Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1858-03-03

them cand the cribs, equally old, more
than one thousand dollars (SlO00) are
also, on this division, No. l,
repairs must be made on the Shalersville
dam, at the head of the Cuyahoga feeder,
it having stood for about eighteen years
the expense of which will be 1925; a
bridge at Old Forge, that will cost 5000,
must also be built. The outlet culverts
at the reservoirs, are of wood, and old,
and must soon fail, (being of the earliest
construction on the canal, which on ac-
count of the high embank kments, will be
expensive 10 replace-one of
which gave way a few weeks ago, and
Mr.. Lowrie, the superintendent, is now
repairing the same. Respecting the locks
east of Rarenna Summit, Mr.. B. says
there is no necessity of rebuilding seven
locks Immediately, and he inclines to the
belief that some OF them will stand a
number of years, and that no one will fail
for one or two years. We, who are fa-
miiar with the locks, having with much
care inspected them number of times
during the last season, can see serious
change for the worse, within few months;
and so extensive is the dilapidation, that
we would not be surprised to hear of the
failure of any one of the locks, knowing
las we think Mr.. B. does not,) that in
many places, the entire face stones are
gone, and blocks of wood substituted in
their places. That they may stand, is
barely possible, but not at all probable,
and our judgment admonishes us 10 be
prepared to re. build at an early day. In
our report of 1857, We predicated the ex-
pense of rebuilding from top of second
course, but the past summers examina
ton shows that we will have TO CON-
mence at top of first course, which will,
on seven locks, add largely 10 that esti-
mate of expense. The present estimate
for rebuilding the above locks, was care.
fully made by Mr.. Geo. Robson, last
fall, and amounts 10 over thirty thous.
and dollars, (S3O,OOO) over and above
the materials we have on hand.
Again, Mr.. B. says, one or two othcl
locks, east of the Summit, may be neces'
sary to rebuild in a few years. We sup
pose Mr.. B. refers TO the Newport anC
Doud locks. The Newport lock, some
four years ago, settled, on account of it:
quicksand foundation, and one side wa;
rebuilt; the other side, at the time, wa.
tolerably plumb, but during the last sea
son, settling commenced, which will re-
buire the rebuilding of the remaining
half. The Doud lock, two years ago
partially collapsed, so that some boat,
from the Ohio Canal could not pas
through; but with the aid of machinery
the stone were partially forced back, bu
in a short time again obstructed boating
The difficulty each year increases, anC
it will be with much labor and expense
if at all, that sufficient width can be re'
tanned to pass boats from the Ohio Canal
which our charter requires US to do. A
culvert, Mr.. B. says, a few miles ives
of Warren, partially failed, and stone
were delivered for its reconstruction, bu
he says there are no indications of its fur
Their yielding, and suPposes it will stanC
for number of years. The culvert al
luded to, is on Freeman's farm, where The
embankments are high, and consequently
the base is wide, and was constructed
in great haste 10 supply fallen siruc'
ture, and made of ties that had beer
used for horse rail road, 10 transpor
stone in the construction of the cJnal
and when used for the culvert, were con.
sidered good only for two or three years,
by Col. Dodge, the engineer of the canal;
and he had stone delivered to rebuild
at much earlier period than the present
Had the materials been good, it has stood
as long as work of the kind ordinarily
lasts, and certainly much longer than
could have been expected, made of ma.
terials as stated. Much of the expense
consists in removing the high and wide
embankment; that, with the masonry, will
cost (s5OO) five hundred dollars, exclu.
sive Of stone on hand. The Newton Falls
aqueduct, Mr.. B. supposes, with "close
watching" !" may stand till the wood trunk
decays, which we hope may be the case;
but in all probability. the old stone work
on which it rests, will give way, and that
before one year-when an expense oi
over eleven thousand dollars (Il,0O0)
must be encountered, to construct SUBJ
stantial structure of l54 feet length, on
Howe's plan of aqueduct, which our en-
gineer has advised us 10 adopt.
The Girard dam will require two
thousand dollars, at least, in repairs, and
the Lowell dam seven hundred and twen-
ty-fve dollars. The trunk of the Shen-
ango aqueduct has already stood one or
two years longer than the one that the
present one supplied the place Of, and
must be re- built within one year, at cost
of fifteen hundred and fifty dollars. The
aforesaid work, as estimated by Mr..
Robson, will cost over fifty thousand dol
lars.
Had Mr.. Blickensderfcr called at the
office of the company, at Warren, pre-
vious TO his passing over the line of the
canal, member OF our board would have
accompanied him in the examination,
and we believe, from our familiarity with
the work, that we could have convinced
MIN that the canal is much more out oi
repair than he appears to think, and that
the necessity of immediate preparation to
rebuild, is more important, than by his
report, he supposes.
a thorough examination Of all The line
and feeders, (some 90 miles, would
have required some four or tive days
time; whereas, we believe he spent, in
passing from Akron 10 the Junction, about
Two days. 1t is due, however, 10 MIR.
Blickensderfer, 10 say that when mem-
Der of this board proposed accompanying
him over the line, he said he had made
all the examinations he wished but if
there was any special work that we wish
ed 10 call his attention to, hs would ex-
anime it. Our wish was that the whole
line should have careful and intelligent
examination, and we felt that it had not,
nor could il have had, in the time, as he