242 Ten Days in Ohio. 



here about one hundred yards; its depth from twelve to twenty feet. 

 It opens into the lake by a safe and straight channel, in no place less 

 than ten feet in depth. This channel is secured from the deposition 

 of moveable sand by two parallel piers, about one hundred and eighty- 

 feet apart, extending from the shore, on each side of the river, one 

 thousand two hundred feet into the lake. These works were erect- 

 ed by the United States, and completely answer the contemplated 

 purpose, forming one af the most safe and commodious harbors on 

 the lake, accessible in any state of the wind or weather. A small 

 light-house, on the extremity of the eastern pier, enables vessels to 

 enter the harbor with safety during the night. These structures do 

 credit to the enlightened policy of our government, and to the fidelity 

 and skill of the officers and engineers by whom the work was exe- 

 cuted. Two locks, each of six feet lift, the chambers of which are 

 twenty five feet wide and one hundred feet long, having eight feet 

 depth of water on the mitre sills, connect the canal with the river, 

 and admit the largest class of sloops and schooners which navigate 

 the lake, to pass from the river into a basin, of nearly a quarter of 

 a mile in length, with a medium breadth of one hundred and twenty 

 feet, and a depth of eight feet. The dry docks are so constructed, 

 as freely to admit lake vessels and canal boats to pass into them from 

 this basin, for the purpose of receiving repairs. The economy, ex- 

 pedition, and safety with which these repairs are thus made, greatly 

 encourage and facilitate the commercial operations connected with 

 canal navigation. From this basin, the canal ascends the valley of 

 the Cuyahoga, on the eastern side of the river, twenty four miles to 

 the Peninsula, where it crosses to the western side ; thence along the 

 western side of the river ten miles, after which it leaves the valley of 

 the main river, and ascending that of the Little Cuyahoga and the 

 outlet of the summit lake four miles, it reaches the north end of the 

 Portage summit level at Akron, thirty eight miles from Cleveland. 

 On this division, there are forty four locks, overcoming a total ascent 

 of three hundred and ninety five and a half feet, twenty one of which 

 are within three miles, and sixteen within a mile and a half of the 

 north end of the summit level." 



" The length of the Portage summit level of the canal is about 

 nine miles. Its elevation is three hundred and ninety five feet above 

 the surface of Lake Erie, four hundred and ninety one feet above 

 the level of low water in the Ohio at Portsmouth, seventy eight feet 

 higher than the Licking summit, and nine hundred and fifty nine feet 



