CANALS. 



13 



that of Johnstown. The canal then runs from Johns- 

 town to Pittsburg, 104 miles, down the Kiskimeni- 

 tas and Alleghany. 2. The Middle division is from 

 the mouth of the Juniata up the Susquehanna to the 

 boundary line of New York, 204 miles. 3. The 

 West Branch division from Northumberland, by ca- 

 nal, up the West Branch valley, on the east side of 

 that river, to a dam above the mouth of the Bald 

 Eagle creek, and thence across the small peninsula 

 there formed, to a dam on the Bald Eagle, near 

 Dunnstown. Ascent, by 14 locks, 101 feet ; dis- 

 tance, 68 miles. 4. The eastern division is in the 

 valley of the Delaware, commencing at Bristol, 18 

 miles above Philadelphia, and running to Easton, 60 

 miles. From Easton it is to be continued, under the 

 name of the Delaware canal, to meet the Delaware 

 and Hudson canal at Carpenter's point, 66| miles. 

 Begun in 1827. 5. The western, or Ohio and lake 

 Erie division, is to extend from the mouth of the Kis- 

 kimenitas up the Alleghany and French creeks, and 

 thence to the town of Erie, uniting the Ohio and lake 

 Erie, 213 miles. French creek feeder runs from Se- 

 mis's mill, on French creek, along the eastern side, 

 9 miles, down to a point opposite the Conneaught 

 outlet, and thence passing across by an aqueduct 

 westward 12 miles, to Conneaught lake, 21^ miles. 

 Delaware and Maryland. Chesapeake and Dela- 

 ware canal was commenced in 1824, and opened for 

 navigation in 1829. It is 13| miles long, 66 feet 

 wide at the surface of the water, and 10 feet deep, 

 being intended for sloop navigation between the riv- 

 er Delaware and Chesapeake bay. It leaves the 

 Delaware 45 miles below Philadelphia, and passes 

 across the peninsula to the Chesapeake. This canal 

 has 2 tide and 2 lift locks, of 100 feet in length by 

 22 in breadth, within the chamber ; it is navigable 

 for vessels usually employed in the bay and coasting 

 trade. At the eastern termination of the canal, at 

 Delaware city, a harbour extends 500 feet along the 

 shore, from which two piers, that distance apart, pro- 

 ject 250 feet into the river, nearly opposite to Fort 

 Delaware. Between the harbour and the canal, the 

 Delaware tide-lock opens the communication. In 

 this canal is a deep cut of 3| miles, 7 65 feet in depth 

 at the place where the greatest excavation was made. 

 The summit level is 12 feet above tide-water. Port 

 Deposit canal is a public work of the state of Mary- 

 land, of 10 miles in length, from Port Deposit, on 

 the east bank of the Susquehanna, along a line of 

 rapids northward to the boundary line of Maryland 

 and Pennsylvania. Potomac river canals. At Lit- 

 tle, or Lower Falls, three miles above Washington, 

 is a canal 2 miles long ; difference of level, 37 feet 

 1 inch, overcome by a series of 4 sets of locks, of so- 

 lid masonry, 80 feet long, 12 wide. At Great Falls, 

 nine miles above, is a canal 1200 yards long, lined 

 with walls of stone ; difference of level, 76 feet 9 

 inches, surmounted by 5 sets of locks, of solid mas- 

 onry, 100 feet long, 10 to 14 wide ; lifts from 10 to 

 18 feet. Both here and at Little Falls, the canal di- 

 mensions are 25 feet wide at surface, 20 at bottom, 

 4 feet deep. Canal works, on a smaller scale, are 

 constructed at Seneca falls, Shenanduah falls, House's 

 fells. These works were executed by the Potomac 

 company, incorporated in 1784, by Maryland and Vir- 

 ginia ; but they are to be surrendered to the Chesa- 

 peake and Ohio canal company. Chesapeake and 

 Ohio canal, commenced in 1828. The proposed 

 length is 341 miles ; the breadth, at the surface of 

 the water, 60 to 80 feet ; at the bottom, 50 feet ; 

 the depth of water, 6 to 7 feet. According to the 

 plan of this canal, it will pass from tide-water of the 

 Potomac river above Georgetown, in the district of 

 Columbia, and terminate near Pittsburg, in Pennsyl- 

 vania. The first 2 miles of this canal above George- 



town are 70 feet wide on the surface and 7 feet deep ; 

 the next 2 miles are 80 feet wide, 6 feet deep. Five 

 miles from Georgetown, the canal is so planned that 

 a branch may be constructed to Alexandria, another 

 to Baltimore, and another to the navy-yard in Wash- 

 ington. The remaining distance to the Point of Rocks 

 (44 miles) is to be 60 feet wide, G deep. The locks 

 are to be of stone, 100 feet by 15 feet in the clear. 

 The eastern section of this canal, from one mile 

 below Cumberland to tide-water at Georgetown, is 

 186 miles 1353 yards ; descent, 638 feet. The mid- 

 dle section is from Cumberland to the mouth of Cas- 

 selman's river, 70 miles 1010 yards; this section 

 includes the summit level, where a tunnel, 4 miles 

 80 yards long, passing under a ridge of the 

 Alleghany of 856 feet elevation, is necessary, with a 

 deep cut of 1060 yards long at the western end. and 

 another deep cut of 140 yards at the eastern end, 

 each of these cuts opening into a basin, of 880 yards 

 in length and 64 in width. Length of summit level 

 is five miles 1280 yards ; lockage of the whole mid- 

 dle section is 1961 feet. The western section is 

 from the mouth of Casselman's river to Pittsburg, 85 

 miles 348 yards, embracing a descent of 619 feet; 

 lockage on the whole canal, 3215 feet. The first 

 estimate of the cost was 22,375,000 dollars, but it is 

 maintained that the cost will not exceed 10,000,000 

 dollars. The United States have authorized a sub- 

 scription of 1,000,000 dollars to the stock of this 

 company. To be constructed by the Chesapeake 

 and Ohio canal company. Charter granted by 

 Virginia in 1824, confirmed by Maryland and con- 

 gress in 1825. Tolls not to exceed fifteen per cent, 

 dividend. 



Ohio. The state of Ohto has commenced the con- 

 struction of canals, as public works, on a very liberal 

 scale. Ohio State canal, from Cleveland, on lake 

 Erie, to the Ohio, at the mouth of the Scioto ; lock- 

 age, 1185 feet ; length of the main line is 306 miles ; 

 feeders, 15 miles ; total, 322 miles. Estimated ex- 

 penses, 2,801,000 dollars. The route is from Ports- 

 mouth, on the Ohio (where it is 474 feet above tide 

 level, and 94 below lake Erie), up the valley of the 

 Scioto, to Pikestown ; thence crossing the river to 

 near Chillicothe ; thence again crossing the river, it 

 continues along the eastern bank to the Big Belly 

 creek, where it receives a feeder, ten miles long, 

 from the Scioto at Columbus ; it then passes up the 

 valley of Walnut creek to the Licking and Walnut 

 creek summit, between the head waters of those 

 streams. From the summit it continues down the 

 valley of Licking creek to Rocky Fork, and thence 

 across the valley to the Tomaka, and down it to near 

 its. junction with the Muskingum. From this point 

 the ascent commences, and the line passes up the 

 Muskingum valley to White Woman's creek ; cross- 

 ing this, it proceeds up the valley of the Tuscarawas 

 Fork, first on the western, then on the eastern bank, 

 to a point where its two head-waters unite near the 

 south-west angle of Portage county. This is the 

 centre of the Portage summit, extending 10 miles. 

 From the north of the Portage or Akron summit 

 (499 feet above the Ohio at Portsmouth, 973 feet 

 above the Atlantic, 405 above lake Erie), it passes 

 down the Cuyahoga valley, first on the west, after- 

 ward on the east side of the river, to within 6 miles 

 of the mouth at Cleveland, for which 6 miles the 

 river channel with a towing-path is to be used. 

 Miami canal, 40 feet wide at the surface, and 4 feet 

 in depth, from Cincinnati on the Ohio to the Mau- 

 mee, near the head of lake Erie, was commenced in 

 1825. Length of main line, 265 miles; feeders, 

 25 miles ; total, 290 ; lockage, 889 ; estimated ex- 

 pense, 2,929,957 dollars. The entire line from Cin- 

 cinnati to. Dayton is (1831) completed. This division 



