tS2 2 
100 
(with some allowance Tor the forge above the spot) SO feet per second. 
The cast branch of the Brandywiiie crosses Chester valley, a few 
iiiilcs more to the cast, in a deep bed. Tiiat valley being well known 
to extcjul to the Schuylkill, with very little interruption of ridges of 
no considerable elevation, had di'awn attention at a very early period, 
as favorable to canal communication. But the commissioners, in ac- 
cordance with our own judgment, were decided to reconnoitre a more 
soutliet'u route; as the lormer necessarily falls in with the line of the 
Schuylkill navigation, without a legal right to supply from that river, 
it being already appropi'iated, we don't know with what limitation, 
to tlie works of that incoi'poration. It would be necessary, perhaps, 
to cross the Schuylkill to gain near Morristown the old line, began 
by the late RDbei-t Morris, which entered Philadelphia at the eleva- 
tion of tlie highest street ia the city. On the other, more southern 
line, it was thought that a canal might rpach the city of Philadelphia 
at about the same elevation, crossing the Schuylkill by an aqueduct 
near Gray's Ferry, or more southerly coming into the city, not far 
from the Navy Yai'd. 
We therefore proceeded down the valley of the West Brandywine 
to its junction with the main branch near Jeffriesford, where we took 
the gauge of the stream (5343) and crossed -the ridge of land dividing 
this river from the west branch of Chester I'iver, which runs general- 
ly eastward till it unites with that streanij the line afterwards cross- 
es Ri.dleys, Crum, and Darby Creeks. 
The practicability of this line will depend on leading water from 
the Braudywine, and our impressio)i of this route was so favorable, 
as to induce us to suggest to the Commissioners in a letter, the inves- 
tigations necessary to decide the most material points. Thus the 
fourth section, except so far as the Susquehannah water may be made 
use of, appears to depend on streams already much occupied by mills 
and manufactories. This obstacle is not, however, insurmountable. 
The vast importance of Canals to the whole community, is general- 
ly acknowledged. But mills are of great utility: to extinguish them, 
would be a loss to the community of equal value and be attended by 
great inconveniences. Could these great interests be reconciled, 
wliich is not improbable, by a method of passing from level to level 
of a Canal, without using near so much water as locks require — and 
by reserving water for the canal, when, otherwise, the superabundanct 
on the stream would run to waste, Pennsylvania might have the 
benefits of canal communications without disturbing the mills near 
their course; but, on the contrary, affording them the facilities and 
savings attendant on water carriage for the law material, and from 
greater distances, and permitting of a greater profit on the manufac- 
tured article, a system of peculiar importance to Pennsylvania. On 
reviewing the whole ground, so far as the facts have been deveJoped, 
there is scarcely sufficient reason to believe, that the summit level of 
the Alleghany mountain, and the Lancaster and Chester line, can 
command water enough for a canal of great capacity. 
