Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-02-16

IT'S dppeufuuce Ut SOIue dlstaffce from the canal,
forming ponds in the hollow of the fields.
This shows the necessity for drains for the
protection of the farmer, whch.have been made
so far as the work of last season would admit.
Justice would seem to award this to the man
who has suffered so long the Inconvenience
and damages from the exposure of his crops,
and his farm cut up without experiencing as yet
any of the expected advantages arising from
the completion of the canal.
At frequent pointsin the excavation through
the flats, veiDs OF water were opened sufficient
| ly powerful to spread over the canal bottom
for considerable distances, and giving it the ap-
pearancc of holding but when an additional
quantity was introduced, the pressure forced
the water into the original channel, producing
leakage even when at considerable distances
| from the river.
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES.
| The waterway of the aqueducts and culverts
is ample and capacious the masonry and foun-
dations of the most substantial kind
The aqueduct superstructures show many de-
viations from the plan and specifications as to
the size and quality of timber, aud in most in
stances of unfaithfulness or want of knowledge
of the assistant engineers who inspected the
material of the carpenter who put in the sheet
piling, or of the foreman who superintended
the pudding. In majority of instances fail
ures in the sheet piling and pudding have oc-
Cured caused frequently by the rains, and
consequently have involved serious expense and
delay for repairs Several failures had occur
red in the pudding before 1 took charge of
the work
The bottom and sides were to have been
lined with single course of jointed and sea-
soned plank The hurried manner in which
the work was executed, made it necessary to
use unseasoned plank, and thes shrinking by
exposure to the sum- left the crevices so large
that it has been necessary, in most cases, to re-
line with boards.
A breach has occurred in the south span of
TunkhannOck aqueduct, caused by the break
ing of the floor beams in the middle of the
span, and for one-third of its length, the water
at the time wanting seven inches to run over
the trunk. At the time it was being construc-
ted this span was carried from the false works
by food, and in the hurry of rebuilding, de-
fective timber has been used Some of the
aqueducts will require considerable repairs to
make them answer the desired purpose
wAsrE-wLIRs
The remarks with reference to planking,
sheet piling and pudding, applied to aqueducts,
will also apply to waste-weirs Three new ones
have been constructed the past season, at points
~here accidents had occurred, because of no
means of discharging the surplus water, and
additional gates inserted in others so that in |
case of accident, the water can be suddenly |
drawn from the canal, thus reducing the liza |
bility to heavy breaks.
.... LOCKS.
At Athens and Towanda the guard locks |
are of cut stone laid in cement. The remain |
ing are Of the composite kind, with dry stone |
walls lined with q single course of jointcd plank |
Shrinkage of the plank had allowed the water
to pass through the spaces and wash ont the
material from the rear of the walls, rendering !
caulkng with oakum or lining with boards ne
cessary in most cases.
The hanging of the gates and valves, or
wickets, the repairs to those on the Toga line,
that were completed before the suspension in
184l, the pudding and the feeders or water
ways around the locks, show the same want of |
care in superintendi0g aud defect ia material
as was manifested in the construction of the |
aqueducts.
With the exception of the outlets at Pitts
ton and Meshoppcn, where the foundations
have yielded, the masonry seems to be sustain
tial. The former being a Quicksand founda-
ton, has required considerable repairs, which
could not be completed while the water was in !
the Wyoming line of the Lower North Branch.
Several of the waterways will require rebuild
ing, having been undermined by the leakage Of
the water through them. Three of the locks
will require lining of boards.
The dams have a fat lower slope, which pre-
vents their undermining from the reaction of
the water, thus ensuring their stability, and
when the angle or corners adjoining the abut-
mcnts are once secured with cribbng the usu
al repairs for gravelling, and the wear of the
timber, will be all that is required
Dam No. /, located at Athens, sup
plies the canal with water from
the Chemung to the pool of Tow
anda dam 13 3l-l00
Dam No. 2, located at Towanda, is
intended to feed the canal to the
pool of Horse Race dam 38
Dam No. 3, is located at Horse Race,
is to furnish the supply until it joins
the Lower n Branch at Pittston 80 Clio
CONDITION OF CANAL AND REPAIRS.
When the canal was suspended in 1871,
thirty-two and onehaf miles were completed,
most of the remainder under contract and in
different stages of progress. Since this time,
these finished sections have been exposed to
the action of frost, expanding the mass, thus
giving free circulation of air through the
pores, by which the vegetable matter was de-
stroyed, while the rains have washed away the
finer particles of earth from the lining of the
sections through the narrows into the coarse
material below. The gravel sections have al
80 been rendered porous by the same means.
The water being admitted in either case, would
l. IL, fhn llnn of