HYDROLOGY OF NEW YORK 



773 



22) A ship canal between the Great Lakes and the ocean would 

 have no military value. 



23) The construction of a ship canal fxftm the Great Lakes 

 to the sea is not a project worthy of being undertaken by the 

 general government, as the benefits to be derived therefrom would 

 not be properly commensurate with the cost. 



24) The enlargement of The Erie canal, as suggested, with 

 everything adapted to transport the tonnage of the lakes, is a 

 project worthy of being undertaken by the .general government, 

 as the benefits to be derived therefrom would be properly commen- 

 surate with the cost. 



25) The cost of the necessary surveys for a ship canal by the 

 Niagara-Oswego route is estimated at (190*000, 



2G) The cost of an entirely independent survey for the en- 

 largement of the Erie canal and canalization of the Mohawk river 

 is estimated at $125,000. 



27) The cost of a combined survey of the Niagara-Oswego 

 ship canal and for the enlargement of the Erie canal is estimated 

 at f250,000. 



28) A thorough understanding with the State of New York 

 with reference to its canals should, if possible, precede action of 

 any kind. 



Report on the Osicego-Moha uk-H nelson route. The Oswego-Mo- 

 hawk-Hudson route is discussed in a report by Albert J. Himes 

 appearing in the Report of the State Engineer and Surveyor for 

 1S95. 1 



In this report Mr Himes expresses the opinion that a sufficient 

 water supply could not be obtained for a high summit level across 

 the divide, and hence the canal must be cut from the level of 

 Oneida lake through to the corresponding level in the Mohawk 

 valley. In this way he proposes to use Oneida lake as a storage 

 reservoir from which to discharge water both ways to the 

 Oswego and Mohawk rivers. By this plan the surface of Oneida 

 lake would be raised 10 feet, furnishing 1100 cubic feet per 

 second continuously for seven months. If such a canal is con- 

 structed, the experience gained in the last seventy-five years 

 teaches the danger of small economies in water supply. Experi- 



1 Report on tbe Enlarged Canal via the Oswego Route, by Albert J. 

 Himes. Report State Engineer and Surveyor for tbe year ending Septem- 

 ber 30, 1895. 



