Nine Eleven – Tragedy on The Canal
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal began as a dream of passage to western wealth. It operated as a conduit of eastern coal and other commodities, suffered extensive and finally fatal flooding, and then resisted being paved into a highway. Today it endures as a national historical park – a pathway into history, nature and recreation.
Nine-eleven and tragedy have become synonymous. Not only is it the number to dial in case of emergency and the day in September when terrorist struck the heartland, it was also the day in 1916 that witnessed the worst and most tragic accident on the working C&O Canal.
The Capital Traction Company (Georgetown) – Site of Tragedy on 9/11/1916 – razed in 1963
The accident, which had been forgotten for decades, was brought back to light with the discovery of a small carving, barely eight inches long.
The entire heart-wrenching story is required reading for successful completion of the coordinate puzzle.
Posted coordinates are for the C&O Canal National Historic Park Headquarters in Hagerstown, Maryland. The cache is not there, nor is it a waypoint in this puzzle. This adventure contains two (2) waypoint puzzles (below). Completion of the first will take you to the final resting place of the victims of this tragedy. Once there, information gleaned nearby will assist with locating the actual cache.
Finding the numbers to plug into coordinate puzzle for the first waypoint involves a desktop adventure. There are a google of internet tools to assist you with what I like to call vicarious celestial navigation. This bird’s eye view of the C&O Canal will take you from the western terminus in Cumberland to the sea level eastern terminus in Georgetown. Enjoy the flight!
Waypoint One – N 39: 2 A. B C D / W 077: 4 P. Q R S (Final Resting Place)
Let’s get started on the North Coordinates! Just south of Canal Place ( 39 38.969 -78 45.802 ), the Train Station and I-68 is a section of re-watered C&O Canal. If a mule were to pull a canal boat the length of this section, and back, how far would that be? Express the distance in ‘smoots.’ That’s right smoots. Round to the nearest hundred and use the first smoot digit = C. Remember, there are a gaggle of fun tools at your disposal.
The Paw Paw Tunnel ( 39 33.354 -78 27.904 ), which was built to bypass the Paw Paw Bends, a six-mile stretch of the Potomac containing five horseshoe bends, was dug straight through the spine of the Allegheny Mountains. Arch-shaped, it was lined with brick and featured a raised wooden boardwalk for the mules that pulled the barges and the drovers who pulled the mules. Research and find the exact length of this tunnel in feet. Add the middle two digits of that length = D. A google ruler won't do here.
Next stop is 15-mile Creek Aqueduct ( 39 37.460 -78 23.171 ). Swoop in and find the number of arches in this aqueduct, hold the thought, and gallop down the canal on a thorough-bred mule to ( 39 36.408 -77 55.323 ). Early in the Civil War, before he earned the moniker “Stonewall,” Major General Thomas Jackson tried to blow this structure apart with artillery in an attempt to disrupt canal operations. The structure is designated by a number. Add that number to the number of arches at 15-mile Creek = B.
The Cushwa Basin ( 39 36.036 -77 49.626 ) is the only place on the Canal where examples of major canal structures can be viewed within a half-mile stretch. Lock 44, a lockhouse, a re-watered section of the canal, the Cushwa turning basin and the Conococheague Aqueduct are all located in this part of the park. One of the few Bollman Iron Truss bridges still in existence today, as well as a railroad lift bridge, also grace this location. Find the number of spans on the Conococheague Aqueduct. Then find the brick building that overhangs the turning basin. Using tools, find the water-facing sign on the building. Count the letters of the shortest word thereon and add to the number of aqueduct aches = A.
Reference link to all C&O Canal Aquaducts.
South Coordinates. Not only was Harper’s Ferry ( 39 19.447 -77 43.679 ) the site of tumultuous events, but its’ strategic location and land forms along with crucial railroads made it a target for which ever side occupied it during the Civil War. Due to the unique and steep geography, the river, the rails and the Canal converge and co-exist side-by-side. There is a popular overlook from the base of which two train tracks diverge crossing the Potomac into Harpers Ferry. Find the name of that overlook and count the number of letters of its first word = S.
Considered an icon of American civil engineering, the Monocacy Aqueduct ( 39 13.435 -77 27.127 ) is the longest of the eleven aqueducts erected along the C&O Canal, and is often described by historians as one of the finest canal features in the United States. Ten of the eleven aqueducts remain as key features along the C&O Canal. Aqueducts are basically water bridges that enabled canal boats to cross the tributaries that feed the Potomac River. Find and count the number of support arches for this aqueduct, subtract 1 = R. Be wary of internet pix on this one.
The Capital Beltway (I-495) crosses the C&O Canal at ( 38 58.335 -77 10.739 ). Ten lanes wide, the bridge is The American Legion Memorial Bridge, formerly known as the Cabin John Bridge. The past/present contrast is striking. A canal lift lock is visible under the up stream end of the bridge. Find the lock#. Add the two digits = P
Lastly (whew!) Alight in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. ( 38 54.244 -77 03.548 ) onto the 30th Street NW bridge. The Canal is directly under. Panning 360 degrees, you will see a canal lock and buildings on four urban corners. Find The Foundry. "Q" is the 3rd digit of the visible street address number.
You can check your answers for this puzzle on Geochecker.com.
Note - The geochecker confirms only the first waypoint, not the final.
Waypoint Two – N 39* 2 U. 6 X 7 / W 077* 4 V. 5 Y 3 (Geocache)
Coordinate components U and V derive from reading the account of the Spong Tragedy in the NPS archives linked above. Find the Lift Lock number (#) where the 8-inch carving (W-S-S-P-O-N-G) was discovered. Add the two digits of that number = U. “Sarah Spong was burned so badly (in the accident) that she died in V hours.”
Arriving at The Final Resting Place, You will find yourself in a place of great reverence, and a place with an amazing view of the site of another staggeringly bloody American tragedy. Please tread lightly and leave no trace!
Finally, note that the parents names (Samuel & Nina) appear on the front and the three who died in the accident appear on the backside (John, Samuel & Sarah). Stand facing the front (Sam & Nina), pivot 180 degrees and note the memorial stone (of like size) immediately in front of you (12'). The last name is five (5) letters. Add the first, third and fourth numbers of the topmost date, using just the year. = X. Using the same year, subtract the fourth number from the third. From that result, subtract the first digit = Y.
The cache is a micro, contained within a much larger host, suitably camo’d and easily found. Respect and reverence are pre-requisites here. Please replace the cache as found. God Bless.
NOTE: C&O Canal Headquarters are now in Williamsport, Md. Cache original coordinates remain at the old HQ in Hagerstown.
