782 



NEW YORK STATE M USBUM 



three quarters of the time required on a direct waterway from 

 Lake Erie to the Mohawk. The matter therefore takes this form : 

 If it is desired to develop a waterway best subserving the inter- 

 ests of the lake commerce, the route should be through Lake 

 Ontario and a ship canal from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario would 

 be an essential part of it. 



Five surveys have been made for a canal on the American side 

 from Lake Erie to Ontario, in most of which only two routes 

 have been considered — one from Niagara river above the falls at 

 Lasalle to below the falls at Lewiston, thence by the Niagara 

 river to Lake Ontario; and the other from Tonawanda to Lake 

 Ontario at Olcott. These surveys contemplated the use of the 

 Niagara river from Lake Erie to the entrance of the canal as 

 part of the route. 



The Board of Engineers on Deep Waterways studied two routes 

 for the Niagara ship canal. Both of these begin at deep water 

 in Lake Erie and, running through Black Rock harbor to near the 

 head of Squaw island, lock down to the river level and then 

 follow the general course of the river to Tonawanda and Cayuga 

 island, just oif the village of Lasalle, at which points the two 

 waterways leave the river. 



Lasalle-Lewiston route. The Lasalle-Lewiston route continues 

 from Lasalle to within half a mile of the foot of lock No. 2, 

 above Lewiston. The route then passes down the bluff to the 

 Niagara below the falls half a mile below Lewiston, with six 

 double locks, each of 40 feet lift and two locks each of 39.4 

 feet lift. The estimated cost of the 30-foot channel, with Lake 

 Erie regulated, is $73,435,000. Estimating with reference to 

 standard low water, the estimated cost for a 30-foot channel 

 is $75,084,000. The estimate for a 21-foot channel with Lake 

 Erie regulated is 142,393,000 and for a 21-foot channel with 

 standard low water the estimated cost is $43,214,000. 



Tonawanda-Olcott route. This route leaves the Niagara river 

 at Tonawanda and continues at the level of tin 1 river to just 

 west of Lockport, from which point it descends to Eighteenniile 

 creek, one mile from Lake Ontario, following the valley of that 

 creek to Lake Ontario. The descent is accomplished by two 

 single and three double locks of 40 feel lift each; one single 



