New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-02-16
out of these water, and make their home IN the
deem lakfa

rsonls Of the Count. = of Seneca, Wayne, CsyugA
pa Onona.o. wbicb ne around its borders In
1ao, an sfo,t WAS made to drain it so as to render
it fit for agricultural purp ''esi Out 'ne
was ntrusted TO ncOmpe. en' inen' anu u''''''
bpt deem canal cut across s. bend IN the river NJ
Lacks Reef connecting the N sters above ana oe-
low the reef proved insufficient !" carr! inc "''o'
OF this great river This failun was 30 u''ooui'
aging that nothing further was do Ne until i0'i'
when law WAS passed directing thu Governor to
appoint three Commissioners to examl nc Tue "noi'
matter and report to the next Legisla 'ure' ING
Commission consisted OF the Hon. Henry rrzhugn'
now Canal Commissioner, the Hon. j. b. "itlisms
Of Ithaca. and General Adams of Lyons. Il 'oorHe
surveys and levels were then taken, and pl 'onies
made of the bottom and surface of the river from
Cayuea Lake to Baldwinsvlle, and plan pro
posed, the great feature (which was to 80 reduce
the bed of the river at Jacks Reef as TO lower the
surface above the reef four feet in low water
In 1853 the Legislature passed law directing
the Canal Commissioners TO so reduce the various
bars in the bed of the Seneca River, between
Cayuea Lake and Bsldwinsville, "as to most ef-
fectually drain the Cayuga Marshes and swamp
Glands, aud appropriated $4,000 to commence
the work; providing that when the work was
finished, the money advanced by the State should
be paid back by an assessment on the lands
benefited.
In the Summer of 1858 the river was again care
fully surveyed, under the direction OF Mr.. Nc
Alpine, then State Engineer, after which the plan
proposed in ISL was adopted, and the work let
to contractors. In the Spring Of 1854 the great
work of removing the rock from the bed
of the river at Jacks Reef was commenced
Golfer dams in the middle of the river, made OF
parallel walls of plank and timber, held together
by iron bars, and the space between the walls filled
with pudded earth--reach from point above the
reef. where the water is sixteen feet deep, to
noint below the reef where the water is six feet
deep-the whole length of the dams being little
more than mile and a half Thus the river is
divided into two nearly equal parts by this longi-
tudina dam. One side is cut into sections BY
transverse dams, which reach from the shore to
the main dam. All the water of the river is thus
forced through the unobstructed half OF the chan
mel From the nclosed sections the water is
river On the outside of the longitudinal dam.
From report now just submitted to the Legis-
lature by the Canal Commissioners it appears that
about one half of the rock has been removed and
that it will be practicable to nishthe great cut in
time to let the water through it early next Winter
The cut now in progress is one hundred feet wide
on the bottom; and beginning in slack water below
ii. q -. "A
through the rock, with grade of only one foot in
the whole distance, TO deep water above; the great
est cutting being between ten and eleven feet.
After the water is let through this immense canal,
the plan is to remove from the other half of the
bed of the river all irregularities of the surface,
and so reduce it as to provide for free discharge
of the freshets so that when the work is completed
the high water of the Spring floods shall not rise
above what is now low.wster mark. The Commits
mssoners report sets forth the plan of operations
for the remainder of the work
The draining Of these marshes is an enterprise
worthy OF the State Like the Pontine Marshes of
Italy and the Bedford Level OF England, they
have been worse than valueless, and may be made,
by a judicious applicatatiOn of comparatively
small sum OF money, of inestimable value for agrl-
cultural purposes. The safety of the enlarged
canal requires that the land on which the embsnk-
ment stands shall be drained, so that high water
shall not be allowed to flow against the embank-
ment, aud that the water shal have free passage
under the aqueduct. The owners of the lands bene
fitted are to pay the State for the money expended
when the work is done. The prospect Of draining
these lands has already very much increased their
market value, and Us the work approaches its
completion, they will continue TO rise. When
they are once fairly under cultivation they will be
worth more than any other farming land in the
State that is as far from market. Indian corn,
tobacco and grass will be produced to the greatest
advantage The Canal Commissioners ask in their
report for further advance of money to carry on
this improvement No delay for want Of the
amount necessary 70 finish the work should be al
lowed; and it should be pressed forward so as to
let the water through the cut early next Winter,
that the muddy bottom uncovered may be exposed
20 the action of the frosts of the whole Winter.
The health Of the country demands that this pre-
caution should be- taken; and unless the water is
let through early next Winter, whole year must
be lost in waiting for another Winter. The true
interest of al parties is that the work should go
on a. rapidly as true economy will allow, 50 that
the public may come into the enjoyment of the i'm
provemeat at the earliest day practicable.