S04 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



ingly early arranged to have this matter thoroughly examined. 

 The writer examined the several routes in detail. 



The following are the elevations and distances on the levels 

 from Rome level westward to the upper level at Newark : 



Elevation 

 above 



Length of tide water, 



Designation of level level, miles feet 



Rome level 429.7 



Short level, from lock 47 to lock 48 0.19 419.5 



Level, lock 48 to lock 49 . 71 409 . 



Syracuse level, lock 49 to lock 50 5.01 402.0 



J ordan level, lock 50 to lock 51 14 . 90 409 . 9 



Port Byron level, lock 51 to lock 52 7 . 79 404.3 



Montezuma level, lock 52 to lock 53 17 . 69 392 . 9 



Level, lock 53 to lock 54 3.15 397 . G 



Level, lock 54 to lock 55 3.35 405.0 



Level, lock 55 to lock 56 1.71 411.2 



Level, lock 56 to lock 57 3 . 22 421 . 1 



Level, lock 57 to lock 58 . 18 429 . 1 



Level, lock 58 to lock 59 0.16 437 . 1 



Total distance 58.06 



Level above lock 59 (Newark-Palmyra level) 445.6* 



The southern route. In view of the persistency with which the 

 proposed high level continuously descending rectification from 

 Newark to the west end of the Rome level has gotten into the Erie 

 canal improvement literature, it seems proper, by way of clarify- 

 ing the matter, to discuss it at length, even though the studies 

 made in 1899 have shown that this proposed high-level rectification 

 is not applicable to present conditions. 



The objections to the southern route are three in number: 

 (1) Seneca river crossing; (2) right of way in Syracuse; and (3) 

 difficult construction of canal on sand and gravel areas. The 

 Seneca river crossing would be about 1.9 miles in length, with the 



*The foregoing elevations refer to mean tide at New York and differ 

 somewhat from the Erie canal datum which is mean tide at Albany. The 

 difference is about 1.3 feet. 



