﻿HYDROLOGY 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  817 
  

  

  The 
  original 
  Erie 
  canal, 
  completed 
  in 
  1825, 
  carried 
  4 
  feet 
  in 
  

   depth 
  of 
  water 
  and 
  was 
  26 
  feet 
  wide 
  on 
  the 
  bottom 
  and 
  40 
  feet 
  

   at 
  the 
  surface. 
  The 
  sectional 
  area 
  was 
  132 
  square 
  feet. 
  The 
  

   boats 
  navigating 
  the 
  original 
  Erie 
  canal 
  were 
  61 
  feet 
  long, 
  7 
  feet 
  

   wide 
  by 
  3% 
  feet 
  draft, 
  and 
  with 
  a 
  capacity 
  of 
  30 
  tons. 
  An 
  enlarge- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  the 
  Erie 
  canal 
  was 
  authorized 
  in 
  1835, 
  which, 
  however, 
  

   was 
  not 
  fully 
  completed 
  until 
  1862. 
  The 
  size 
  of 
  boats 
  in 
  the 
  mean- 
  

   time 
  had 
  increased 
  during 
  this 
  enlargement 
  to 
  75 
  and 
  100 
  tons. 
  

  

  The 
  enlargement 
  completed 
  in 
  1862 
  made 
  the 
  canal 
  7 
  feet 
  deep", 
  

   52 
  feet 
  wide 
  on 
  the 
  bottom, 
  70 
  feet 
  water 
  surface, 
  and 
  gave 
  a 
  

   sectional 
  area 
  of 
  427 
  square 
  feet. 
  After 
  the 
  completion 
  of 
  this 
  

   enlargement 
  the 
  boats 
  were 
  98 
  feet 
  long, 
  17% 
  feet 
  wide 
  and 
  

   with 
  6 
  feet 
  draft. 
  Their 
  capacity 
  was 
  240 
  tons, 
  which 
  size 
  boat 
  

   is 
  still 
  used 
  on 
  the 
  Erie 
  canal. 
  

  

  The 
  improvement 
  suggested 
  by 
  State 
  Engineer 
  Adams 
  and 
  

   seconded 
  by 
  the 
  Canal 
  Committee 
  is 
  9 
  feet 
  deep, 
  49 
  feet 
  wide 
  on 
  

   the 
  bottom, 
  with 
  73 
  feet 
  width 
  of 
  water 
  surface. 
  The 
  sectional 
  

   area 
  is 
  549 
  square 
  feet. 
  For 
  this 
  improvement, 
  the 
  boats 
  would 
  

   be 
  125 
  feet 
  long, 
  17% 
  feet 
  wide, 
  with 
  8 
  feet 
  draft. 
  Their 
  capacity 
  

   would 
  be 
  450 
  tons. 
  

  

  The 
  barge 
  canal 
  recommended 
  by 
  the 
  Canal 
  Committee 
  has 
  

   12 
  feet 
  in 
  depth 
  of 
  water, 
  is 
  75 
  feet 
  wide 
  on 
  the 
  bottom 
  and 
  122 
  

   feet 
  water 
  surface. 
  The 
  sectional 
  area 
  is 
  1182 
  square 
  feet. 
  For 
  

   the 
  barge 
  canal 
  recommended 
  by 
  the 
  Canal 
  Committee 
  boats 
  are 
  

   proposed 
  150 
  feet 
  long, 
  25 
  feet 
  wide 
  and 
  10 
  feet 
  draft. 
  Their 
  

   capacity 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  1000 
  tons. 
  

  

  The 
  canal 
  suggested 
  by 
  Mr 
  Schenck 
  in 
  his 
  report 
  as 
  State 
  

   Engineer 
  for 
  1893 
  was 
  to 
  have 
  12 
  feet 
  in 
  depth 
  of 
  water, 
  carry- 
  

   ing 
  a 
  boat 
  25 
  feet 
  wide 
  and 
  250 
  feet 
  long, 
  with 
  capacity 
  of 
  1500 
  

   tons. 
  Major 
  Symons 
  proposed 
  a 
  canal 
  carrying 
  boats 
  with 
  width 
  

   of 
  30 
  feet, 
  length 
  of 
  about 
  190 
  feet 
  and 
  a 
  draft 
  of 
  10 
  feet, 
  the 
  

   capacity 
  to 
  be 
  1500 
  tons. 
  Major 
  Symons 
  also 
  proposed 
  a 
  ship 
  

   canal 
  from 
  Lake 
  Erie 
  to 
  the 
  Hudson 
  on 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  Erie 
  

   canal, 
  24 
  feet 
  in 
  depth, 
  bottom 
  width 
  of 
  138 
  feet 
  and 
  water 
  sur- 
  

   face 
  of 
  210 
  feet. 
  The 
  sectional 
  area 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  canal 
  would 
  be 
  

   4176 
  square 
  feet. 
  The 
  boat 
  was 
  to 
  be 
  50 
  feet 
  in 
  width 
  and 
  with 
  

   draft 
  of 
  20 
  feet. 
  As 
  we 
  have 
  seen, 
  the 
  Committee 
  on 
  Canals 
  

  

  