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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



§1,125,983. This increase, as stated by the commissioners, was 

 due to change of prism and structures. 



While the State canals were in progress the Seneca Lock 

 Navigation Company, authorized by chapter 144 of the laws of 

 1813, had been engaged in constructing a canal between Seneca 

 and Cayuga lakes, including a series of locks at Seneca Falls. 

 On June 14, 1818, a loaded boat from Schenectady, 16 tons burden, 

 passed the newly constructed locks at Seneca Falls. Along the Mo- 

 hawk river the passage of boats of this size was effected through 

 the locks of the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company, Erie 

 canal not being open for navigation at that date. The locks at 

 Seneca Falls cost $60,000. The toll charged during 1818 was 

 equivalent to 9 cents per ton per mile. 



Champlain canal was opened for navigation November 24, 1819, 

 from the Hudson at Fort Edward to Lake Champlain. The esti- 

 mated cost of this section was $250,000, but on account of chang- 

 ing its dimensions to the same size as the Erie canal the revised 

 estimate amounted to $333,000. The canal was finally completed 

 from Lake Champlain to Albany on September 10, 1823. 



Work on the Erie canal proceeded during the years from 1820 to 

 1825, in the former year 94 miles being in operation and in the 

 latter 363. It was finally completed from Albany to Black Rock 

 on October 26, 1825, on which day the first boat ascended the 

 Lockport locks and passed through the mountain ridge into Lake 

 Erie. LTninterrupted navigation was thus obtained from that 

 lake to the Atlantic ocean for boats of an average of about 40 

 tons burden. The event was made a gala day the whole length 

 of the canal. 



The construction of the Erie canal was due to the unbounded 

 perseverance and genius of one man — Governor De Witt Clinton — 

 who, when one studies the early history of the Erie canal, stands 

 forth as the colossal figure of the enterprise. Nevertheless Clin- 

 ton does not appear to have been actively interested until about 

 1810, but his interest once aroused he was easily the leading 

 figure of the enterprise until its completion in 1S25. 



The total expenditure on the Erie and Champlain canals to Jan- 

 uary 1, 1826, was $9,474,373.14, from which should be deducted 

 for pay of engineers and commissioners, the acquisition of water 

 rights, land damages, the construction of feeders, repairs, Black 



