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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



a third cause, the commissioners found that the channel of the 

 river was obstructed through the city of Rochester in such man- 

 ner as to cause overflows into the Erie and Genesee valley canals 

 at that place. The remedy suggested was that the waterway 

 through the city be considerably increased. 



As regards the Erie canal aqueduct, the commissioners pointed 

 out that the piers supporting the structure, instead of being built 

 parallel with the stream, run partially across it. thereby mater- 

 ially increasing the amount of the obstruction by so changing 

 the current that at least one half the river as it passes the aque- 

 duct flows in the direction of the east bank above Main street 

 bridge. The commissioners also pointed out that during the flood 

 trunks of trees, logs and timber lodged against the aqueduct and 

 closed a considerable portion of the waterway through the arches. 

 Under these circumstances the flood rose to the copings, standing 

 more than three feet higher on the south side than on the north. 

 The commissioners also considered that Main street bridge pre- 

 sented considerable obstruction. In 1865, and for some years 

 previous to that time more than two thirds of the eastern arch 

 of the bridge had been closed by the wall of the building on the 

 north side. This obstruction, however, was removed by the action 

 of the flood, the building in question having been carried away. 

 Since then the east opening has been left entirely free, but there 

 is still in 1904 considerable obstruction to the west arch by a 

 building erected since 1865. 



The areas of the several openings of the arches of the Erie canal 

 aqueduct at Eochester are as follows : 



First opening, east side, 516.6 square feet; second opening, 

 681.4 square feet; third opening, 625.7 square feet; fourth opening, 

 641.3 square feet; fifth opening, 615.3 square feet; sixth opening, 

 625.7 square feet; seventh opening, 552.4 square feet; total, 430S.3 

 square feet. 



The following are the total openings of the several river bridges : 

 Court street, 5081 square feet; 1 Main street, 3367 square feet; 

 Andrews street, 4511 square feet; Central avenue, about 4450 

 square feet. 



lThis is the opening of the river arches below the level of the flood of 

 t8C5; in addition the arches over the Johnson and Seymour raceway have 

 an opening of 790 square feet and the Erie canal arches of 498 square feet^ 



