The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-07-19
PUBLIC ROADS e CANALS,
INTERIOR CANALS.

the canals of which any knowledge has been OBJ
tanned, and which not Immediately the ri
vers opening communications with the western
waters, with those of ST. Lawrence, although
some OF them may be considered extending
those communications to more remote sea ports.
The documents from which the information is
extracted, will be found under the letters &c. c)
MsRRIMACK.
The navigation of that river, which rising in the
state of New Hampshire, falls into the sea ut New
buryport after course of $50 miles, is interrupt
ed by several falls. A canal called Blodset's ca
nal has been opened around Asmoskeag tails
Lower down, and about 40 miles from the sea,
the Essex canal, miles in length, and admitting
boats drawing 3 feet and half, will open a COM
munication around the Patucket falls, effecting
through three locks descent of 81 feet. From
the lower extremity ofthe canal, the river is ma
vigable to the head of the tide at Haverhil, altho
che fall be 45 feet within that distance. No par
ticulsr account has been received of the capital
expended but it is believed that the work will
be profitable 20 the underwriters.
The Middlesex canal, uniting the waters of that
river with tha harber of Boston, is, however, the
greatest work of the kind which has been COM
plcted in the United States.
That canal, 10 feet wide and 3 ID feet deep,
draws it's supply Of water from Sudbury or Con
cord river, branch of the Merrimack, and from
the summit ground extends six miles with de-
scent of % feet to the Merrimack above the Pa
tucket falls, and % miles with descent of 10Y
feet to ehe tide water of the harbor of Boston,
The descent to the Merrimack is effected by
three, and that to tide water, by nineteen locks.
They all 90 feet long, IL feet wide, OF solid
masonry and excellent workmanship.
In order to open that Canal 1T was necessary to
dig in places at the depth of 20 feet, to cut
tn ough Lodges Of rocks, u MI some v,iiies and
morasses, and to throw several aqueducts across
the intervening rivers. Sye OF these across
the river Shawshine is $50 feet long, and % fee
above the river. Ali those obstacles have been
overcome, and boats Of "a tons, Is feet long and
IL feet wide, can navigate the canal. those in
most general use are of smaller dimensions, and
are drawn by two horses the rate of three miles
an hour. A raft OF one mile in length, and con
tanning eight hundred tons of timber, has been
drawn by two oxen, part OF the way at the rate of
hour. boats pass :r3:.: G;.c
end OF the canal to the other in ID hours ihe
pitl expended on the work is stated at47S coo dol
lars, and the water rights & necessary land cost
n further SUM OF $1,000 dollars. The to,l ex-
pense has exceeded $4,000 dollars--the tolls
have exceeded II goo dollars year, but are
INCREASING.
Several other canals have been contemplated
In the state of Massachusetts, intended TO unite
the waters Of Providence Patucket river. with
those OF Charles river which falls into the harbor
of Boston, and of the river Connecticut. The
grounds have been surveyed, but no particular de-
scription has been obtained, and the works have
not yet been commenced.
II. scHuYLXIIL AND DELAWARE.
A company Incorporated several years ago
by the state of Pennsylvania, for opening canal
from Norristown, on the river Schuylkiil, to the
tide water ofthe Delaware at Philadelphia The
distance is 10 miles, the fall 50 feet, and the
nal deriving its water from the Schuylkill, would
have been carried on level to Philadelphia, and
n its descent to the Delaware supplied the city
with water, and the shipping with docks. The ex-
pense Rad been estimated at $4,000 dollars the
york was commenced, enc thi.d part of the
digging effected, and considerable sum ex
pended But, either from want of funds, or from
an improper selection of the ground or from other
causes not fully understood, the undertaking, If
not altogether abandoned, has been suspended for
several years
This canal was intended as the first link of an
extensive western communication Tae Schuyl- |
Kill, from Norristown to Reading, 46 miles high |
erup the river, being navigable great portion of
the year, was considered IS the next link
III scHUYLKILL AND sUsoyEHANNAH |
Another company was Incorporated, for the |
purpose OF opening an inland navigation between |
Aiesdlng, on the Sc, uylkiIl, to Middleton, on |
the Susqueh&nTiaii. Both towns i'll the great |
Lime stoiie valley, Beyond the Blue Ridge, and |
the distance Is seventy miles. Ii had been at first
aupPosed that it would be sufficient to cut a ca
nal four miles in length, on the summit level be-
tween the two rivers, and thereby - unite the |
T'1PcEocken which, falls into the oCnJylkiil, with
the QaIApahilig, branch OF the Swatara, which |
tJtllIlist III the 5HSt ilGitH'1ti Dul IL Was soon
escertaircd that the Original plan OF improving
by succ ession of dl,us TIE navigation of those
SINAI rivers was errohcrlS, and that it would be
Gecessa5yto cut canal the whole way.
The mint level is an elevation of $40 feet a
boye tn Schnylki!l, and of 30S feet above the
Susquei..Tral Adjacent springs consider
Cd sufficient Cor the upper locks and the creeks
would after short descent afford al abundant
supply. The proposed dimensions OF the canal
were bresdtr o. twenty feet at the bottom, and
depth o. three feet aFid lf: and the expcncc
was estIinAts ds,t nearly ], 100000 dollars.
The work was commenced the canal has
been cut the whole distance Of four miles on the
Summit 'spei five locks made of brick have
b. ~ constructed land ard water rights have
been purchased, and considerable capital has
b. rs expended. But although the state OF Penn-
syi"anIa has permitted the company to raise |
200 Coz dollars by lottery, and IS bosnd to pay
them $4,000 dollars whenever the work shall |
hue been completed, it remains suspended for |
want of funds.
The great lockage necessary for this canal, IS |
the principal objection TO that line of communica-
ton and II has been suggested that canal from
Columbia, on the Susquehannah, 10 tide water
or to the great Delaware aud Chesapeake canal, |
would be much less expensive, aud equally be-
necial both Co the interior country and TO PhiIa-
delphia. This question, lI,ady others suggest
ed in this report, cannot DC decided by any but
practical and skiilful engineers.