USA > Pennsylvania > The Register of Pennsylvania : devoted to the preservation of facts and documents and every other kind of useful information respecting the state of Pennsylvania, Vol. III > Part 60
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To arrive at the different classes of excavation, the number of yards in the sections is proportioned to the degree of hardness or easiness of the digging ascertained from examining the ground with an auger.
Some of the sections on the final estimate, may amount to more or fall short of the estimate. But it is believed that in the aggregate that the canal will not exceed the estimated cost.
As we experienced much difficulty in procuring wa- ter cement on the Lewistown section of the canal. and as the mineral is of a poor quality, I have considered it best to suspend its use and to depend in all cases on common lime, mixed with pure siliceous sand, and pro- tected by thick coats of puddle.
The temptation which culverts with high side walls of masonry, and the ease with which unfaithful mechanics may make bad work in them without being detected, has induced me to abandon them in all cases on the up- per line, and to make the arch of a sufficient caliber to discharge by springing from the wood or rock bottoms of the culverts all the water of the streams.
The expense that would attend the embankments of bridges in the borough of Huntingdon, has induced me to adopt at that place swing bridges, and as they are to be constructed on a plan different from those in use, I have annexed a description of them.
The river aqueduct at Jack's narrows has four arches of 72 feet span; the other at Shaver's ford has five arches of 75 feet span. The trunks are supported by wooden arches similar to the western aqueducts, but having iron rods running from the ribs to the floor plate, to equalize the pressure on the chords, and introducing counter or cross braces in the sides of the trunk, and placing it at equal distances between the ribs. The ex- pense of the aqueducts will amount to $63,800. At the Raystown feeder dam, a chute is planned to accommo- date the river trade; it is two hundred feet long, and the fall is ten and a half feet, which is distributed in such a manner as to give unequal velocities in passing over it. The foremost part of the craft in descending will be slightly depressed in the first fifty feet, and ele- vated gradually on leaving it.
The plan for the work is, for the acqueducts and pub- lic bridges, wood superstructures, supported on walls of dry masonry, trusse farm bridges, culverts of stone laid in common lime, waste wiers of dry and morted walls, and locks of combined dry masonry and stone, for a de- scription of which I refer to the annexed specification.
The work is generally commenced, and the contrac- tors are making arrangements to carry on their work with vigour.
DEWITT CLINTON, Engineer. Engineer Department, Lewistown, December 1828.
SPECIFICATION For a swing bridge at Huntingdon, on the Huntingdon Division of the Juniata canal.
The main support of this bridge will be an abutment in the canal four feet from the centre line towards the berm side. This abutment will be commenced four feet below bottom, ten feet broad and twenty-six feet long to be built six feet high, and to be on top eight feet broad by eighteen long; the stones to be of a large size, well shaped, and laid in cement in the strongest manner. Bedded into the top is an iron plate four inches thick and six feet in diameter, with a perforation in the cen- tre, for the pivot of the bridge. This pivot will be of wrought iron 33 feet long, six inches in diameter next to the bridge, and sloping to three inches at the end where it rests in an iron box let into the masonry; at the top it is joined to an iron plate which is connected with the main timbers of the bridge with screw nuts and bolts. To assist the bridge in swinging, perforated balls are to
Gentlemen-Appended to this report is a careful esti- mate of the Juniata canal between Lewistown and Hun- tingdon, predicated on the contract and assigned prices for the works. The cost of the canal at the estimate | roll between the plates, and are themselves to be kept
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1829.]
apart by two thin iron rings connecting small rods which pass through their perforation. The bridge towards either extremity is sustained upon two wheels two feet in diameter, which roll along on the pavements or planked way on the bottom, in a circle of thirty feet.
The bridge itself will be forty-four feet in length, and when in a proper position for crossing, will rest at both ends upon a step two feet deep in the tow-path and berm abutments, of which the breadth on the face will be eight feet, that of the bridge being the same from outside to outside.
SPECIFICATION.
For the construction of an eight foot lock, upon the Hun- tingdon Division of the Juniata canal.
The locks are to be in length ninety-one feet be- tween the gates, and in clear width fifteen feet. They will consist of a wooden frame, planked water tight, and supported by side walls of dry masonry, and will be sim- ilar, in the general plan, to those heretofore contract- ed for on the lower division of the Juniata line.
A pit shall be excavated to the depth of two feet and four inches below canal bottom, one hundred and thirty four feet long and thirty-eight wide, with a slope at the sides and ends of one to one. At the upper and lower end, for twenty feet the pit must be widened six feet for the recess walls, and at the wings ten feet .- Timber a foot square and thirty-one feet long, shall be laid crosswise on the bottom with spaces of a foot be- tween, and at the parts under the gate posts, they shall touch cach other. These timbers are to be hewed evenly on the upper side and laid firmly to a horizontal plane, a row of sheet piling is to be driven six feet be- low the gate timbers at each extremity, and a third row at the foot of the lock, and the empty spaces between all the timbers filled by a careful and compact puddling.
and top of the main walls. In a recess, left in the main wall, shall be bedded a longitudinal timber twelve inches broad and ten deep, the top of which shall be half a foot below top water line, morticed below, to re- ceive the tenons of the under uprights.
The uprights shall also be imbedded in their reces- ses, and be secured to the wall by a clamp in each an inch square, entering the masonry three feet, and turn- ed six inches around a large stone of the wall. By similar clamps at every twenty feet the longitudinal timber shall also be secured.
Across the uprights along the whole face of the wall, from eighteen feet below the lower gates to eleven feet above the breast wall, and along the breast wall itself, shall be laid in contact with the wall, and spiked to the uprights, truly jointed two inch plank. From side to side of the lock over the foundation planking, shall next be laid a course of four inch truly jointed plank. The whole inside two inch planking shall be covered with a sheating up and down of inch boards,fastened by spikes, then covered with a coating of pitch. Cap pieces ten by fifteen inches shall now be fitted by mortices to the tenons of the uprights and secured by ping through them. They shall also be painted as the engineer may require.
At the head of the lock, against the end and breast walls, shall be run a row of sheet piling, well jointed and reaching from five feet below the foundation plank- ing to the top of the breast and main walls. Back of this a mass of clay mixed with gravel, three feet thick shall be made up to the top, in a compact and water tight puddle.
The whole breast wall, piling and puddling shall be closely covered with two courses of apron plank, ex- tending to a timber two feet beyond the puddling .- Here if required shall be a recess in the slope walls to receive the ends of plank, and from a dam in case of accidents or repairs. The gates shall be constructed in the manner shown on the plan. The mitre sill to be eighteen inches by twelve, and to extend each way to the recess walls. The mitre beams will meet in a point five feet distant from the nearest edge of the sill. The hollow quoins to be eighteen inches square, to be bolt- ed against the recess walls, and secured by two rods, also tenoned to the mitre sill below .. The gates are to be painted, and to have two iron paddle gates in each gate, or eight in the lock, the castings for which, will be furnished the contractor at his expense. The lock must now be embanked, and in the bank on the up-hill side must be laid a flume, four feet by two, entering above the upper gates, and descending below the lower, and furnished with a slide gate, to draw the water through, or to cut it off between the upper and lower levels. This being done the lock will be completed by a slope wall and pavement fifty feet below the wings, each stone of the pavement to be at least two feet in depth.
A flooring of four inch plank truly jointed, which will cover the whole surface of timber in the pit and under the wings, will now be pinned down with one and a fourth inch pins of locust, or white oak, fourteen inches long, and on the flooring the mitre sills shall be brought to place, and bolted down water tight with three-fourths inch bolts, twenty-one inches long. On the flooring are to be laid the side walls fifteen and a half feet apart between the faces, seven feet thick at bottom and bat- tering behind to four at the top, to be built with reces- aes at each four feet, to receive uprights, six inches wide and ten inches deep together with occasional re- cesses as exhibited on the plan. In the construction of the wall care must be taken that well shaped stone, of good size be laid in the face, and around the recesses so arranged as to break the joints continually, and the whole work shall be so bounded, that in each course there shall occur at least once in five feet, a header not less than three feet long, crossed in the next course by stretchers of similar size. The height will be fourteen feet above the foundation flooring, or one foot above top water of the upper level, where the wall will be For locks of another lift than eight feet, it is neces" sary to observe that the plan will remain the same, but the upright timbers and plank will vary according to the lift. The walls will be at top, four feet as before, but at bottom will be increased or diminished by one-fifth of the difference between eight feet and the lift of the given lock. completed by a coping three feet and a half deep .- Next the gate recesses shall be left fifteen inches deep, and fifteen feet long, commencing a foot back from the upper edge of the mitre sill. Behind the recesses, twenty-three feet long at the head of the lock, and twenty-three feet at the foot, there shall be buttresses of three feet additional thickness extending to the wings The foundation and bottom of the pit will have a cor- responding variation. and end walls. The wings are to have a thickness at the end of two feet less than the side walls, and to slope No. 4. Millerstown, May 15th, 1828. nearly to the level of the tow-path. The head of the lock will be guarded by slope walls of two feet on top, coped, but disconnected from the main walls, leaving To the Hon. David Scott, President of the Board of Pennsylvania Canal Commissioners. a space between for the puddle. At the head of the lock, above the upper gates a breast wall will be built Sir, examinations have been made to ascertain the practicability of continuing the Juniata canal from Hunt- ingdon to Lewistown, by the valley of the Kishacoquillis creek. The levels when commenced on this summit, which is half a mile south of Homelstown. The fall to up with the sides to within fourteen inches of bottom on the higher level, where it will meet the apron planking; being six feet thick plumb and built with recesses for the uprights behind and before designed to be planked, and the planking behind to be continued to the outside | the mouth of Mills' creek is 387.50. To the Hunting-
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[APRIL
don level established by Mr. White, 344.32; and 355 to the river at that place.
The summit would have to be tunneled if the water was taken from the river at Huntingdon, or a level would have to be continued from above Frankstown, or as there is not water on the summit it would have to be pumped from the river 367 feet high, and it would make 724 feet of additional lockage; all these plans are im- practicable, as the object is not commensurate with the cost, and also the Kishacoquillis valley is composed of lime stone,and the permanency and usefulness of the ca- nal passing through such treacherous strata would be greatly jeopardised.
I therefore consider any further surveys in that quar- ter useless. Respectfully submitted.
DE WITT CLINTON, Engineer.
PROCEEDINGS OF COUNCILS.
THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 26th.
A petition was received from sundry citizens praying for the paving of Filbert strect from Thirteenth to Broad, Thirteenth street from Market to Cherry, and Juniper street from Market to Cherry. Referred to Paving Committee.
A petition was received from sundry citizens, pray- ing that the footways in south Broad street, may be made 263 feet wide, leaving a carriage way sixty feet wide, with a single row of trees on each side of the street. Referred to Paving Committee.
The following memorial from the Watchmen lately dismissed from employment, was referred to Messrs. Reed, Toland, O'Neill, and Snyder ..
To the Honourable the Select and Common Councils of the City of Philadelphia, the petition of the subscri- bers, respectfully represents,
That they have been in the employ of the Mayor, Al- dermen, and Citizens of Philadelphia as City Watchmen, for several years at monthly wages, payable on the first day of each month; that on the first day of January last, they were paid by the City authorities their respective wages for the month of December preceding; that they continued in the employ as aforesaid until about the middle of January last, when they were discharged and excluded from the performance of their duties as watch- men as aforesaid by the City Commissioners, without previous notice, without proof or allegation of miscon- duct, and in direct violation as your petitioners respect- fully conceive, of the contract between the City and them. That your petitioners had faithfully performed their several duties, and were willing and ready to per- form the same, and expressed to the said Commissioners their willingness and readiness to performn their said du- ties during the said month of January agreeably to their contract. Your petitioners after the expiration of the month of January applied to the City Commissioners for the payment of the month's wages due them respective- ly, but in vain. That they were then obliged indivi- dually to institute suits against the city for the recovery of their wages before an Alderman of the City. That many days were occupied in the investigation (each case being considered by itself, and the city represented by her counsel, ) when finally judgment was given for the amount due in each case. That appeals from the judgment of the Alderman have been entered on behalf of the City to the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Philadelphia. Your honourable bodies are aware that many months if not years may elapse before your petitioners may obtain final judgment and payment by the ordinary proceedings of a court of law; and that in the mean time, your petitioners in addition to the dis- tress which they and their families have already expe- rienced by being so unexpectedly deprived of their means of support, will be subjected to great inconve- nience and loss, by the necessary prosecution of their just rights. Under these circumstances, your petition-
ers respectfully appeal, (without prejudice to their rights) to your honourable bodies and trusts that the cir- cumstances being made known to you, you will as an act of justice cause the said appeals to be discontinued and full payment made of the debt and cost due each case as aforesaid.
Philadelphia, March 26, 1829.
The following communication was received from the Franklin Institute.
Hall of Franklin Institute, ? March 19th, 1829. 5
To Jno. M. Scott, Esq. President of the Select Council of the City of Philadelphia.
Sir: The undersigned a committee appointed by the Board of Managers of the Franklin Institute, to carry into effect the subjoined resolutions, beg leave to trans- mit them through you to the Board over which you preside, with a request that the use of part of the build- ing and power occupied by the city, for the supply of water, may be granted to the institute for the purpose of prosecuting experiments on the value of water as a moving power, and the effects on various kinds of wheels, as compared with each other.
In trying these experiments it is the object of the In- stitute to establish with accuracy, the principles on which the power of water is to be calculated, and ascer- tain the mode by which it can be applied with most ad- vantage and economy. The subject is one of deep in- terest to every one connected with hydraulic operations. The experiments hitherto made with this object have been prosecuted by the use of small models and the re- sults as might be anticipated, have been by no means accurate; the repetition on a scale of some magnitude has been long called for. The undersigned look forward with a hope that their application will be granted.
The expense of prosecuting these experiments on a scale and to an extent which the importance of the ob- ject demands, will not fall short of two thousand dol- lars, and the Institute must have recourse to the libe- rality and public spirit of those to whom the subject is most interesting, for pecuniary means. They beg leave to suggest to the Select Council whether the amount they have at stake in the work in question does not place the city of Philadelphia among that number.
The time may come when the economy in water will be of vital importance to the comforts of the city. The results of these experiments will then be of much im- portance.
The undersigned cannot close this communication without expressing a hope that the assistance of the city, towards defraying the expense of these important and interesting experiments will not be wanting.
At a stated meeting of the Board of Managers of the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania for the promotion of the Mechanic Arts, held at their Hall, March 12th, 1829, the following preamble and resolu- tions were proposed and adopted, viz. .
Whereas, the value of water as a moving power and the relative effect produced by it upon wheels of differ- ent constructions has never been fixed by actual expe- riment on a scale of sufficient magnitude to settle the principles upon which it is to be calculated, and
Whereas, a course of experiments of sufficient mag nitude to fix the data from which such calculations may be made with accuracy, would be of great value to every one interested in mill works. Therefore
Resolved, That it is expedient for the Franklin Insti- tute to undertake a series of experiments for the pur- poses set forth in the above preamble, provided suffi- cient funds can be obtained for that purpose. 1
Resolved, that a committee of inquiry be appointed with instructions to apply to the Select and Common Councils of the City of Philadelphia, for the use of part of the city water works, and water at the dam at Fair Mount, for the purpose of prosecuting such experi- ments.
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Resolved, That the said committee be anthorized to solicit funds from such as may be interested in these ex- periments to aid in carrying them into effect.
Messrs. Samuel V. Merrick, Benj. Reeves, Isaiah Lukens, Rufus Tyler, and Andrew Young, were ap- pointed said committee.
WM. HAMILTON, Actuary.
On motion of Mr. Page, the following was adopted.
Resolved, That in the opinion of these Councils, the experiments proposed in the communication received from the Franklin Institute are of such importance in a practical point of view as to justify on the part of the city, deeply interested therein, such assistance as can be safely afforded to the applicants.
And be it further Resolved, That the Watering Com- mittee be, and they are hereby authorized to grant the use of one room in the Fair Mount Buildings, and the necessary water, (if upon inquiry they shall deem it proper) to such persons as may be engaged in the said experiments, provided the same can be done without in- jury to any part of the said public works.
Mr. Bladen, presented the following report on the part of the Market Committee.
To the Select and Common Councils of the City of Phila- phia,
The Committee on Markets, report --
That they have had under consideration the several matters at various times referred to them, and now res- pectfully submit the result of their deliberations.
The item of unfinished business No. 2, relative to the removal of the market in Broad street, and the me- morials upon the same subject, in the opinion of the committee, deserve immediate attention. Experience has shown that the erection of that market has in no res- pect answered the expectations of those with whom the project originated. It produces no convenience to the citizens residing in its vicinity, or revenue to the city, and is a blot upon one of its noblest streets. They therefore, recommend the passage of an ordinance, that the same may be taken down.
The item of unfinished business No. 3, relative to the assize and weight of Bread, also, in the opinion of the committee, is one which should be acted upon. It is, however, doubtful, whether the evils complained of can be remedied by the Councils under the acts of Assem- bly as they now stand. An application to the Legisla- ture would be the proper course, and the committee re- commend that such a law should be asked for as would require all bread offered for sale, to be made as follows: an half pound, pound and an half, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten pounds avoirdupoise weight and upwards.
The erection of a market house in High street, west of Broad street, is by the committee deemed inexpedient at this time.
The memorial from the victuallers they have had un- der consideration. As part of the inconvenience of which they complain is about to become a subject mat- ter of legislation at the seat of the state government, the committee consider it unnecessary to take further notice of it.
So far as regards the application for and against the removal of the market carts from Chesnut street, the committee report that the same may be done without in- july to the interests of the city or inconvenience to per- sons attending the markets, provided the stand selected be not too distant from the market. They, therefore, recommend the passage of an ordinance to that effect, and suggest one or both sides of Dock street for that purpose.
The bill which accompanied the report, providing for the demolition of the market house in Broad street, was passed by the Common Council. The other bill, providing for the removal of the market carts from Chesnnt street to Dock street, was postponed for want oftime.
An ordinance was passed to raise the sum of fifty-five thousand dollars for the use of the Watering Committee.
The Select Council adopted the following on motion of Mr. Toland. The Common Council postponed it on motion of Mr. O'Neill.
Resolved by the Select and Common Councils, that the Joint Committees, appointed on Independence, Washington, Franklin, Penn, and Rittenhouse Squares, be, and they are hereby authorized and empowered, to employ such person or persons as they may think pro- per, to improve and take care of the same, and that the City Commissioners be, and they are hereby authorized and required, to pay all bills which may be presen- ted to them, for labour, &c. &c, done therein, or for wages of persons so employed, provided said bills be approved and certified by the Chairman of the Commit- tee of the Square.
On motion of Mr. Richards, the following was adop- ted.
Whereas, The Poor Laws for the city and districts, passed at the last session of our Legislature, were ma- turely considered in their principles and provisions by a committee of highly respectable and experienced ci- tizens, appointed by a public town-meeting, and where- as the above laws have met with the approbation of the Corporations of the city and districts, and are ac- ceptable to the citizens, having originated in views of sound economy, and being directed by a strict regard to the welfare and interests of the poor, as well as the general interest. Therefore,
Resolved, That the Presidents of Councils be re- quested to prepare a memorial to be addressed to the speaker of the House of Representatives, to be signed by the President of each council, to be laid before the house, Praying that no alteration may be made in the above laws, by the Legislature, until the provision of said laws have been fairly tested.
The following resolution was adopted by the Com- mon Council, on motion of Mr. Page.
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