The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-02-06
THE p. 8 o. CANAL QUESTION.

EDS. HERALD: AS your paper and
the Leader seem to be the advocates
ofthe scheme OF appropriating certain
portions of the Pennsylvania Ohio
Canal Feeding Reservoir, &C., &c, for
the purpose of supplying the Portage
or Akron Summit with more water.
permit nae to call your attention to
that part of the report of Mr.. p. I'll.
Dudley, who was appointed Special
Commissioner by order of the GeDer-
al Assembly of Ohio, to inspect the
Public Works of the state.
Mr.. Dudley having been assigned
for inspection that portion of the Ohio
Canal between Cleveland and Hebron
says, in his report bearing date April,
1872: a55a
"When the canal was first construc-
ted the river and lake furnished suffi-
cient water without any storing, and
not till 1S40 were the reservoirs con-
structcd. The reservoirs
are supplied from the Tuscarawas riv-
er and the out flow Turkey Foot Lake.
In ordinary seasons large
portion of the water has to be wasted.
Turkey Foot Lake can be damned at
a point indicated by a bank of not
over one hundred feet on the top,
thereby saving large amount of wa
ter during the ordinary season availa-
BILE for dry time. As this
plan would supply sufficient water TO
the Summit, l think it much more de-
sirable than to attempt to restore the
Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal from
Ravenna to Akron-its waste water
not entering the Ohio Canal until it
reaches the foot of Lock No. 16. The
accompanying map will be found suf-
ficiently explicit without any further
explanation" 5H -
Now we have the opinion OF Engin-
eer Dudley, who was appointed by
the Governor of the State to make
the specific examination, who spent
two months in making it and taking
testimony on this very point, that it
is much more desirable to get a sup
ply from Turkey Foot Lake than to
attempt to open the Pennsylvan and
Ohio Canal, since that would utterly
fail to supply the Summit. On the
other hand we have Philo Chamber
lain and his associate mill owners at
Akron, who for twenty-five years
have had, without cost to themselves,
water from the Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Canal not only, but also the water
from the Summit that passes through
Lock No. l, tor the benefit OF their
| mills.
Now, whose opinion in this matter
ought to guide the judgment of un-
biased and disinterested men? With
all the facts before them, would the
Cleveland Board OF Trade have given
their sanction to an undertaking at
once useless, lmpracticable and that
infringes upon private rights 2? My
confidence in their candor and judg-.
ment, as we'll as in their honor as men
of business, forbids this supposition.
They will neither advocate a folly nor
endorse wrong. For, let it never be-
forgotten that the Summit of the Ohio
Canal in all its existence has never
received drop OF water from the
| Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal. Not
only that, but not a drop of its water
has ever got into the Ohio Canal at all
above Lock No. 16, nor until it had
run through the race of every Akron
mill. 4 -ta EFy 9
The scheme Is simply an endeavor
| to get the State of Ohio. for the sole
and individual benefit off set of prop-
erty owners, to authorize raid upon
the individual rights of another set OF
property owners. Simply an endeav-
or to legalize an outrage.
isa Yours respectfully, flpl-
MARVIN KENT.
Kent, Portage Co., 1878 h