The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-06-10
REPORT
REPORT
OF THE SECRET,dRIOFTHE TREASURY,
ON THE SUBJECT OF
PUBLIC ROADS e CANALS,
Made in pursuance
oFAREsoLurIoN OF SENATE OF MARCH g.
GREAT CANALS,
.CcoN1INuEp>1
hLoNG 4RE ATLANTIC SEA coAsT.

they possess tide. water inland navigation. Sc.
cure from storms and enemies, and which, from
Massachusetts to the southern extremity of Geor.
gia, is Princi ally, if not solely interrupted by
four necks of land. These are the isthmus Of
Barnstablc that part of New Jersey, which ex-
tends from ti.c Rariton to the Delaware the re.
ninsula between the Delaware and the Chesa-
peake; and thatlow and marshy tract which di i.
.vides the Chesapeake from Albenarlc sound
1t IS asccrtained that navigation for sea vessels
drawing eight feet of water, may be effected a.
cross the three last and o,nl is also believed
TO be practicable, not perhaps across the isthmus
of Baristable, but from the harbor of Boston to
that Of Rhode Island, Tie Massachusetts, canal
would be bout 90, the New. Jersey about e.
and each of the two southern about % miles in
length, making altogether less than 100 miles
Should this great work, the expense of which,
will hereafter be shewn, is estimated az about
three millions of deiiars, be Accomplished, a sea
vessel entering the first cana in the ha,bor of Bos.
ton, would, through the bay of Rhode Island,
Long Island sound, and the harbor of Ncw.York.
reach Brunswick on the -Rariton thence pass
through the second canalto Trenton on the De-
law.,re, down that river to Christians, or New
C'stle, and through the third canal OF Elk river.
and the Chesapeake; whence sailing down that
bay and up Elizabeth river it would THROUGH the
fourth canal, enter The Aloemarie sound and by
?. mptco, Core, aud Bogue sounds, reach Beau
fort AMI Swinsbofough, in n. Caroline rom tn.
last mentioned place, the Inland navigation thro'
Stumpy and TONERS sounds, is continued with
diminished draft Of water, and bv cutting two
low and narrow r,ccEs, not exceeding three miles
together, to Cape Fear ri7s-; and thence by an
open but short ard direct run dong the coast is
reached that chain OF islands between which and
the main, the iilana Navigation is continued to
ST. MARY >, aUugthc coast OF South arolina ard
Georgia. 1t is Unnecessary to add any comments
on the utility Of the work, in peace or war, for
the transportation of merchandise, or the con-
veyance of persons
with transmitted, contain the information which
has been received or those several intended com,
munications. The substance will now be stated
l. MAssAcHUsETTs CANAL
Sandwich sthfius, Between Barnstablc bay
on the north, and Buzzard's bay on the seutl.
had first attracted the public attention Surveys
and levels were taken, for the purpose of asccr.
tanning the practicabili,y of opening cross cut.
to be Supplied by ;sse!s. from the n,,,ti,
of Back river, il, BIzzard's 5av, to the mouth
of ScuSset river, in Barnstable BAY
The distance was found to exceed seven miles
the elevation of the highest Intermediate ground
is forty feet above low water mark n, Barnsta5le
bay the depth OF water at the =, nth of Back
river, does not at low water, excStd seven feet
and a half; and the channel to that spot through
Buzzard bay is INSTRUCTED by shoals The tide
which rises but three feet and a half in that bay
rises three hours and a. half later, and morethan
eighteen feet in that o. Barnstabe The shore ON
which that formidable tide would operate. is AN
open breach, without any harbor or shelter what
ever. independent Of other Obstacles. it was
apprehended that the same rnf:.raf causes
had formed the Isthnius, might fill the canal or
make bar at us entrance; and the r)ro;ec,
GEMS TO have nc. II Abandoned
2. The ground was also examined between
Bar1'stable harboro the north, and Hyannus bar
boz on the south, al some distance east OF Sand.
wicl. The breadth OF the .peni,,snIa doee M,
exceed here four iniles ard half, and there
would be an harbor AZ each end of the canal.
The same dfierrn nee exists IN the tides which rise
four feet in Hyanni;3 and sixteen feet in Bs,J,sta
bic harbor. The entrance cf this is Distracted
by shoals but tire great obstacle to a cross cut,
is the elevation Of the intermediate ground. es-
tmated at eighty feet above tide water Narira.
bic ponds on that high ground might ,r,erhaps
form part of a lock canl. and supply the remain.
der with water. But canal frozen IN winter
would not have Effected the great object IL view
which was TO enable vessels from sea, TO proceed
in winter from Martha's VINEYARD 20 Boston.
without sailing arouid Cape Cod Although the
dhirulty Of the navigation from Boston 20 Barn
stable, dlminlshes the utility Of this coinrn,iilica.
ton, as one of the great links in this line Of in
land navigation, ii may be rcsored to, should
that which viii behext mentioned, prcve iinprnc
tcable for sea vessels
3. Tie attention of tire legislature Of Masea
chusetts, under whose authority the grounds at
Sandwich and Barnstable, had been examined.
has lately heen turned 20 direct coiniii;i,,;t
between Weymouth landing, within the harbor
OF Boston ard Taunton river, which enoiies
into the bay CT Rbcde-Isau1 4 favorable re-
port has been maze, during the last session, oF
which copy has iNciy been obtained The dis.
taHcc from tide water tp tide water, ia Go miles
by one route, and % -4niies by another. The
highest intermediate ground, IS iS3 feet ABOVE
tide w;-er, bnt must be reduced ten feet by dig
ging to that 6, tn, the length of a mile. Two
ponds known by the names of Weymouth and
Cranberry, the largest and least elayated Of
which cover five hundred acres and is IA feet
higher than the summit of tie proposed canal,
Will supply the upper locks with water by feeders
four n,,ies long. Whe;hsr the quantity Of water
contained in those ponds and estimated equal TO
a daily supply Of 100000 cubic feet, will be suf
fcient for sioop navigation and whether any
other ponds Or streams NAV be brought in aid
does not seem TO be fully ascortained After de
scendng % feet towards Weymouth, and 20
towards Taunton, an ample supply from the low.
er ocl;s, Will be derived from ot4er large ponds
the principal OF which are known by the oarnes
Of Braintrce and Nippinitic.
The expense may, on srpposition that The
route 10 partly through rocky sell, be estimated
as elbows,
Digging 26 miles, at 3 10000
mile, ... & ZQo Ooo
Lockage goo feet, at s 1850 % '0'''''
foot, . 92s ooo