Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1836-01-01
REPORT
On the Sandy and Beaver C canal, by
E. Fl. GILL, Engineer.

~'"''OSS "''~ OC"VST S~tot SODtP0Hy'
Gentlemen--
In compliance with YOUR re-
quest, ! have the houor to lay before you
the following Report ofthe present state
Of the work under my direction;
During The past summer the whole line
has been minuteIy traced, with view to
a permanent location; by this survey the
the total extent of canal has been dimin.
ished three miles: or the distance from
the Ohio River, at the mouth Of Little
. Beaver creek, TO the western termination
at the Ohio Canal, by the recent exami
nation and location will not exceed 73A
miles. The eastern division ofthe canal,
extending from the Ohio River to point
two miles west Of New Lisbon, embraces
a distance Of about 81 miles, of which
~ miles are slack water; for this descrip
tioR Of Improvement, the stream is exceed
Y Ingly well adapted; the valley being mar
row, and the banks bold and prominent,
afording numerous and eligible sites for
the lOCks and dams, and an abundance
of good materials for their formaiOn.-
The summit or middle division is about
l4A miles in extent; and the western d.
vision, terminating at the Ohio Canal,
about 80 miles. The latter division ex.
tends through country affOrding the
greatest facilities for constructing a
cheap and permanent improvement. The
valley OF the creek is broad and has near
ly uniform decIivity from It's source to
Its confluence with the Tuscarawas. On
the Eastern division the lockage is 464
feet and on the western 205, constituting
in all $50 feet.
In locating The western division, the
level has been kept up from Williams
Mill Dam to debqach into the Ohio Canal
at the Aonrishlng town Of Bolivar, by
which arrangement an excellent water
power is secured TO the Company, afford.
ing a head and fall Of26 feet: 1.-The owners
ofthe property at the site selected for u
sing the water have Literally ceded to
the Company 10 acres OF very valuable
land for that purpose. Sandy creek, at
that point, wall yield sufticiency Of wat
er independent Of the requisite supply
for,he canal, at all times to ,oork tpen ty ,
and for eight months in the year. fifty pGir
Ofm'H stones. This power may reason.
ably be estimated as worth $4,000 per
unnuu- May other valuable sites for
hydraulic purposes have been created or
purchased along the route, which in con
junction with Tie one above mentioned,
will probably afford The Company reve
nue Of ST 900 per year.
On the eastern division of the line 40
sections or 24a miles Of the canal, l3
dams and 46 locks arc now under con.
tract; on the middle division, 81 sections
or IL miles, including the tunnels and
reservoir mounds on the west fork of
Little Beaver creek and Cold Run; and
y on the western division % : lions or ID
miles Ii locks one dam, and the aque-
duet over the Tuscarawas river, constitu-
ting 10 all 49A miles Of Canal, IA dams,
81 locks, one aqueduct and two res er.
voir mounds, now under contract.
The work has been prosecuted in most
cases with energy, and Is now in great
or state ofi,rwardness than could reason
ably have been anticipated, considering
that the season was far advanced when II
!, was commenced. About "a sections or
IT miles OF canal are now completed and
likewise the mason work of two locks g.
$4,000 cubic yards of excavation remov
ed from The summit deep cuts: dam No 3
on the western division will probably be
completed next week. The foundation
Of five other locks and Two dams are laid,
and 1900 perches CT wall built, and d
large Quantity of stones, and other mate
2 tIaIs for the construction of locks and
dams, are prepared and on the ground,
and have no doubt all the work now un
dor contract excepting the tunnels and
"Y4sGsr; will 9e flashed in The approach
ing year.
The work placed under conlractis in
most instances ia the hands If response
BILE and efficient men, and has been ia
ken on terms exceedingly favorable to
the company.
There is at the presen; period on the
line force equivalent to 2, 100 men; The
cost of the locks which are built in the
most durable manher of cut sand stone,
will mol exceed 900 per foot lin, being
about 30 per cerl below The ordinary cost
elsewhere; tho cost Of the dams, which
are in most instances ID leet high, will
average about % dollars per foot linear
across the stream, and the canal exclu
q, sive of locks and dams, generally from
$4,000 10 S5 900 per mile.
A contract has been entered into lol
furnishing The remainder ofthe hydraulic
cement; il Is found in abundance contig
.,o,.a ,o tho Eaa tha nuatitu ia auual ir