Evening journal., 1897-09-27
TO COST MILLIONS.
But the Proposed Ship Canal win
Be Worth 1t.
WILL JOIN THE LAKES TO THE SEA.
Interesting Extracts Cleaned From En-.
gineer Hines Report on the Results
Of Recent Investigations Into
Its Construction and Cost.

Its Construction and Cost.
ALBANY. Sept. 27.-The deep water
ways commission appointed by Presi-
dent Mckinley to report on a canal
route connecting the upper lakes with
the seaboard has practically selected
route, according to a statement made
by Chief Engineer Harrison of the COM
mission, starting from North Tona-
wanda and extending to Lake Ontario,
the outlet to be near Wilson. beginning
again at Oswego, thence to Lake Onei-
da and from there to the Mohawk
river, which is a direct connection via
the Hudson with the Atlantic ocean.
In selecting this route the commits
sion reflects great credit on present
State Engineer and Surveyor Campbell
Adams and his predecessors in that Of
fee. Hon. Elnathan Sweet and John Bo-
CART, each of whom, realizing that
ship canal between the great lakes and
the sea was not only necessary but in
evitable, have followed each others
work in formulating a route until one
was decided upon as being favorable
and is known in their parance as the
"Oswego route" which is almost iden-
tical, If not absolutely the same, as the
one selected by the waterways commits
sion.
In 1895 Resident Engineer Albert J.
Hines of the eastern division of the
New York state canals, at the insti-
cation of State Engineer and Surveyor
Adams, made an examination of this
route so as to secure a profile and de-
scription of the route and TO prepare
an estimate upon the cost of construct
ing the same. The route as selected for
this examination leaves the Hudson
river at the West Troy side cut of the
Erie canal and follows the Mohawk riv-
er to Rome. where 1t enters Wood creek
and passes into and across Oneida lake
and down the Oswego river to Lake on
tario.
The report Of Mr.. Hines on the re-
suits of his investigation states, in
part, as follows: "To a certain extent
the proposed waterway follows the
lines suggested by Hon. Elnathan
Sweet in his celebrated paper publish
. ed by the American Society of Civil
Engineers in 1884.
1t is proposed to convert the Mo-
hawk river into a series Of level pools
by means Of dams and to make the bot
tom width of the canal 100 feet the
depth 20 feet and the size Of the locks
450 by go feet. The depth of 25 feet has
been adopted by the United States en-
gineers as a standard in the improve
ment of lake channels. which is a very
good reason for considering 1t as the
desired depth in the enlarged water
way. Although there are advocates
for all depths between 10 feet and 28
feet. It is, however, apparent that for
exhibiting the features of the route a
depth of 20 feet is as good as any other.
AT West Troy il is proposed to build
a lock having a lift Of 81 feet. BY con-
structing a few hundred feet of low
embankment the Mohawk basin, a for
mer outlet Of the Mohawk river can
be made to contain the first of the
canal. Passing up the old channel to-
ward Cohoes. low dam will be found
necessary between Green and Van
Schaicks islands and another between
Simmons and Van Schaicks islands.
BY means Of a heavy rock this level
can be extended to the foot Of Cohoes
falls.
1T is proposed to build a dam 50 feet
high on the crest Of the falls, making
one vertical lift of 100 feet TO be oper-
ated by a huge counter balanced tank
in a manner similar to that used in
building elevators. The level thus Gre
ated would extend to the foot Of the
West Troy Waterworks company's dam
above Dunsbach's ferry. Here a dam
10 feet high is proposed and lock with
a 19-foot lift. The danny Nwould break
water at Nischer's ferry, where an
other dam and lock with the same lift
90 feeD would raise the water TO an
elevation of PIG feet. A level of this
elevation would pass the city of Sche-
nectady. At Scotia, near Schenectady,
It is proposed to leave the river channel
and by making a through cut 1.66 miles
a lock having a lift of % feet is plan
ned, and at the upper lock where the
route re-enters the river a large dam
would be needed. To follow the river
around this bend would make a very
crooked channel and require much
dredging in gravel, and IL is probable
that the channel would fill up at every
stage of high water. The next dam and
lock have been located at about three
fourths of a mile east Of the mouth OF
the Schoharie creek. The lift of the
lock would be 10 feet. This dam would
break water to a point about S% miles
east of st. townsville.
There another dam and lock having a
lift Of p feet are planned. and the Level
mouth of the East Canada creek. There
another dam and lock with a lift of Is
feet would raise the water surface as
high as the foot of the descent of Little
falls. The valley of Little falls is very
much contracted and is composed en-
tirely of granite rock To make a rad
ical enlargement at present around the
falls would be enormously expensive
1t is therefore proposed to build two
locks and dams on the falls. BY en-
larging the present Little falls feeder
TO the size of the Erie canal and re-
moving the canal locks a spllwas
would be formed around the falls which
would readily discharge all the surplu,
water in the river and leave the mair
channel quiet and undisturbed for nav.
Igation. The crest of the upper dam al
Little falls should have an elevation o
$40 feet, which is about the same as
that of the surface of oneida lake. 7
is then proposed to make a great Gu
through Utica and Rome. deep enough
for summit level TO extend from Lit
tie falls to and beyond Brewerton. on