Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-04
FEEDING THE CANAL.
Engineer Moody, Of Erie, Defends His
Plan for Water Supply.
REPLYING TO COLONEL MERRILL.
He Thinks the Federal Engineer Did Not
Understand Him.
A CONDUIT EASY OF CONSTRUCTION

Mr.. G. LYMAN Moody. the Erie engineer,
who proposed plan for securing a water
supply for the ship canal to Lake Erie, to
the commission when it met recently in Pitts
burg, is not satisfied with the criticism Of
his,scheme made by Colonel W. c. Merrill,
the Government river engineer for this dis
trict. In an interview Yesterday Mr.. Moody
states that he believes Colonel Merrill was
either misinformed or misquoted, and
that ne evidently did not understand
the plans in detail. In Justice to Colonel
Merrill, 1t may be stated that he happened
to be in The DISPATCH Office on the day the
commission met here, and a description Of
Mr.. Moody's ideas was read to him.
NO MORE NECESSARY.
The reporter had not proceeded very far
when the Colonel threw up his hands, say
ing it wasn't necessary to read further, and
declaring the scheme was nonsensical, and
he afterward made the statements as quoted.
In his reply to Colonel Merrill, Mr.. Moody
SAYS:
81 think Colonel Merrill must have been
misinformed and not correctly quoted, for I
have never advocated drawing any water
from Chsutauqua Lake. There is very lit
tie overflow at It's outlet at any time, and
none in the driest times. Its watershed is
exceedingly limited, while the Chautauqus
basin. including all Of the sources of the
af1uents of the Allegheny, reaches from
Dayton on the north to Kane on the south,
and from east of Coudersport to Cory on
the west, having an area OF 5000 square
miles, mostly well wooded, with a precipi-
tation of about ten inches each season. All
of this drainage passes through the only gap
in its rim, at Thompson's, in the Allegheny
river bed, which is here many feet above the
summit of the old canal from Erie to Bea-
yer. Hence, 1 have no hesitation In saying
that as long as water runs it can be con-
Quoted to the summit of the proposed ship
canal, which may, perhaps, be fixed at
lower level than that Of the old canal.
THE AVAILABLE DRAINAGE.
''This plan is theresuItof inquiry to deter
mine the possibility of q permanent water
supply. To reach the source in the river
bed, show that the drainage Of the Con-
neaut and Oil Greek basins are also avail
able, and, finally, that enough Of the drain
age Of 1000 square miles may be had at the
summit to float any vessel which can be
built to navigate the lakes. The question
of building this conduit is merely matter
of excavation, involving no difficult prob
lens in engineering; no water rights will be
interfered with, only the least valuable land
in the State is to be acquired for right of
way, and all along this is the best of build
ing stone for locks.
Further, no long or costly experiments
are necessary to determine the flow of water
in canals or conduits. The velocity of the
stream, its sectional area, and consequently
its capacity to deliver the requisite amount
of water at the summit, is a very simple
matter of substitution in formula long since
determined with the greatest exactness by
engineers, and the flow Of the
river, be it fast or slow, has nothing what
ever to do with the uniform motion Of the
water in the feeder"