﻿596 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  The 
  preceding 
  quotation 
  is 
  exceedingly 
  important 
  as 
  indicating 
  

   why 
  the 
  Genesee 
  feeder 
  was 
  maintained 
  after 
  the 
  canal 
  had 
  been 
  

   completed 
  to 
  Lake 
  Erie, 
  and 
  a 
  permanent 
  supply 
  of 
  water 
  ob- 
  

   tained 
  from 
  that 
  source. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  year 
  1820 
  contracts 
  for 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  the 
  canal 
  

   immediately 
  east 
  and 
  west 
  of 
  Rochester 
  were 
  let. 
  

  

  In 
  their 
  report 
  to 
  the 
  Legislature, 
  under 
  date 
  of 
  March 
  12, 
  1821 
  1 
  

   the 
  Canal 
  Commissioners 
  discussed 
  the 
  practicability 
  of 
  two 
  pro- 
  

   posed 
  routes 
  for 
  the 
  canal 
  from 
  Rochester 
  west, 
  the 
  northern 
  of 
  

   which 
  would 
  be 
  below 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  Lake 
  Erie, 
  while 
  the 
  southern 
  

   would 
  rise 
  above 
  that 
  level. 
  The 
  conclusion 
  arrived 
  at 
  was 
  that 
  

   if 
  the 
  southern 
  location 
  were 
  adopted 
  there 
  would 
  probably 
  be 
  at 
  

   times 
  a 
  serious 
  shortage 
  of 
  water, 
  in 
  view 
  of 
  which, 
  and 
  other 
  

   considerations, 
  the 
  Commissioners 
  decided 
  to 
  adopt 
  the 
  present 
  

   route 
  from 
  Lake 
  Erie 
  east, 
  which 
  does 
  not 
  at 
  any 
  point 
  rise 
  above 
  

   the 
  level 
  of 
  that 
  lake, 
  and 
  which 
  therefore 
  admits 
  of 
  feeding 
  the 
  

   entire 
  canal 
  from 
  that 
  source. 
  The 
  Commissioners 
  say 
  : 
  

  

  Having 
  adopted 
  that 
  route 
  for 
  the 
  canal, 
  which, 
  at 
  every 
  

   departure 
  from 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  Lake 
  Erie, 
  in 
  its 
  progress 
  eastward, 
  

   will 
  descend, 
  till 
  it 
  reaches 
  the 
  .Seneca 
  river, 
  we 
  entertain 
  no 
  

   doubt 
  of 
  an 
  abundant 
  and 
  permanent 
  supply 
  of 
  water 
  for 
  every 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  canal. 
  But, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  provide 
  against 
  any 
  possibility 
  

   of 
  danger 
  on 
  this 
  subject, 
  it 
  is 
  intended 
  to 
  construct 
  the 
  canal 
  

   through 
  the 
  dry 
  region 
  between 
  the 
  locks 
  at 
  the 
  mountain 
  ridge 
  

   and 
  the 
  Genesee 
  river, 
  with 
  a 
  descent 
  towards 
  the 
  east 
  of 
  one 
  or 
  

   two 
  inches 
  in 
  every 
  mile 
  ; 
  the 
  necessary 
  effect 
  of 
  which 
  will 
  be 
  to 
  

   save 
  the 
  expense 
  of 
  at 
  least 
  one 
  lock, 
  and 
  to 
  induce 
  a 
  current 
  of 
  

   so 
  much 
  water 
  from 
  Lake 
  Erie 
  towards 
  the 
  east 
  as 
  will 
  leave 
  but 
  

   little 
  to 
  be 
  required 
  from 
  the 
  Genesee 
  river; 
  and 
  this 
  little 
  may 
  

   be 
  still 
  reduced, 
  and 
  if 
  it 
  shall 
  ever 
  become 
  expedient, 
  by 
  a 
  feeder 
  

   from 
  the 
  Irondequoit 
  creek, 
  a 
  copious 
  and 
  equable 
  stream, 
  which 
  

   it 
  was 
  formerly 
  supposed 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  drawn 
  upon 
  for 
  the 
  canal, 
  

   but 
  which, 
  by 
  the 
  enterprising 
  zeal 
  of 
  David 
  S. 
  Bates, 
  Esq., 
  one 
  

   of 
  our 
  resident 
  engineers, 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  capable 
  of 
  being 
  taken 
  

   into 
  it 
  at 
  Pittsford, 
  near 
  the 
  west 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  level, 
  about 
  thirteen 
  

   miles 
  in 
  length. 
  From 
  this 
  level 
  eastward, 
  there 
  might 
  be 
  ob- 
  

   tained 
  a 
  sufficient 
  supply 
  of 
  water 
  from 
  the 
  Canandaigua 
  lake, 
  

   Mud 
  creek 
  and 
  several 
  other 
  sources, 
  for 
  all 
  the 
  demands 
  of 
  the 
  

   canal 
  if 
  the 
  Genesee 
  river 
  were 
  annihilated. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  Commissioners' 
  report, 
  submitted 
  February 
  27, 
  1822, 
  

   it 
  is 
  learned 
  that 
  contracts 
  were 
  signed 
  for 
  opening 
  a 
  feeder 
  from 
  

  

  