﻿814 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  -MUSEUM 
  

  

  reservoir, 
  advantage 
  being 
  taken 
  of 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  a 
  large 
  reser- 
  

   voir 
  can 
  be 
  constructed 
  for 
  less 
  cost 
  per 
  unit 
  of 
  volume 
  than 
  a 
  

   number 
  of 
  small 
  reservoirs. 
  In 
  the 
  barge 
  canal 
  report 
  it 
  was 
  

   assumed 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  important 
  to 
  construct 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  small 
  

   reservoirs 
  along 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  the 
  canal 
  with 
  the 
  result 
  that 
  the 
  

   cost 
  of 
  a 
  water 
  supply 
  for 
  the 
  canal 
  route, 
  with 
  traffic 
  of 
  10,- 
  

   000,000 
  tons 
  per 
  year, 
  is 
  estimated 
  at 
  $5,555,000. 
  For 
  the 
  river 
  

   route, 
  with 
  traffic 
  of 
  10,000,000 
  tons 
  per 
  year, 
  the 
  estimated 
  cost 
  

   is 
  $4,469,000. 
  

  

  Origin 
  of 
  large 
  canal. 
  The 
  question 
  has 
  arisen 
  in 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  

   New 
  York 
  as 
  to 
  who 
  originated 
  the 
  barge 
  canal 
  idea. 
  The 
  fol- 
  

   lowing 
  statement 
  is 
  given 
  as 
  bearing 
  on 
  this 
  point: 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  already 
  seen 
  that 
  Silas 
  Seymour, 
  in 
  his 
  report 
  for 
  

   1883, 
  referred 
  to 
  a 
  continuously 
  descending 
  high-level 
  canal 
  

   from 
  Newark 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  Rome 
  level. 
  1 
  

  

  The 
  next 
  detailed 
  reference 
  appears 
  in 
  the 
  report 
  of 
  Martin 
  

   Schenck, 
  State 
  Engineer 
  and 
  Surveyor, 
  for 
  the 
  year 
  1893. 
  Mr 
  

   Schenck 
  says 
  : 
  

  

  In 
  my 
  report 
  of 
  last 
  year 
  I 
  briefly 
  outlined 
  a 
  proposed 
  enlarged 
  

   canal 
  capable 
  of 
  bearing 
  barges 
  250 
  feet 
  in 
  length 
  by 
  25 
  feet 
  

   breadth 
  of 
  beam, 
  with 
  10 
  feet 
  draft 
  of 
  water 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  lowest 
  

   possible 
  hight 
  above 
  water 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  bridges 
  

   crossing 
  it 
  could 
  be 
  fixed 
  structures 
  instead 
  of 
  movable 
  ones. 
  

  

  This 
  canal 
  would 
  have 
  a 
  general 
  width 
  of 
  100 
  feet 
  at 
  the 
  water 
  

   line, 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  12 
  feet 
  (except 
  at 
  such 
  points 
  as 
  over 
  aqueducts 
  

   or 
  other 
  expensive 
  structures 
  where 
  economy 
  would 
  suggest 
  the 
  

   reduction 
  of 
  a 
  foot 
  in 
  depth) 
  and 
  have 
  vertical 
  or 
  battered 
  side 
  

   walls 
  except 
  in 
  localities 
  of 
  existing 
  wide 
  waters 
  where 
  economy 
  

   of 
  width 
  would 
  be 
  a 
  minor 
  consideration. 
  The 
  general 
  width 
  

   proposed 
  might 
  be 
  materially 
  reduced 
  for 
  short 
  distances 
  through 
  

   the 
  cities 
  and 
  towns 
  along 
  its 
  route, 
  over 
  aqueducts, 
  through 
  ex- 
  

   pensive 
  rock 
  cuts, 
  etc., 
  and 
  since 
  no 
  towing-path 
  would 
  be 
  re- 
  

   quired, 
  there 
  are 
  many 
  miles 
  of 
  cuttings 
  where 
  the 
  removal 
  of 
  

   that 
  alone 
  would 
  give 
  nearly 
  the 
  entire 
  Avidth 
  required. 
  The 
  

   route 
  proposed 
  for 
  this 
  canal 
  would 
  generally 
  follow 
  the 
  present 
  

   alignment 
  of 
  Erie 
  canal 
  except 
  for 
  short 
  distances, 
  where 
  it 
  would 
  

   be 
  wise 
  to 
  make 
  detours 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  obtain 
  economy 
  of 
  construc- 
  

   tion 
  and 
  better 
  alignment. 
  The 
  vessels 
  designed 
  for 
  use 
  might 
  

   be 
  built, 
  for 
  convenience 
  in 
  handling, 
  in 
  two 
  sections 
  and 
  be 
  towed 
  

   in 
  fleets 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  similar 
  boats 
  fitted 
  with 
  twin 
  screws 
  and 
  

  

  1 
  Refer 
  to 
  page 
  801. 
  

  

  