Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-03-23

the centres Of the arches, Than was expected 30 DC
necessary and experience has shown that the ex-
covaion of rock, EVERY where, more expensive than
We had calculated.
5th. The arches have, nine of them, span of ff-
" feet each and their curvature Is very gcntle
and the stone very heavy, strong centres were re-
Guired; aud the work of raising and sustaining
these was done IN the channel of II river, II was
sometimes incomvcnient to- the necessary ma
ciincry and was subject to other unfavcabc cor
tingcncics.
9th. When the contracts were botlr made, i: was
believed, from some experiments which had been
made, that good waterproof lime might he obtai,-
ed within short distance from the aqucduct. But
this expectation was disappointed; none could be
found and obtained without much greater expense
than has been anticipated. Aud much cf 1t WAS ac-
tuuliy obtained from distance of thirty miles and
still more from distance of seventy miles The
quantity oflme used, about fifty thousand bush
chs, and the cost of furnishing it great.
We have experienced some trouble liom the sand
through which we were compelled to carry the ca
nal. There have been several small breaches of the
banks i'll Putsford, where this kind of cayth pre-
vailed, and in Pcrriuton Swamp, considerable guam
titles of it have RON into the bottom of tho canal.
These evils have been remeded speedily after they
had occurred and the condition OF the banks has ma
terially improved
Feeling much anxiety in respect TO the great en-
bankncnt across the lrondeluot, we took tho pre-
the bottom and sides of that work within, to tho
depth of two feet. And from this we de-
rived great advantage. Still that embankncnt was
expensive, and the effect of breach would be SO
injurious, that thought it our duty to have it
watched every day, and to have the water drawn
oil irem it cntlCly, for about SIX hours every night,
for two thirds Of tic period during which it has been
navigated. The latter part of the season, water
stood constantly upon il the depth of upwards of
three feet. Ii leaked much less at the close of the
year than il did at tho common cmcnt; aud although
an alarm circulated Of its being III danger, afc
ter the vigution closed the result OF careful
examination a firm conviction that tho alarm
was groundlcss:
During some part of the fall. the Qucksauds in the
Cayuga Marsh subjected the navigation there TO
some Inconvenience. When the Seneca river was
lowest, heavy loaded boats We're not able to pass
clear of the bottom; and some of them employed
lighters. !, will probably be cxpcdcnt to try the
effect of further excavation. with suitable ma
chine, if the Inconvenience shall occur again.
And, if after ALL this mode of operation shall prov
Intellectual, the evil may he wholly rcmcdied by
building a lock with Il small lift.
Between the Gcncssec and Seneca rivers the fol-
lowing amounts of toll have been collected in the
course of tho past year, viz:
At Rochester, SS802 40
Palmyra, 1861 sc
Lyons, 92G9 %
Inall S20954 II
In relation to the middle section:
With the exception of the undermining of small
culvert there has been no breach in the canal, in
corruption i'll tire navigation this section from the
opeuinng of it in the spring until the close Off by
the ice on the approach of winter.
The supply of water has been more abundant, and
the by leaks and absorption, has been less the
last year. than in any former
The locks at Saliva, have been completed and
the side cut has been extended md connected with
the navigation OF the Onondaga lake and the Sene-
ca river.
Exclusive OF this worl, and the improvcn1en ut At
the Olskany creek the expense Of this section in re-
pairs, and including the construction of some new
cuverts, and drains, and the compensation of the
pcrintendantS OF toll, amounts the of eight
thousand nine hundred and ninety-four dollars.
The following AMOUNT OF toll was collected OH this
section:
Tolls collected at Mcntz, s26,3O2 II
Syracuse 6,431 40
Salima, 1I3 "A
Rome, 4.i65 81
Utica, 40,I99 G1
S77,593 GO
In relation the Eastern section:
Owing some repairs that had become ncccssa-
ry, the navigation this section carly in the spring.
opened further the eastward than the Little
| Falls.
| In the month OF MAY. it extended to Speakers,
twenty-five miles below the Fails where il tcrmina-
ted for several months account of deficiency of
water between that place and the Schoharie creek.
The Esquaga, Browmans, and Sparkers creeks,
| which fall into the line of the canal at and above
Speakers, and from which a considerable supply of
water had been expected, at this early period
| nearly exhausted by the uncommon drought which
prevailed in this part of the country.
! Under these circumstances, no doubt remained of
| the necessity of obtaining more copious feeder
fom the Mohawk.
| Accordingly, dam was thrown across the river,
atJohnsville, in the town ofOppenheim, and the
ter thereby much elevated, cause it to flow
into the canal, by cut OF mile and half length
While this was III progress, the opportunity was
/ improved of Strengthening the banks along the line
particularly the city Of Schenectady, where the
entertainments which had been formed of the alluvi-
| on of the flats found too light and porous to
| sustain the heavy pressure of than ten feet
head of water which had been thrown upon them
At this place it necessary to incur considcra-
bic expense in raising the bottom of the canal and
thus lesScnng the depth and pressure of the water
TINS pTeCaution had been omitted in constructing
the canal, in consideration Of the difficulty of obtai-
ing earth from the adjoining ground, the damage
which it would occasion, the expense of the work
and in the hope that il would not he Indispensable
! The dam above mentioned, together with guard
lock, the excavation of the cut, and all the other
works connected with the feeder, were finished in
September, and the abundant supply of water dcri-
we'd from that source after the work was completed
leaves no apprehension of deficiency in future.
! The progress of the work between Schenectady
and Albany, was urged with much effect that the
whole line prepared for the reception of the wa
ter abot the first of October.
| On this part of the canal are two stupendous a.
queducts the Mohawk, whose aggregate length
exclusive of tire wings, is eighteen hundred and nine
| iy-two feet.
| And although it was feared by some, that they
would not be able to resist the impetus of the ice and
CURRENT in the breaking up of the river by winter fire.
shcts; yet they have already been twice subjected
TO the hazard of such an nccnrrcllcc tuithnt nr HI