This sublime idea of Mr. Gouverneur Morris, of commanding the waters of our mediterranean seas, containing above fifty millions of acres, leading them in any requisite quantity over a space of three hundred and sixty miles, applying them to inland navigation, hydraulics, irrigations, and other commercial, manufacturing, and agricultural purposes, and finally discharging them into the tide water of the Hudson, would then have been realized; and the beauty and utility of the design would not have been destroyed by the canal dipping into and rising from lower levels, after discharging the water of the summits.
Although Mr. Gouverneur Morris' plan has been adopted of bringing the water of Lake Erie through the Mountain ridge to the Rochester level, in preference to the proposition of Mr. Ellicott, of raising the canal 74 feet above the level of the lake; still, Mr. De Witt Clinton and the other commissioners, have unfortunately deviated in another part, and have descended with the route of the canal, from their commanding Rochester level, into the valley of Mud Creek, and adopted a course in the vicinity of the old river navigation, through the Cayuga marshes. This has obliged them to descend unnecessarily 45 feet into the mire of the marshes, which are two feet under water in the spring, and three feet above water in the summer, when miasmata are generated, which are frequently productive of diseases to the voyager, and sometimes of death; while the necessity of keeping water in the canal, will forever prevent the draining of the marshes, and converting above forty thousand acres of mire into the most fertile land, and the tract with the surrounding district into a healthy country.
It is true that a plan has been proposed by Mr. Thomas, one of the engineers, for deepening the Erie canal, between [21] the Canandaigua outlet and the east side of Seneca river, and of raising the marsh level west of the Canandaigua outlet, with an addition of a new lock at the outlet; but it is conceived that this alteration, while increasing the lockage, will only be imperfectly mending a plan originally defective, and which ought to be abandoned; or, at least, only continued for boats of the immediate neighbourhood.
Mr. Thomas must recollect that the quantity of water discharging at the marshes is much greater now, than before the construction of the canal; that there is an addition of water by the canal from Lake Erie, Oak Orchard Creek, and the Tonnewanta in the same channel, and Genessee River, all of which disembogued into Lake Ontario west of the Irondequot, but now contribute part of their streams to the overflowing of the marshes; and although the quantity from each is small, still the effect is very visible, and will continue to increase with the increase of the navigation. In the same way there is an influx from the Jordan summit in the east, of water which heretofore flowed into the Seneca River below the marshes, and which will also increase in the like proportion with the navigation. From these considerations it must be apparent that the desired effect cannot be fully produced, unless the Erie Canal is removed from the marshes and located on higher ground. To rise from the Cayuga marshes, a lockage of thirty six feet has been constructed to the Jordan summit level which is only twelve miles in length, between the Skeneateless and Nine mile creeks. From the Jordan summit there is a descent to the Salina level of seventeen feet, and thence a rise of twenty-six feet to the Utica level, thus making seventy-nine feet of unnecessary lockage, in addition to the forty five required to descend into the marshes; thus expending five times the quantity of lockage water which would otherwise be requisite. This last consideration is of the utmost importance; all the lockage water of Lake Erie and Rochester level, is now lost in the Cayuga marshes. The Jordan summit level locking down both ways into the Seneca and Salina levels, requires double the quantity of lockage water, which is expended for the same purpose from [22] the Lake Erie and Rochester levels; while the Utica level has also a double expenditure into the Salina level and into the Hudson. But by Mr. G. Morris' plan the only expenditure of lockage water for the whole length of canal would have been at the Hudson. From the foregoing considerations we repeat that the entire plan of descents and locks, should have been adopted, or the Rochester level should have been continued between the Canandaigua outlet which is too high, and the Palmyra level which is too low, until a descent of 78 feet would have become expedient; or if necessary, two descents dividing the height, might have been effected at different places; the canal thus descending would have acquired the level of the Seneca Lake, and received its water near Geneva. It would then have proceeded to the Cayuga outlet, and crossing with a moderate embankment, would have continued its course to the Utica summit. In these cases the delay of the numerous single locks between Utica and Rochester would cease. There would be but two or three places for passing locks between Lake Erie and the east end of Utica level, a distance of 263 miles, and only two or three superintendents of locks would be necessary instead of 19 or 20, the present number. By the first plan there would not have been more than 114 feet of lockage; and by the second only 140; instead of 267 feet, the present amount between Utica and Lake Erie! By either plan, only one fifth part of the lockage water, would be required throughout the entire distance, which is now necessary. There would be descending lockage the whole way, and the Lake Erie water would have continued in the Canal until it arrived at the Hudson!
The commissioners have ascertained that by doubling the locks as proposed, 360 boats can be passed daily without much inconvenience at the locks; and they have estimated that toll may be received from the canal in one year to the amount of above nine millions of dollars. If these are facts, of how much importance will it be to lessen the lockage between Lake Eire and Utica, to reduce the quantity [23] of water used for lockage to one fifth of the present amount, and to have an inexhaustible reservoir to apply to. The ordinary quantity of water flowing in the streams is from several causes annually diminishing, and the evaporation is annually increasing. In future we must expect that the size of streams, during the season of navigation will be far less than at present. If there is a want of water on one of the summits, it will necessarily impede the whole navigation. The Jordan summit being only twelve miles, in length, 360 boats passing through each end in one day, will require almost 720 locks full of water, or above three millions of cubic feet to be taken from it daily. This enormous demand, nearly equal to one half the water on the summit exclusive of the requisite amount for leakage, soakage, and evaporation, and the surplus quantity necessarily expended at the filling and discharging of the lock, must of course draw down the water on that short line of canal, render it shallow, and its navigation impracticable unless it is supplied in never failing quantities, from sources which it is believed will not continue to exist. But by making. the proposed alterations, every drop of water received from Lake Erie and from every feeder and inlet on the whole route, may be used as lockage water, at the only outlet at the lower end of the canal on the Hudson.
Although Mr. De Witt Clinton and the other commissioners originally determined that the locks should be twelve feet wide, it is believed that they afterward directed them to be constructed fifteen feet wide; we do not disapprove of the increase of width, but when they determined on it, they should have also agreed to increase the width of the canal. A boat we will say, for the sake of illustration, of the dimensions of the lock 15 feet wide and 4 feet deep, would contain a bulk more than four tenths, and nearly equal to one half of the bulk of the canal, of 40 feet wide at top, 28 feet at bottom, and four feet deep; but if the boat is twelve feet wide, its bulk will then be but little more than one third of the bulk of the water in the canal; and since it is found that the force applicable to the trackage of vessels in ca-[24]nals is in proportion to the quantity of fluid compared to the bulk of the vessel, the slow progress of boats on the canal is easily accounted for. Those who have passed on the canal above Schenectady, must have observed how soon the horses change from a slow heavy drag to a quick lively trot, on their arriving at deep water. This is more obvious on the Tonnewanta. where the canal is from 150 to 200 feet wide, and from 15 to 20 feet deep; there, two horses draw a boat at the rate of six miles an hour with ease; and I have been informed that they have gone twelve miles in an hour and a quarter; but on the other side of the Mountain ridge, while Oak Orchard creek was the only feeder, and the water of course low, three horses drew a boat three miles in an hour with great difficulty. With boats fifteen feet wide, the canal should have been fifty feet wide at top, and five feet deep ; the water would not then be collected at the bow of the boat as at present. There would be no counter-current near the stern to destroy the banks, no agitation to render the water muddy; but the whole would remain pure and transparent; a less number of horses would be sufficient for the draft, they would undergo less fatigue, and the boat would proceed with greater velocity.
In extending the Rochester and Utica levels to a desirable place for a junction by locks, the necessity of some embankments and deep cuts may occur, but since the Irondequot embankment of seventy-two feet in height and nearly two miles in length, and the Holley embankment of seventy-three feet in height, have been constructed with success, the proposed Cayuga embankment of forty-five or fifty-five feet in height, and one and a half miles in length will be considered a trifling operation; and since Humboldt's accounts of deep cuts in Mexico for the passage of rapid streams, and our [25] own knowledge of the cut now excavating as a part of the Delaware and Chesapeake canal, seventy-three feet in depth; a deep cut through a hill 150 feet in height with a valley on each side for an embankment, will not be considered an undertaking of appalling difficulty.
The commissioners have stated that the amount of articles carried east on the canal, is about five times greater than the amount carried west; that boats proceeding east with an average freight of forty tons, will return west with an average of eight tons only. It is supposed the like proportions will be continued in the future navigation; as the same number of horses will return with the eight tons which proceeded with the forty, it is evident that on a level canal great waste of power will necessarily take place; but where an eastern descent is given to the water, it may be so adjusted that horses may proceed with the same velocity, and no greater exertion of strength, moving eastward with forty tons, than they will do when returning westward with eight tons. By attending to this circumstance in the proposed alterations, a diminution of power by lessening of number of horses, or an increase of velocity will obtained, while the same amount of tonnage will be transported. If it shall be found expedient to give a greater descent to the water from Lake Erie to Lockport, the excavation of the lock of the Mountain ridge may be effected, when the water[26]