORWIN, Secretary of the Treasury.

A. D. BACHE, Superintendent.

A DISCOVERY IN LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE.

"The Pacific," a religious and family newspaper recently commenced at San Francisco, announces an important discovery to mariners, made by Rev. Tyler Thatcher, on his recent passage to San Francisco. The end of this discovery is to enable a mariner at sea to obtain his longitude and latitude by means of a single observation of any heavenly body, either on the meridian, or at any angle with the meridian, at any hour of the day or night, and a method, too, entirely independent of the chronometer. Hitherto navigators have depended almost entirely on meridian observations for their

latitude, and on the difference between the ship's time and their chronometers for their longitude. If therefore, their chronometers should happen to get out of order, or a meridian observation could not be obtained, most mariners would be in doubt respecting their true positions. Mr. Thatcher's discovery purposes to obviate both of these difficulties, by means of a single observation, at any angle, and at any time, and is declared to be, by The Pacific, partly geometrical and partly arithmetical; but as plain and certain as any demonstration in Euclid's elements, or any sum in the rule of three. Mr. Thatcher is preparing to publish this method.

COMMERCIAL REGULATIONS.

PORT CHARGES IN HAMBURG.

We are indebted to FERDINAND KARCK, Esq., Consul for Hamburg, residing at the port of New York, for the following memorandum of the recent reduction of part charges at Hamburgh :—

The Hamburg port charges have recently been reduced very materially. While vessels arriving at Hamburg had to pay, up to the end of 1851, at the rate of

Three marks currency per Commerz last, (about three tons,) when from or beyond the Cape of Good Hope or Cape Horn,

Or 2 marks 8 schillings when from the United States, British North America, the West Indies, and all other countries on the Atlantic coast of the American continen', as well as the west coast of Africa,

Or 2 marks when from Portugal, Spain, and the Mediterranean,

Or 1 mark when from other European ports

There has now been adopted a uniform tonnage dues of only 8 B, (eight schillings,) currency per Commerz last, which makes it equal to about 5 cents United States currency per ton.

One-half of these dues only (say about 24 cents per ton) is to be paid for vessels arriving either in ballast or being freighted only with coal, cinders, coke, or other fuel, building materials, staves, empty bottles, empty jars, tanners' bark, clay, common earthenware, cattle, animal offal, dung, &c., &c.

Free of all tonnage dues are colliers or coal vessels bringing coal, cinders, and coke, and leaving port again in ballast; also vessels arriving for the only purpose of repairing, and which leave, immediately after being repaired, in ballast.

Further particulars can be obtained from the revised Hamburg Customs Regulations, as adopted on the 29th December, 1851, a copy of which is in the hands of all the Hamburg Consuls.

GENERAL LAW OF NEW YORK FOR OCEAN STEAMSHIP COMPANIES.

The following is a correct copy of each section of "An Act for the Incorporation of Companies formed to Navigate the Ocean by Steamships,” as passed April 12, 1852, by "the people of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly," and certified by the Secretary of State, April 15, 1852. This act takes effect from the time of its passage, and is, of course, now in force :

AN ACT FOR THE INCORPORATION OF COMPANIES FORMED TO NAVIGATE THE OCEAN BY STEAMSHIPS.

SECTION 1. Any seven or more persons, who may desire to form a company for the purpose of building for their own use, equipping, furnishing, fitting, purchasing, chartering, navigating, and owning vessels to be propelled solely or partially by the power or aid of steam or other expansive fluid or motive-power, to be used in all lawful Commerce and navigation upon the ocean and seas, and for the transportation of passengers, freight, and mails, may make, sign, and acknowledge before some officer competent to take the acknowledgment of deeds, and file in the office of the clerk of the County in which the principal office for the management of the business of the company shall be situated, and a duplicate thereof in the office of the Secretary of State, a certificate in writing, in which shall be stated the corporate name of the said com

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