-a? [82] 
ihh route, except wliere it passes through the gap of Windine^ ri<l£i;e, 
!s of a soft and j^ood quality; and its whole length from the hase-mark, 
to the mouth of Bear Creek, would he only twelve miles. 
A second route might turn round the west of Marsh Mountain, and 
"wind ahout Panther's Point; it would then turn successively round 
the heads of the ravines of Hoy's Run. Steep Run, Sang Run, Gap Run, 
and descend along Friend Run, a tributary of the Western branch of 
Uear Creek. I'his route is very circuitous, and in w inding round 
Panthei-'sFoint, runs through a rocky and diflicult ground. It would 
only he shortened hy running an aqueduct 250 feet high, and above a 
quarter of a mile long, through the Western branch of Hoy's Run, or 
a tunnel half mile in length from that Westciii bianch to the head of 
Steep Run. The height of the ridge above the bottom of that tunnel, 
would be about 250 feet. A level was also run over a bend of ground 
at Hoy's pine bottom, to endeavor to shorten it, and avoid tlie wind- 
ing round of Panthej-'s Point, but to run the canal over this line would 
require a deep cut of 1,431 yards in length, and of thedeptli of 99.05 
feet at the highest point of the ridge. The total length of this route 
Avould be 24 miles. 
The third route, descending the valley of Deep Creek, from the 
base-mark, might follow the eastern shore of the Youghiogheny to 
the mouth of Bear Creek, crossing successively on aqueducts, Hoy's 
Run, Steep Run, Sang Run, Gap Run, Bear Creek, and the smaller tri- 
butary streams of that river. The ground along this route is rocky 
and difficult for one mile and I, from Deep Creek to Hoy's Run; then 
light and easy for four miles, to Gap Run; then rocky for the space of 
six miles, following the Western bankjof Winding ridge; then for two 
and a quarter miles light and easy to the mouth of Bear Creek. The 
total length of this route would be 20 miles. 
We have not mentioned a fourth route, which, from the base-mark, 
running by a tunnel, through Negro Mountain, miglit unite Deep 
Creek with the Eastern branch of Bear Creek, because it would re- 
quire a tunnel of 8 miles in length; and that the height of the ridge 
above its bed, would be frooa 400 to 500 feet in the most elevated por- 
tion. The length of this route would also pass 20 miles. 
Such are all the routes which lead from the valleys of Savage 
river and Crab-tree Creek, in passing by that of Deep Creek to tlie 
mouth of Bear Creek, in the Youghiogheny. We must now examine 
those which, departing from the head of Crab-tree Creek, reach the 
same point in passing by the valleys of the Little and Great Youghio- 
gheny. 
For this purpose the canal should follow the valley of Savage river, 
from the mouth of that stream, and ascend along Crab-tree Creek 
till it reaches two miles above Swan's mill, where opens the eastern 
extremity of the tunnel of Crabby's Arm, mentioned page 27, as the 
shortest of those by which Savage river can be connected with the 
Y^oughiogheny. Passing through that tunnel, it would descend the 
valleys of the little and great Youghiogheny, winding along their 
