﻿HYDROLOGY 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  809 
  

  

  ter, 
  although 
  both 
  are 
  very 
  expensive 
  and 
  violate 
  the 
  modern 
  view 
  

   that 
  canals 
  should 
  be 
  located 
  in 
  the 
  thread 
  of 
  valleys 
  rather 
  than 
  

   along 
  side 
  hills 
  and 
  on 
  high 
  ground. 
  One 
  result 
  of 
  my 
  study 
  of 
  

   this 
  matter 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  it 
  has 
  proceeded 
  is 
  to 
  indicate 
  another 
  solu- 
  

   tion, 
  which, 
  however, 
  is 
  apparently 
  barred 
  out 
  by 
  the 
  committee's 
  

   instructions 
  to 
  investigate 
  a 
  canal 
  with 
  a 
  continuous 
  descent 
  from 
  

   Newark 
  to 
  west 
  end 
  of 
  Rome 
  level. 
  

  

  The 
  solution 
  referred 
  to 
  will 
  take 
  about 
  the 
  following 
  form: 
  

   Leave 
  the 
  present 
  canal 
  where 
  it 
  crosses 
  under 
  the 
  New 
  York 
  

   Central 
  and 
  Hudson 
  River 
  railway 
  a 
  few 
  miles 
  east 
  of 
  Clyde 
  and 
  

   continue 
  to 
  iSeneca 
  river 
  just 
  north 
  of 
  where 
  New 
  York 
  Central 
  

   railway 
  crosses 
  that 
  stream. 
  Thence 
  along 
  Seneca 
  and 
  Oneida 
  

   rivers 
  and 
  through 
  Oneida 
  lake, 
  building 
  a 
  new 
  stretch 
  of 
  canal 
  

   from 
  east 
  end 
  of 
  Oneida 
  lake 
  to 
  Rome. 
  This 
  does 
  not 
  avoid 
  the 
  

   lockage 
  but 
  gives 
  the 
  advantage 
  of 
  a 
  broad, 
  deep 
  navigation 
  for 
  

   about 
  sixty-five 
  to 
  seventy 
  miles. 
  My 
  studies 
  on 
  deep 
  waterways 
  

   project 
  indicate 
  that 
  an 
  ample 
  water 
  supply 
  for 
  the 
  Rome 
  summit 
  

   can 
  be 
  obtained 
  from 
  the 
  two 
  Fish 
  creeks 
  and 
  Salmon 
  river. 
  

  

  As 
  regards 
  carrying 
  a 
  water 
  supply 
  from 
  Lake 
  Erie 
  east 
  of 
  

   Seneca 
  river, 
  I 
  may 
  state 
  that 
  the 
  high 
  level, 
  with 
  continuous 
  

   descent 
  from 
  Newark 
  to 
  Rome 
  level, 
  will 
  necessarily 
  be 
  laid 
  on 
  

   open 
  porous 
  soils 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  percolation 
  losses 
  will 
  be 
  large 
  ; 
  

   and 
  while 
  I 
  am 
  not 
  prepared 
  to 
  give 
  a 
  final 
  opinion 
  at 
  this 
  time, 
  

   the 
  indications 
  are 
  that 
  Seneca 
  river 
  is 
  about 
  the 
  eastern 
  limit 
  

   of 
  effective 
  feeding 
  from 
  Lake 
  Erie. 
  If 
  this 
  view 
  is 
  right, 
  then 
  

   the 
  alternative 
  line 
  for 
  an 
  enlarged 
  canal 
  via 
  Seneca 
  and 
  Oneida 
  

   rivers 
  and 
  Oneida 
  lake 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  solution. 
  In 
  making 
  this 
  latter 
  

   statement 
  I 
  take 
  into 
  account 
  that 
  there 
  are 
  extensive 
  marl 
  de- 
  

   posits 
  along 
  line 
  of 
  present 
  canal 
  between 
  Ninemile 
  creek 
  and 
  

   Seneca 
  river, 
  which 
  make 
  a 
  radical 
  enlargement 
  along 
  the 
  present 
  

   canal 
  a 
  very 
  serious 
  proposition. 
  I 
  mention 
  these 
  various 
  points 
  

   in 
  order 
  that 
  you 
  may 
  appreciate 
  the 
  broad 
  scope 
  of 
  the 
  study 
  on 
  

   which 
  I 
  am 
  engaged. 
  

  

  In 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  possible 
  outcome 
  of 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  a 
  continuously 
  

   descending 
  high-level 
  canal 
  from 
  Newark 
  to 
  Rome 
  level, 
  I 
  would 
  

   be 
  glad 
  to 
  know 
  whether 
  the 
  committee's 
  instructions 
  were 
  in- 
  

   tended 
  to 
  exclude 
  study 
  of 
  such 
  an 
  alternative 
  line 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  here 
  

   outlined. 
  If 
  so, 
  then 
  I 
  will 
  not 
  devote 
  any 
  time 
  to 
  it. 
  Otherwise, 
  

   I 
  should 
  feel 
  impelled 
  to 
  give 
  it 
  attention. 
  There 
  are 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  

   other 
  alternative 
  propositions 
  which 
  should 
  be 
  looked 
  into, 
  but 
  

   explanations 
  of 
  which 
  I 
  can 
  not 
  well 
  go 
  into 
  in 
  a 
  letter 
  for 
  lack 
  of 
  

   space. 
  

  

  In 
  regard 
  to 
  lines 
  other 
  than 
  a 
  continuously 
  descending 
  high- 
  

   level 
  canal 
  from 
  Newark 
  to 
  Rome 
  level, 
  I 
  may 
  point 
  out 
  that 
  the 
  

   advantages 
  to 
  be 
  gained 
  are 
  not 
  necessarily 
  to 
  eliminate 
  lockages 
  

  

  