﻿HYDROLOGY 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  781 
  

  

  occasionally 
  happen, 
  but 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  considered 
  that 
  they 
  would 
  

   seriously 
  interfere 
  with 
  the 
  regulation 
  of 
  the 
  lake 
  level. 
  

  

  The 
  effect 
  on 
  the 
  Niagara 
  river, 
  Lake 
  Ontario 
  and 
  the 
  St 
  Law- 
  

   rence 
  river 
  will 
  not 
  be 
  objectionable, 
  while 
  the 
  depth 
  of 
  water 
  

   will 
  be 
  increased 
  about 
  3 
  feet 
  in 
  Lake 
  Erie, 
  2 
  feet 
  in 
  Lake 
  St 
  

   Clair 
  and 
  1 
  foot 
  in 
  Lake 
  Huron. 
  

  

  Niagara 
  ship 
  canal. 
  The 
  project 
  for 
  a 
  waterway 
  from 
  the 
  Great 
  

   Lakes 
  to 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  tidewaters 
  suitable 
  for 
  transporting 
  the 
  

   commerce 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  lakes 
  has 
  attracted 
  public 
  attention 
  for 
  

   nearly 
  a 
  century, 
  during 
  which 
  time 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  have 
  

   maintained 
  that 
  such 
  a 
  canal 
  must 
  be 
  built 
  directly 
  across 
  the 
  

   State 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  aid 
  in 
  building 
  up 
  the 
  financial 
  and 
  commercial 
  

   supremacy 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  city, 
  while 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  the 
  western 
  

   states 
  have 
  considered 
  that 
  the 
  canal 
  should 
  be 
  constructed 
  on 
  

   the 
  route 
  best 
  adapted 
  for 
  transporting 
  the 
  commerce 
  of 
  the 
  

   country 
  tributary 
  to 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes; 
  that 
  is 
  to 
  say, 
  everybody 
  

   except 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  have 
  considered 
  that 
  the 
  prefer- 
  

   able 
  route 
  was 
  by 
  a 
  Niagara 
  ship 
  canal 
  into 
  Lake 
  Ontario 
  at 
  the 
  

   most 
  convenient 
  point, 
  and 
  from 
  thence 
  through 
  Lake 
  Ontario 
  to 
  

   Oswego. 
  Even 
  in 
  1812, 
  before 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  the 
  Erie 
  canal, 
  

   the 
  authorities 
  of 
  the 
  territory 
  of 
  Michigan 
  resolved 
  unanimously 
  

   that 
  in 
  their 
  opinion 
  the 
  canal 
  contemplated 
  by 
  the 
  Commission- 
  

   ers 
  of 
  Internal 
  Navigation 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  would 
  not 
  be 
  

   so 
  desirable 
  as 
  a 
  canal 
  around 
  Niagara. 
  To 
  this 
  the 
  New 
  York 
  

   Commissioners 
  replied 
  that 
  they 
  had 
  too 
  much 
  respect 
  for 
  the 
  

   authorities 
  of 
  Michigan 
  to 
  suppose 
  they 
  had 
  given 
  such 
  opinion 
  

   without 
  information 
  and 
  consideration, 
  and 
  therefore 
  the 
  New 
  

   York 
  Commissioners 
  inferred 
  that 
  the 
  information 
  received 
  was 
  

   either 
  not 
  founded 
  in 
  fact, 
  or 
  that 
  not 
  having 
  turned 
  their 
  atten- 
  

   tion 
  to 
  the 
  subject 
  of 
  canals, 
  the 
  authorities 
  of 
  Michigan 
  were 
  not 
  

   well 
  qualified 
  to 
  judge. 
  1 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  certain 
  that 
  the 
  St 
  Lawrence 
  river 
  is 
  the 
  natural 
  outlet 
  

   and 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  least 
  resistance 
  for 
  a 
  waterway 
  from 
  the 
  Great 
  

   Lakes 
  to 
  tidewater. 
  

  

  A 
  waterway 
  large 
  enough 
  to 
  transport 
  the 
  tonnage 
  of 
  the 
  lakes 
  

   can 
  be 
  constructed 
  by 
  way 
  of 
  Lake 
  Ontario 
  for 
  less 
  cost 
  than 
  by 
  

   any 
  other 
  route. 
  Moreover, 
  a 
  steamer 
  will 
  traverse 
  it 
  in 
  about 
  

  

  'New 
  York 
  Canals, 
  Vol. 
  1, 
  p. 
  74. 
  

  

  