The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-06-14
REPORT
Z OF TIE SEcRET1RY0FT TREAStrRl;
on THE scrJEcr .lsS.
PUBLIC ROADS u CANALS,
Made in tarsnoxee
Or A RESOLUTION OF SENATE or IRA RICH 2.
81

EcoSrfvrEp.]
III. EgLAw'Arx AND CHEsApEAge Canal.
sksA company incorporated by the states OF De-
laware and Ri.ryl;,id, frr cpeiing this canal, has
commenced its operations, now suspended for
want OK fund.-.
The cPnal will commence at Welsi, point on
Eikriver. an arm Of the Chesapeake, and termi-
nate ut distance of % miles, OH Cliristiana
creek, branch cfthc Delaware. At low wa
ter the depth OF water in Christianais nine fect
and in Elk twelve feet, within one hundred feet
from the shore. The tide rises four feet in both
eriyers--The canal might. without INCREASING
the distance, be conducted to New. Castle on the
Delaware itself, instead Of ending at Cb.istiana
creek.
The highest intermediat ground, over which
the canal will be carrie on level OF Is miles in
length, is "a feet above tide water, the dcscen,
being elected by nine locks on each side. The
digging is generally easy; no expensive aque-
ducts or bridges, nor any other obstacles but
ging the feeder through avery rocky soil. 4
The supply of water drawn from Elk river,
by feeder si1 niles in length, already compile
ted, which is itself a boat canal three and haH
feet deep, united BY a lock Of ten feet lift with
the main canal, is calculated TO fill daily led locks
aquantty sufficient on an average for the daily
passage Of twenty four vessels. "A reservoir co.
yering thirty, and which may be, encreascd to
$50 acres, viii supply occasional deficiencies;
other reservoirs may be added, and Christina
and White Clay creeks may hereafter be brought
in aid of Elk river, if the supply should prove
too scaTlty for an encreased navigation.
The canal 90 feet wide at the bottom, and sc
at the top on the water line, being dug at the
depth of 8 feet, is intended for vessels of forty
TO seventy tons, drawing i-2 feet water but
the banks 90 feet wide for towing paths, and one
OF which may be converted into turnpike road
being raised three feet above the level of the wa
ter, will, by encreasing the height Of the lock
gates one foot, admit a depth of nire feet Of wa
ter in the canal; at which depth it would per-
haps be eligible TO dig at once. The locks 50
feet long, 1s fee. vide, and tnr 81 feet deep c.
yer the gate-sills, containing each II, 500 to
$4,000 cubic feet of water, and with lift of
20 feet each will be constructed of hewn stone
laid in tarras. Those dimensions both Of the ca
nal and locks, recommended by Mr.. Latrobe,
the engineer of the canal, may be adopted in Ill
the other canals for sea vessels, on this line OF
communication.
The present annual carriage across the Per.
insuis, which would be drawn through the ca
nal, is estimated at ~ thousand tons, exclusive
iy of passengers. This will be greatly encrea-
sed by the facility which the canh itself will at
ford to the commercial intercourse between the
two bays, and TO the conveyance Of articles now
carried through other Gi,sHiei5, ortoo hea7j Tor
transportation, at the present expence OF cairi-
which brought down from the sources ct the
Susquehannah and Potomac, but principally from
the vicinity of Richmond, would naturally pass
thrcrgh the cansl, have been alone estimated at
more than one hundred thousand tons year.
The annual carriage of ali articles may, in the
present state of population be fairly eatimated at
one hundred and fifty thousand tons, and the di-
rect annual sayisgto The community ut 100000
dollars. being at the rate oftwo dollars a ton for
the difference between land and water Carriage
acrossthe peninsula, afterpaying thetoils. These,
1t the rate of fifty cents ton, viii give to tire
undertakers revenue of 75,ooo dollars, leaving,
after deduction of 10000 dollars for annual re
pairs, and of 10, O0G dollars more for ATTENDANCE
and contingencies, hett income of $1,000 dol
lars
The expenses of the whole work are estma-
ted as followeth
Digging Dc miles, at s 10000 mile, s 100000
10 locks, at s lU,cuo each, Igg,00o
(The whole lockage being lt8 feet
would at s 1850 foot, amountto
$4,000 doilars,)
Feeder, tpesrly completely reservoirs,
lock at the feeder, purchase Of water
rights and land, including a debt Of -
dollars due BY the company, 10000
f. II
pcn