Notice of the Louisville Canal, fyc. 67 



canal, or immediately below Shippinsport. The guard-lock 

 is one hundred and ninety feet long, and fifty wide in the 

 chamber. Its walls are forty two feet high, thirteen feet 

 thick on the bottom, and five at the top ; the upper ends are 

 semicircular with a radius of thirteen feet. The three lift- 

 locks, have a lift of nine feet each ; they are of the same 

 dimensions in the chamber, as the guard-lock. Their walls 

 are twenty feet high, eight feet thick on the bottom, and three 

 at top. The upper gates to these locks, are sunk four feet 

 below the canal, or lock above, so that the water can be 

 discharged through them to fill, and empty the locks without 

 inconvenience to passing boats. Culverts of sufficient size, 

 through the walls in the usual way, would too much weaken 

 them. 



At the time of the last annual report of the President and 

 Directors of the Louisville and Portland canal company, it 

 was expected by them that the canal would have been com- 

 pleted by this time. But they have been disappointed, as 

 will be seen from the following statements. Of the six 

 hundred and eighty-seven thousand cubic yards of earth, 

 one hundred and forty-one thousand yet remain to be exca- 

 vated — forty-four thousand is about the number of perches of 

 mason work, to be laid in the locks, of which only thirteen 

 thousand have been laid — nearly all the rock is yet to be ex- 

 cavated — one stone arch bridge is yet to be built, where the 

 turnpike crosses the canal, and a pavement extending from 

 the top of the rock to the top of the bank. — Upon the whole 

 it is considered as about one half completed. As a cause 

 of this backwardnes of the contractors, perhaps it ought to 

 be mentioned, that there is great difficulty in getting labor- 

 ers in this part of the country, and particularly in the sum- 

 mer season. 



One more year has been allowed by the Legislature for 

 the construction of the canal, but whether it will be comple- 

 ted within that time is a matter of some doubt. 



Having thus completed my description of the canal, it 

 may not be unacceptable to add such observations relating 

 to the geology of the country about the rapids, as I have 

 made. Imperfect as they are, they may have their use. 

 Of the rock strata there are four. 



First, limerock, the common compact limerock of the west ; 

 as to the depth and extent of this rock, I am unable to 

 speak with precision. It passes under the slate rock in the 



