SHELBY COUNTY. 449 
westerly direction from a point on the southern boundary line about 
midway of the county, from east to west. The Sidney Feeder is twelve 
miles in length, and extends from Port Jefferson to Lockington, and is 
the channel through which the water from the great reservoir at Lewis- 
town reaches the summit level of the canal. The Sidney Feeder and 
the main canal above Lockington are on the same level, and the water 
from the Lewistown Reservoir flows indifferently north or south. The 
Summit level of the Miami and Erie Canal is, therefore, the same as that 
of the Sidney Feeder—nine hundred and forty-four feet above the level 
of the sea. The highest land in the county (So far as any measurements 
have extended) is one thousand and seventy-eight feet above tide-water, 
and six hundred and forty-six feet above low water in the Ohio River at 
Cincinnati. To aid in the comparison of the elevations in this county 
with other portions of the State, I will here give a few measurements 
taken from Prof. Orton’s Report of the Geology of Highland county, in 
the volume for 1870, p. 258. At the head-waters of the Scioto and Miami 
Rivers, in Logan county, an elevation is given, on the authority of Col. C. 
Whittlesey, of one thousand three hundred and forty-four feet, which is 
two hundred and sixty-six feet greater than any in Shelby county. A 
measurement still greater is given of a summit in Richland county, 
one thousand three hundred and eighty-nine feet above the level of the 
sea. The highest land in the State, so far as known, is a point about 
three miles north-east of Bellefontaine. Its elevation above the sea, as 
determined by Prof. F. C. Hill, for the Geological Survey, is fifteen hun- 
dred and forty-four feet. The summit level of the canal in this county is 
four hundred feet lower than the water-shed between the Miami and Scioto 
Rivers in Logan.county. This statement will show the resources of the 
canal for water-supply in this direction. The surface drainage and spring- 
water of a surface of about nine hundred square miles, must be available 
at the head-waters of the Miami as a supply for the canal above the sum- 
mit level—one-half of which, with other resources, would HORE a tonnage 
sreater than was ever floated in the canal. 
, TOPOGRAPHY OF THE COUNTY. 
From the preceding statements it will be seen that the surface of the 
county is little diversified in regard to elevation. There are no hills or 
deep valleys giving variety to the climate or the productions, or produc- 
ing picturesqueness of scenery. While the surface is everywhere rolling 
and well drained, the difference in level from the luwe-t to the highest 
point within the limits of th» county is but little over two hundreed 
feet. The watcr froin the summit level is locked down southward from 
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