86 Internal Improvements of the State of Pennsylvania. 



The first appropriation for the Pennsylvania canals was made 

 February 25th, 1826. The first contracts are dated June 1826, and 

 the first ground was broken July 4th of the same year. 



The works are distinguished by the names, Main line and Branch- 

 es. The chain connecting Philadelphia with Pittsburg, is dignified 

 hy the first title ; the Branches are those canals diverging from the 

 main trunk up the Delaware, Susquehannah, North Branch, West 

 Branch, Beaver and French creek. 



The Main Line, commences in the heart of Philadelphia, by a 

 rail-road, which crosses the Shcuylkill five miles above the City, and 

 runs westward, through the counties of Philadelphia, Montgomery, 

 Delaware, Chester and Lancaster, to Columbia on the Susquehannah 

 river, a distance of eighty-one miles and three quarters. At this 

 place the canal begins, and proceeds north west along the river, to 

 Duncan's Island, at the mouth of the Juniata, where the Susquehan- 

 nah is crossed by a towing path bridge, and the canal extends up the 

 valley of the Juniata river to Hollidaysburg, one hundred and seven- 

 ty-two miles, through the counties of Lancaster, Dauphin, Perry, 

 Juniata, Mifiiin and Huntingdon. At Hollidaysburg, the canal joins 

 the Alleghany Portage Rail Road, which crosses the Alleghany 

 mountains at Blair's Gap, and meeting the Little Conemaugh, follows 

 it to its junction with Stony creek in Johnstown or Conemaugh; 

 having crossed portions of Huntingdon, Bedford and Cambria coun- 

 ties. The length of the Portage is thirty -six miles and two-thirds. 

 At Johnstown, the canal again commences, and pursues the vallies of 

 the Conemaugh and Kiskiminitas rivers to the mouth of the latter, 

 then crossing the Alleghany river on an aqueduct, it keeps on the 

 western bank to Pittsburg, where it re-crosses in a similar manner, 

 and passing through Grant's Hill, by a tunnel, debouches into the 

 Monongahela, one hundred and four miles from Johnstown, having 

 cut through Cambria, Indiana, Westmoreland, Armstrong, Butler, 

 and Alleghany counties. 



The whole length of the main line is three hundred and ninety-five 

 miles, of which two hundred and seventy-six are canals, and one 

 hundred and nineteen, rail roads. Exclusive of all side cuts and 

 branches, the canals overcome 1178 feet of ascent and descent, and 

 the rail roads, 3416 feet. Total 4594 feet. 



The annexed table may be useful in a topographical point of view, 

 and was drawn up by me from authentic sources. It shows the 

 height of the most important places on the main line above tide, and 



