﻿546 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  and 
  machinery 
  at 
  that 
  point. 
  The 
  outlet 
  of 
  Skaneateles 
  lake 
  is 
  

   a 
  very 
  rapid 
  stream, 
  descending 
  in 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  nine 
  miles 
  nearly 
  

   500 
  feet, 
  and 
  furnishing 
  frequent 
  waterfalls, 
  many 
  of 
  which 
  

   have 
  been 
  improved 
  by 
  the 
  erection 
  of 
  large 
  manufacturing 
  estab- 
  

   lishments, 
  dependent 
  for 
  their 
  propelling 
  power 
  upon 
  the 
  water 
  

   of 
  the 
  outlet. 
  

  

  The 
  water 
  of 
  Skaneateles 
  creek 
  was 
  appropriated 
  to 
  feed 
  Erie 
  

   canal 
  in 
  its 
  first 
  construction, 
  and 
  a 
  dam 
  across 
  the 
  creek 
  and 
  a 
  

   raceway 
  or 
  feeder 
  were 
  constructed 
  at 
  or 
  near 
  the 
  village 
  of 
  

   Jordan. 
  It 
  will 
  be 
  understood 
  that 
  the 
  original 
  State 
  construction 
  

   of 
  a 
  dam 
  and 
  feeder 
  at 
  the 
  village 
  of 
  Jordan 
  did 
  not 
  in 
  any 
  way 
  

   interfere 
  with 
  the 
  reservoir 
  dam 
  constructed 
  as 
  stated 
  in 
  1824 
  at 
  

   the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  lake 
  itself. 
  The 
  canal 
  authorities, 
  however, 
  claimed 
  

   that 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  the 
  dam 
  at 
  the 
  outlet, 
  and 
  other 
  dams 
  on 
  the 
  

   stream 
  where 
  power 
  development 
  had 
  been 
  made, 
  was 
  at 
  times 
  

   such 
  as 
  nearly 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  flow 
  of 
  any 
  water 
  into 
  the 
  canal 
  ^ 
  

   hence, 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  necessary 
  during 
  the 
  dry 
  period 
  of 
  nearly 
  

   every 
  year 
  to 
  resort 
  to 
  Skaneateles 
  lake 
  itself 
  to 
  procure 
  a 
  tem- 
  

   porary 
  supply 
  of 
  water 
  for 
  the 
  canal. 
  For 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  this 
  water 
  

   as 
  taken 
  from 
  year 
  to 
  year 
  the 
  State 
  for 
  many 
  years 
  paid 
  dam- 
  

   ages 
  to 
  the 
  owners 
  of 
  the 
  hydraulic 
  privileges 
  at 
  the 
  outlet 
  of 
  

   the 
  lake. 
  Thus 
  payments 
  were 
  made 
  in 
  December 
  1833, 
  Decern- 
  

   ber 
  1835, 
  June 
  1837, 
  and 
  in 
  1840, 
  this 
  latter 
  payment 
  being 
  on 
  

   appraisement 
  made 
  pursuant 
  to 
  chapter 
  150- 
  of 
  the 
  laws 
  of 
  1839 
  

   for 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  water 
  from 
  1824-30, 
  inclusive. 
  Payments 
  were 
  also 
  

   made 
  in 
  1840 
  and 
  1841, 
  the 
  whole 
  amount 
  paid 
  for 
  temporary 
  use 
  

   of 
  water 
  from 
  the 
  lake 
  up 
  to 
  1841 
  being 
  f 
  13,154. 
  

  

  In 
  1844 
  the 
  Canal 
  Commissioners, 
  in 
  a 
  report 
  submitted 
  to 
  the 
  

   senate 
  in 
  response 
  to 
  a 
  resolution 
  asking 
  for 
  information 
  as 
  to 
  

   how 
  much 
  had 
  been 
  awarded 
  to 
  the 
  mill 
  owners 
  and 
  others 
  on 
  

   Skaneateles 
  creek 
  for 
  water 
  drawn 
  from 
  that 
  stream 
  and 
  lake 
  

   for 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  canal, 
  etc. 
  reported 
  that 
  in 
  their 
  opinion 
  

   measures 
  should 
  be 
  taken 
  without 
  delay 
  to 
  secure 
  independent 
  

   control 
  of 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  Skaneateles 
  lake, 
  thus 
  severing 
  the 
  injur- 
  

   ious 
  connection 
  between 
  the 
  interests 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  and 
  those 
  of 
  

   private 
  individuals. 
  The 
  commissioners 
  also 
  say 
  in 
  this 
  report 
  

   that 
  the 
  Canal 
  Board 
  had, 
  in 
  1841, 
  passed 
  a 
  resolution 
  permanently 
  

   appropriating 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  Skaneateles 
  lake 
  as 
  a 
  reservoir 
  and 
  

  

  