I 
302 [Assembly 
It drains so wide an extent of mountainous country, (and which is 
entirely covered with a heavy growth of timber,) that it forms a river 
at the works, whose width is 40 feet, with an average depth of one foot. 
It flows rapidly over a rocky bed almost its whole length, excluding of 
course its passage through the above named lakes. The most import- 
ant portion of the Adirondack is between those lakes, whose relative 
position, together with Opalescent river, may be seen on the county 
maps. 
The portion referred to, is about two miles in length, in which dis- 
tance there is a fall of 90 feet and a fraction, and which furnishes space 
for 5 mill sites, without interference with each other. The amount of 
fall at each site, varies from 13 to 15 feet. The most important of 
these is, at the outlet of Lake Henderson ; it is important, as connect- 
ed with this lake, inasmuch, as it may be used in a dry season as a re- 
servoir. 
The dam, as it is now constructed at this outlet, forms a basin which 
holds in reserve about 99 millions of gallons of water ; this quantity 
may be increased to 180 millions, by raising the dam 10 feet, which 
quantity of water, would furnish a supply for daily expenditure, during 
60 days, of 3 millions of gallons. For the measurements, I am indebt- 
ed to Mr. E. N. Horsford's Report to the proprietors of works situ- 
ated on this river. 
To prevent however, any apprehension of a failure of water during 
an excessive drought, it has been proposed to turn the upper waters of 
the Opalescent river, into the east branch of the Adirondack, the source 
of which is some 160 rods below Lake Golden, at which place there 
is a low pass of only 18 feet perpendicular height, which divides the 
source of the one, from the bed or channel of the other. To unite 
those waters, requires only a dam below this pass, whose bottom shall 
be 33 feet ; the top requires a length of about 50 feet, while the height 
need be only from 19 to 20 feet, in order to flow through the pass 
without excavation. The change in the. direction of those waters, 
would increase the amount at the works, about 50 per cent, and furnish 
many additional mill sites of great power along the east branch of the 
Adirondack. But to satisfy all demands for water, which the most ex- 
tended works may require, there is in reserve all the waters of the 
Opalescent river, which fully equal that of the Adirondack. The 
river, is about two miles from the works by a wooden railroad. Above 
