﻿HYDROLOGY 
  OP 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  

  

  805 
  

  

  water 
  level 
  48 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  Montezuma 
  marsh. 
  Hard 
  bot- 
  

   tom 
  is 
  found 
  at 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  20 
  to 
  60 
  feet 
  below 
  the 
  marsh 
  level 
  — 
  

   probably 
  30 
  feet 
  is 
  a 
  fair 
  average 
  for 
  the 
  whole 
  distance 
  across. 
  

   For 
  the 
  first 
  twenty 
  feet 
  in 
  depth 
  the 
  marsh 
  is 
  in 
  many 
  places 
  

   composed 
  of 
  nearly 
  pure 
  marl, 
  below 
  which 
  is 
  found 
  either 
  firm 
  

   soil, 
  gravel 
  or 
  hardpan. 
  No 
  rock 
  indications 
  have 
  ever 
  been 
  

   determined 
  in 
  this 
  portion 
  of 
  Montezuma 
  marsh. 
  

  

  The 
  next 
  objectionable 
  feature 
  of 
  the 
  southern 
  high-level 
  route 
  

   is 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  city 
  of 
  Syracuse, 
  where 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  changing 
  the 
  

   present 
  location 
  would 
  be 
  merely 
  to- 
  take 
  the 
  canal 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  

   business 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  town, 
  where 
  dockage 
  and 
  business 
  arrange- 
  

   ments 
  are 
  now 
  established, 
  placing 
  it 
  instead 
  in 
  a 
  residence 
  dis- 
  

   trict, 
  where 
  new 
  arrangements 
  for 
  transacting 
  canal 
  business 
  

  

  Fig. 
  69 
  Cross-section 
  of 
  Erie 
  canal, 
  2% 
  miles 
  above 
  Lockport. 
  

  

  would 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  made. 
  Aside 
  from 
  an 
  expensive 
  right 
  of 
  way, 
  

   this 
  change 
  would 
  be 
  exceedingly 
  undesirable. 
  

  

  As 
  to 
  the 
  third 
  difficulty, 
  the 
  region 
  through 
  which 
  the 
  southern 
  

   line 
  would 
  be 
  laid 
  is 
  largely 
  sand 
  and 
  gravel, 
  requiring 
  expensive 
  

   puddling 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  insure 
  water-tightness. 
  The 
  location 
  is 
  

   largely 
  on 
  a 
  side 
  hill, 
  where 
  the 
  conditions 
  for 
  water-tight 
  work 
  

   are 
  unfavorable. 
  The 
  estimated 
  cost 
  of 
  right 
  of 
  way 
  on 
  this 
  route 
  

   was 
  14,666,000 
  and 
  the 
  total 
  cost 
  $29,000,000, 
  or 
  for 
  57.8 
  miles, 
  

   the 
  average 
  cost 
  per 
  mile 
  was 
  $501,730. 
  

  

  The 
  northern 
  route. 
  The 
  southern 
  high-level 
  route 
  having 
  

   turned 
  out 
  to 
  be 
  so 
  expensive, 
  a 
  route 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  

   Seneca 
  river 
  was 
  then 
  examined 
  between 
  Newark 
  and 
  the 
  west 
  end 
  

   of 
  the 
  Rome 
  level. 
  The 
  chief 
  difficulties 
  of 
  this 
  route 
  are: 
  (1) 
  

   Seneca 
  river 
  crossing, 
  and 
  (2) 
  difficult 
  construction 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  

   lack 
  of 
  water 
  on 
  surface, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  extensive 
  sand 
  and 
  gravel 
  

   areas. 
  

  

  