USA > New York > The natural, statistical, and civil history of the state of New-York, v. 1 > Part 14
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The eastern section was constructed under the superintend- ance of Mr. Seymour, a very efficient commissioner.
Messrs. Clinton and Van Rensellaer, although not in the the strictest sense of the word, acting commissioners, performed very important services. They examined the whole rout before the commencement of the canal, and afterwards exerted their tal- ents and influence in furthering its completion,
Among the engineers, the Hon. James Goddes and the Hon. Benjamin Wright, hold the first rank. The former was mostly employed on the western section, and the latter on the eastern. Both surveyed and superintended the middle. The one had the easterly half and the other the westerly.
VOL. I.
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HISTORY OF THE
Judge Geddes is the first person who reconnoitred the ground between Rome, in the county of Oneida, and Lake Erie, and made maps, and other drawings, with some topographical sketches. In 1811 he re-examined the same ground. From then to 1822, he was more or less engaged. In almost every important service we find him directly or indirectly concerned.
The Champlain canal was begun in June 1818, and finished in September 1823. Mr. Samuel Young was the acting com- missioner. Col. Lewis Garin was employed as an engineer at an - early period. In 1820, Mr. William Jerome succeeded bim. The first we hear of this canal is in the report made the eighth of March 1814, by Messrs. Morris, Van Rensellear, Clinton, Dewitt, Eddy, North, Porter, Livingston and Fulton, then commissioners.
ERIE CANAL.
THIS canal commences at the harbour of Black Rock, at the outlet of Lake Erie, and extends eastwardly to the Hudson, at Albany. It is about three hundred and sixty-three miles in length, and commonly forty feet in breadth at the top, and twenty-eight at the bottom, with a depth of four feet of water. It runs along the western border of the county of Erie, on the margin of the river Niagara, from Black Rock to Tonnawanta creek, eight miles ; and thence, up that creek about ten miles, where it turns and passes across the southeasterly part of the county of Niagara, and enters the county of Orleans, which it crosses nearly from west to east ; it then traverses the counties of Monroe and Wayne, touches the north angle of Seneca, and . passes into the county of Cayuga. It then pursues the same easterly course through the counties of Cayuga, Onondaga, Madison, Oneida, Herkimer, Montgomery, Schenectady, Sara- toga and Albany, to the valley of the Hudson, where it turns and takes a southerly direction to the Albany basin, the place of its termination.
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Fron Black Rock to near the village of Pittsford, in the county of Monroe, it passes along and through the great west- ern plain. It then passes through a strip of country diversified with a multitude of swells and ridges, and reaches Mud creek, near the village of Palmyra. It then continues along that creek, and through a swale, to near the village of Lyons, in the coun- ty of Wayne. From thence, its course is through the Canan- daigua, and Seneca, and Oneida vales, to the confines of the county of Herkimer ; and then through the valley of the Mo- hawk, to the Hudson.
The general directions of the canal may be set down as fol- lows-first, from Black Rock to some miles below Lock Port, in the county of Niagara, northeasterly-second, easterly to within five miles of Rochester, on Genesee river, in the county of Monroe-third, southeasterly to about two or three miles eastwardly of the village of Pittsford-fourth, then north north- easterly about four miles-fifth, then east southeasterly to Sen- eca river-sixth, then about easterly to near Cowassalon creek, in the county of Madison-seventh, then nearly northeasterly to the Cedar Swamp at Rome, in the county of Oneida-eighth, then east southeasterly to the Grand Junction in the town of Watervliet, in the county of Albany-ninth, then southerly to the Albany basin. In these directions, which are general, we have not noticed the numerous sweeps and curves which it makes. Averaging all the courses of the canal it will be found that its general direction is about east, inclining a little to the southeast. A straight line drawn from Black Rock to Albany is 245 miles. The tortuous line of the canal is 363 miles. The difference between the two lines is 118 miles. From the preced- ing the reader will perceive that the canal is very crooked. Af- ter the country is cleared it is not improbable but some correc- tions will be made whereby the line will be shortened a few miles.
The Erie canal is divided into eighty-two basins. It has eighty-three locks, independant of the five ascending locks at Lock Port. The towing path is about eight feet broad. The locks are descending and ascending, and consist of five series.
The first series are descending, and are twenty-one in number.
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They end a little east of Clyde. Five of these are at the village of Lock Port, in the county of Niagara, on the declivity of a steep, and have falls of eleven feet nine inches each. The locks at this place are double, consisting of ten. The one set is for the descent, and the other for the ascent of boats. All the other locks on the canal are single. These locks are at the end of the Buffalo level. The Buffalo level, including the harbour of Black Rock and the Buffalo branch, is about thirty miles long.
Five are at the east end of the Rochester level, in the space of one mile and three-quarters, and have descents of seven feet five inches each. The Rochester level is sixty-three miles long.
There is one lock at Pittsford of eight feet descent. The Pittsford level is about eight miles and a-half long. This level begins about two miles east of Genesee river.
There is one lock at the end of the Teoronto, or Irondequot level, of ten feet descent. This level is fifteen miles long.
Three-quarters of a mile east of the preceding, there is a lock with a drop of ten feet. . 'The latter is a little west of the village of Palmyra, in Wayne county.
Twelve miles east of the last lock, there are three locks in a short distance,. with drops of eight feet each. This level is call- ed the Palmyra level.
., At the distance of three and a-half miles from the last of the three preceding, there is one of ten feet drop.
About four miles east of the last, there is a lock with a de- scent of six feet. This is at the village of Lyons, in the county of Wayne.
Four miles and a-hall' cast there is one of seven feet descent. This level is called the Lyons level.
. The Clyde level is about five miles long, and ends in a lock which has a fall of five feet.
The next is the Canandaigua level, and is six miles and a-half in length, and ends in a lock with a descent of nine feet.
The last lock of the first series of descending locks, is on the western border of the Montezuma marshes.
The entire depression, from Lake Erie to Seneca river, on
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the Montezuma level, is one hundred and ninety six feet, and is surmounted by twenty-one locks. We exclude fractions. The lockage, in the aggregate, amounts to one hundred and eighty- four feet and ten inches. The distance is one hundred and sixty miles.
The second series of locks are ascending, and are four in number. They commence on the east side of Seneca river, at the termination of the Montezuma level.
The first has a lift or ascent of seven feet. It is six miles dis- tant from the last lock of the first series of descending locks. .
The second is a mile and a-half east, and has an ascent of nine feet.
The third is near Bucksville, distant from the foregoing four .miles, and has a lift of nine feet.
The fourth is at Jourdan's basin, in the county of Onondaga, and has an ascent of eleven feet. The distance between this and the preceding is about nine miles.
The elevation of the second series of locks is about thirty- six feet. The distance occupied by the first series of ascending locks is about fifteen miles and a-half.
Here there is a level of twelve miles, at the end of which the third series of locks, and the second of the descending locks, begin. 'They are twobin number. The first is at the end of the level on the east side of Otisco, or Nine Mile creek, in the town of Camillus, county of Onondaga, and has a descent, or drop, of eleven feet. .
The second is seven miles east, and has a descent of six feet. This lock is a little east of the village of Geddesburg, in the . town of Salina, Onondaga county.
The depression of the second series of descending locks, is but seventeen feet.
The fourth series are three in number, and are ascending. They commence about one mile and a-quarter east of the last lock of the second series of descending locks, and are in the town of Salina, a little east of the village of Syracuse.
The first has a lift of six feet, and is eighty rods east of Sy- racuse.
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The second is nearly one mile east, and has a rise of ten feet.
The third is close by, and has an ascent of ten feet.
The second series of ascending locks have an elevation of twenty-six feet. The long level begins at the last of these locks, and stretches eastwardly to Frankfort, in the county of Herkimer, a distance of sixty-nine miles and a-half. This level is in the ` counties of Onondaga, Madison, Oneida and Herkimer. It occupies the entire width of two of these. Its main being in Madison and Queida, and its wings or extremeties in Onondaga and Herkimer. Among canal levels this may be ranked one of the longest in the world.
" The fifth and last series of locks, are fifty-three in number. They begin at the east end of the Long level, and are all de- scending.
: The first has a descent of eight feet. This is at the end of the Long level. 1
The second is one mile distant, and has also a descent of eight feet.
The third is half a mile distant from the second, and has likewise a descent of eight feet.
. The fourth, like the preceding, has a descent of eight feet. It is two miles and an balf from the thirdo
.The fifth is a-quarter of a mile east of the fourth, and has the same descent.
The sixth is rather over two miles from the fifth, and has a fall of nine feet.
The seventh is nearly three miles below the sixth, and has u fall of eight feet.
Three miles east of the seventh there is one with a descent of eight feet. This lock is at the head of Little Falls.
.In the distance of one mile and a-quarter. from the latter, there are four locks, each of which has a fall or drop of eight feet. At the foot of the last a level of five miles extent begins. The number of locks at Little Falls is five.
. The thirteenth lock is at the termination of the last level, and has a descent of eight feet.
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The fourteenth is four miles east of the thirteenth. Its de- scent is eight feet. This lock is in Minden, in the county of Montgomery. The preceding are in the county of Herkimer.
The fifteenth is three miles and three-quarters below the four- teenth. Its descent is also eight feet.
The sixteenth is four miles and three-quarters east of the fifteenth. It has a descent of seven feet. This is likewise in Minden.
The seventeenth has a descent of eight feet. It is three miles and a-quarter east of the sixteenth. This lock is at Canajoharie.
The eighteenth is twelve miles east of the seventeenth, and has a descent of seven feet. This lock is in Glen.
The nineteenth has a descent of six feet. It is on the west side of Schoharie creek.
The twentieth is on the east side of Schoharie creek, and distant about half a mile. Its descent is four feet.
The twenty-first is distant three miles from the foregoing, and has a descent of eight feet.
The twenty-second is about half a mile distant, and has a fall of eight feet.
About one mile below is the twenty-third, with a drop of eight feet. The four last named locks are in the town of Florida, in the county of Montgomery.
The twenty-fourth is four miles distant from the last, and has a fall of eight feet.
The twenty-fifth is about five miles east, and has the same descent.
The twenty-sixth has the like fall.
This is at the west end of the Schenectady level.
The twenty-seventh is at the end of the Schenectady level, und has a descent of seven feet. This lock is in the town of Half Moon, county of Saratoga, and directly below the upper aqueduct.
The twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth are a little below, and have also descents of seven feet each.
The thirtieth is distant from the last about two miles. Its descent is likewise seven feet.
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The thirty-first has a fall of seven feet, and is a mile and an half from the preceding.
The thirty-second is also in the county of Saratoga, and has the like fall. It is three miles and an half below the thirty-first.
The thirty-third is five miles from the last, and has a descent of eight feet. This lock is in the town of Watervliet, in the county of Albany.
The thirty-fourth, thirty-fifth and thirty-sixth are about three miles from the thirty-third, and have severally descents of eight feet.
The thirty-seventh and thirty-eighth are about a mile and a-quarter below the thirty-sixth, and have, respectively descents of nine fcet.
These locks are a little below the noted Cohoos Falls.
About a-quarter of a mile below the thirty-eighth is the thirty- ninth, with a descent of nine feet.
The fortieth has the same descent.
The nine locks, as they are called, commence half a mile be- low the fortieth. They are all in full view, and descend with their basins like so many terraces. Each has a descent of eight feet. The Northern, or Champlain canal, unites with the Erie between the seventh and eighth locks. The place of meeting is denominated the Grand Junction.
The fiftieth lock has a descent of eleven feet.
The fifty-first has the same descent.
The fifty-second has a corresponding descent.
The fifty-third is the last lock of the fifth series. It is at the
Albany basin, and has a descent of eleven feet.
The whole depression from the east end of the Long level to the Albany basin, is 425 feet.
The level of the junction above the tide water of
the Hudson is 44 feet.
The Schenectady level is 226 feet.
The Long level is 425 feet.
The Montezuma level is .370 feet.
The Rochester level is 506 feet.
The Buffalo level is 566 feet.
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The Erie canal is carried over many streams, in aqueducts and on culverts. These afford channels for so many rivers, creeks, brooks and torrents which flow under it. It also passes over numerous vallies and ravines on mounds, and crosses some streams through dams. The dams are entered and left through . guard locks. These are constructed to prevent large masses of water from rushing into the canal in freshets and rises.
There are - bridges at present. The number will be more than doubled when the lands on the middle and western sections are cleared and cultivated.
The waste weirs amount to -, and are designed to dis- charge the surplus waters from the canal.
The locks are each ninety feet in length within the gates, and fifteen feet in breadth. They are passed by boats, in ordinary times, in four minutes. They are all constructed with lime- stone, or sandstone laid in cement, made of water limestone. The guard locks are also constructed with the same materials. They are solid structures, and are not surpassed in design, beauty and utility by any locks in the world.
There are several aqueducts, culverts, mounds and dams which deserve particular notice. We shall endeavour to take them up in order, commencing at the west with the aqueducts.
The first is an aqueduct of stone, over Oak Orchard creek, in the county of Orleans, with a span of sixty feet. The mounds which join it to the canal are about one hundred and fifty feet in length.
The aqueduct over Genesee river, at Rochester, in the county of Monroe, is seven hundred and fifty feet in length. It has twelve piers and eleven arches. The two exterior arches are over mill races or courses, and are each forty feet span, while those over the river, consisting of nine, are each fifty feet. The piers are based upon the limestone rock, which forms the bed of the river. The parapets are each about four feet eight inches broad. That on the north side, which is used for a tow path, has an iron railing. Both form delightsome promenades. The aqueduct, except the parapets, is constructed of red sand- stone, laid in cement. The parapets are made of blue lime- VOL. I. 20
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HISTORY OF THE
stone, cut in large oblong tables, which are joined together with strong iron clamps. . It is the most splendid work on the whole canal. William Brittin, the architect, died before its completion.
The aqueduct over Mud creek, near the village of Lyons, in Wayne county, stands on four piers, and has three arches, whose spans are severally thirty feet. It is a stone structure.
The aqueduct over the Owasco outlet, at Bucksville, in the county of Cayuga, is built of stone. It has four arches of twenty feet span each. Its entire length is about one hun- dred and twenty feet. It is five miles east of the Montezuma marshes. The surface of the stream, at low water mark, is twelve feet and an half below the top water line of the canal.
There is a stone aqueduct over Skaneatelis outlet, in Onon- daga county, which has three arches, and is one hundred feet in length. The embankments connecting it with the canal, are considerable for extent.
The canal is carried over Otisco, or Nine Mile creek, in an aqueduct of stone one hundred and twenty feet long. It has two arches of thirty feet span each. A mound on the west side of the stream forms a union or connection with it. The lock at the east end of the aqueduct nearly supersedes the ne- cessity of a continuation across the valley of the stream.
At Onondaga creek there is an aqueduct that has four arches, whose spans in the aggregate are one hundred and twenty feet. Each is thirty feet. Mounds, or raised ridges join it to the canal. The length of the aqueduct, including piers, is one hundred and eighty feet.
: The aqueduct and embankment over Oneida creek, taken together, are about four hundred feet in length, and from twenty to twenty-six feet in heighth. The aqueduct alone is one hun- dred and twenty feet.
The aqueduct over the Mohawk river, in the county of Her- kimer, ranks next to that over Genesee river, at Rochester. It is tw; hundred and fourteen feet long, and twenty-four feet broad. The walls of the parapets are four feet six inches high, and four feet broad. The water course between the parapet walls is sixteen feet in breadth. This aqueduct has four piers
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and three arches. The central arch has a span of seventy feet, which is the greatest on the canal, and serves to conduct the
1 waters of the river in ordinary times. The two outer arches have severally spans of fifty feet. There is an iron balustrade on the right side of the western parapet. The parapets make picturesque walks. The whole is built of secondary limestone, and is a noble structure. This aqueduct serves to connect the old canal with the Erie, and for a feeder. Two mounds, sur- passing two hundred and fifty feet in length, constructed of stone and earth, form links between the canals and aqueduct.
The aqueducts, constructed of stone and wood, next claim our attention-we shall begin with the aqueduct over Mud creek, near the village of Palmyra, in Wayne county. It is upwards of one hundred feet long, and rests on piers of stone.
The aqueduct over Crane brook, in the county of Cayuga, is one hundred feet in length ; that over Cold Spring brook is , also one hundred feet.
Those over Butternut, Limestone and Chittiningo creeks, in the counties of Onondaga and Madison, are severally one hun- dred and ten feet in length.
The Canasaraga is only forty feet. That over Wood creek, Oneida county, has the same length.
The aqueduct over Oriskinny, is one hundred and twenty feet long-it has been constructed since the completion of the middle section, and is a deviation from the original plan of the canal.
That over the Sauquait, at Whitesborough, in the county of Oneida, is two hundred and forty feet long.
The mounds connecting it with the banks of the valley, are two thousand six hundred and forty feet long.
That over Myers' creek, in the county of Herkimer, is sixty feet long. Mounds unite it with the outlines of the creek's val- ley. They are four hundred and seventy paces long.
The aqueduct over Fulmer's creek, in Germanflats, in the latter county, is two hundred and twenty-eight feet in length.
The canal passes the Mohawk river, in two large aqueducts- the first is seven hundred and forty-eight feet in length, and twenty-four feet in heighth-it is four miles northeasterly of the
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city of Schenectady. The trunk is supported by sixteen oblong abutments of limestone, standing on the Shistic rock, which forms the bed of the river.
The second is twelve miles east southeast of the preceding- it is eleven hundred and eighty-cight feet in length, and twenty- four feet in height. Twenty-six oblong stone abutments, based on slate, underlaying the river, support it. Each of these struc- . tures has a tow path, about eight feet wide, with a railing along which the horse drawing the boat, passes.
There are many other stone and wooden aqueducts which merit notice, but the bare insertion would swell this article too much. The stone aqueducts vary from fifty to seven hundred and fifty feet, and the wooden from twenty to eleven hundred and eighty-eight. We have not been so particular about ele- vations and breadths as we could have wished, but this fault is not ours, the commissioners and engineers have not in their voluminous reports furnished data.
The culverts on the canal are numerous-they are designed for the passage of small streams under the canal.
The culvert's between Genesee river and the Montezuma marshes, are twenty-one in number-they are all made of stone and arched.
Between Montezuma and Utica the culverts amount to twenty- three. Eight are of stone, and fifteen of cast iron. The stone culverts are from sixty-four to one hundred and twenty feet long, and have spans varying from eight to fourteen feet-the iron culverts are much less.
'The number between Little Falls and Schenectady is sixty. They are made of stone.
Mounds and embankments constitute an important feature in the canal.
The mounds or embankments over Eighteen Mile and John- son's creeks, in the counties of Niagara and Orleans, have con- siderable length, breadth and elevation. They are carried across ravines.
The streams themselves flow through stone culverts under the canal.
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There is also an embankment carried across the ravine of Otter creek, a branch of Oak Orchard-these ravines are not deep.
The embankments over Sandy creek and Rush brook are short-the former is seventy six feet, perpendicular elevation, and the latter twenty-six. The preceding mounds and embank- ments are west of Genesee river.
The Irondequot embankment is the greatest work of the kind, on the whole canal. Its length is one thousand six hun- dred and fifty yards, and its height from forty to seventy-six feet. It is partly natural, and partly artificial-it extends in a winding direction, across the valley of Irondequot. Three sleuder ridges, stretching in the direction of the canal, are united by mounds or embankments. The two first are joined by a mound four hundred and forty yards in length, raised to the height of seventy-six feet. The second and third are con- nected by a mound seventy-seven yards in length-their decli- vities are rapid. These ridges are so very narrow at their bases, that, in some places, stone walls have been built on both sides, in order to hold them up. The canal is on the summit of the embankment. The Irondequot creek runs under it through a stone culvert, two hundred and forty-five feet long, seventeen feet high, and twenty-six feet broad. The arch of the culvert stands upon one thousand spiles, of one foot diame- ter each, driven from ten to twenty feet in the earth. The surface of the spiles is seventy-two feet below the top water line of the canal-this is the highest part of the embankment, and is wholly artificial. The country hereabouts, for an extent of several miles, on all sides, is thrown up into little ridges and hillocks which have no determinate direction. Hence, almost insuperable difficulties presented themselves to carrying the canal from Genesee river to Mud creek. These however, were surmounted by Mr. Geddes, after spending nearly two months in examinations. This is the only pass from the former to the latter stream. The skill of the engineer was put to greater test at this place; than at any other on the canal.
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In the town of Manlius, in the county of Onondaga, the canal crosses Cadwell's Swamp. Two embankments of seven hun- dred and four yards each, have been stretched across this swamp --- these confine the waters of the canal. This swamp is timbered with cedar, and is mostly flooded during the whole year-its soil is soft and very spungy.
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