The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1855-06-23
VOL. III.
The saut Canal.

nal and locks that have just been completed
at Saut Ste Marie. 1t is the most important
work for the development of the upper
lake regions and the great copper and iron
interests of the country, that has ever been
completed. Vessels can now load their car
goes on the farthest waters of Lake Superior,
aud without breaking bulk, pass through the
great chain of lakes, down the ST. Lawrence
10 the ocean, and from thence to any port in
this or other countries.
To complete the canal there were required
S8, 800 yards of rock excavation, and 49,
800 yards of earth do, mostly hard pan,
besides some extra work. The execution of
the entire contract required 800, ,595 days
work, of which the excavation and filling
took 208,276 days. The total number of
cubic yards of excavation was 282 ,200.-I
There were 299, $40 lbs. of iron consumed,
of which the gates consumed l4l 1926 lbs.
There were 1877 ,235 cubic feet of square
timber put into the piers, locks, gates, &c.
The amount of lumber consumed was l.
305, 900 feet, board measure. The amount
of powder consumed in busting was :, 1877
kegs, and 9,240 pounds Of steel were used
for drills.
There were employed upon the work at one
time / 600 men, 100 horses and 20 yoke of
cattle also 25 sail vessels for freighting
stone, lumber &c, steamers and propel-
lers, and barges, which have carried 32, $50
tons of stone.
The quality of the materials is believed to
be better than that of any similar govern
ment work. Some of the lock gate work
required white oak timber AZ feet long, and
81 by II inches, and in some cases two feet
square. The great difficulty in finding pro-
per timber for this purpose viii be understood
when it is said that the man who took the
contract for it, got out 700 trees at his mill,
but when they were inspected by the engi
neer, but four of them would pass muster.
A vessel was then sent to Canada, and after
great difficulty the requisite quality was OBJ
taned, but at a cost of ScUenty-fUG cents per
cubic foot.
The entire cost of the work to the con-
tractors will vary but few thousands from
one million of dollars. This has all been
paid in cash. The company, as compensa-
tion, get 100000 acres of lands. All the
money they make will be in the judiciouS
selection Of this land, as the same money
would have bought more land at the govern
ment value. The men who have been promi-
nent in this work are Erastus Corning, of
Albany, president; John W. Brooks of
Michigan, vice president; Charles L. Har-
vey, of Michigan, general agent, and l.. i,
Nichols, engineer.
The dimensions of the work are as follows:
Locks, $50 feet longby 70 feet wide, in the
Clear
Lower pier and fender pier 372 feet long.
Upper pier $50 feet long.
The canal, from extremity of lower pier
to upper pier is 1854 feet long, or about l }
miles. tits II feet deep at low water mark,
"a feet wide at the bottom, 100 feet at water
level, and ll5 feet at top of banks.
The first barrow of dirt was wheeled out
by Mr.. Harvey, at &c breaking of ground on
the 9th of June, 1858, and the last barrow
by the same gentleman on the 8th of April
1855, being one year and ten months. AS
all the work was then completed, except
some small matters of finishing" that may
be considered the actual working time.
In view of the magnitude of the work,
the uneXcentionable Charn cter Of its execu-