New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-15

economic the cost Of Construction. the intention
being TO make the estimate liberal enough TO en-
large the canal and restore all structures that are
liable TO require repairs restoration within ten
years
While your engineers recognize the thorough
manner IN which the details OF the pneumatic lock
have been worked out. its employment at any posi-
ton where Il failure OF some minor part might
ieopara!zc the commerce OF the State canno; be
recommended. Newark. mentioned elsewhere
presents q location where this lock can pass
through the inevitable experimental stage without
threatening any delay Ia canal traffic.
Il has been found impracticable. II not impos-
slbie to keep either ordinary or extraordinary re-
pairs from being done under this law. For example.
probably fully 17OOO cubic yards OF silt which
should have been removed from time to time have
been excayated and over $1,000 charged on this ac-
count to deepening the canal and decidedly over
one-third of the slope wall rebuilt could have been
kept in good condition 50 as TO have required on.y
nominal repair by a proper system OF maintenance
on the part Of past canal commissioners ana super
intcndonts of public works.
The average cost OF slope walls built on the
bernie side Of the Erie Canal has been $50 per
foot or st091 81 per mile One-half OF the slope
wall paid for under the s90oJJ act would DE equiv
aent TO forty-nine miles OF slope wall on the
bernie bank and one hundred and seventy miles or
the Erie Canal had a slope wal! on that bank be-
Your engineers think in most instances slope
wall on the BERNIE side Of the canal is not only
useless. but Injurious.
Two excuses offered for bernie bank slope
wall. VIZ: That il saves encroachmcnt on adjacent
land and that il saves wash made by passing boats
from filling the prism of the canal ~ to the mrs.
the cost Of the slope wall would buy strip Of land
45 feet wide $50 per As 20 the other II Is
noticeable that in the case of unprotected banks
natural bernie is formed commencing two 20 Two and
a half feet below the surface OF the water "hich
has seldom eaten away the bank for more thal
eight feet. If an arthcia bernie was made slightly
decper than the natural one there would be no APP
prccable washing from 1t. and the total excavation
would be less than cubic yard per foot; this
would leave about g. % per running foot either for
profit or for strengthening banks This. in the case
OF bank fifteen feet high, would add about twelve
feet to its width.
STRENGTHENING the banks would generally obviate
the necessity OF driving sheet piling a practice
which makes permanent division in the bank and
threatens a split when the sheet png becomes IN
efficient through decay or other causes
BERNIE SLOPE WALLS NOT NEEDED.
As waves race both slope walls and reinforce
each other fiat bernie slope. besides facilitating
navigation by increasing the section Of the canal,
would act as foreshore. breaking and destroying
the waves on that side and reducing the damage 10
the wall on the towpath side from waves made by
boats passing at relatively high speed We regard
the construction OF slope walls the bernie side as
generally unnecessary. and building them In front
of wide waters utterly indefensble.
Most OF the water taken from Lake Er'e TO feed
the canal as far east the Montezuma marshes.
or for 80 miles is used for manufacturing pur-
poses Some OF this is returned 10 the canal and
some is not. Such OF water at lockport u
claimed under lease executed In S25, all the water
so used TO be returned to the prism OF the canal
In at least seven other instances water Is taken
from the prism OF the canal and IS not returned
The most noticeable OF these instances Is the diver
sion OF water into the Eighteen Mile Creek. about
Geo feet east OF the lower lock Lockport. This
has for some time amounted to 1900 cubic feet per
minute. over SO per cent OF the water passing
the head OF the LocHport locks. The diversions at
six other localities probably much smaller. and
some arc Intermittent.
The situation at Lockport and Elghteen-Mile
Creek can be summarized as follows.
In 1876 "A lease executed by The State Of New
YORK for the annual compensation 10 the state ot
from the canal the head OF the locks for manu-
featuring purposes. All OF this water seems T. be-
that tim time was feet Siie on Ito bottom % fcet
on the top and feet deep. When the canal WIS
increased amount OF water. although George Raj
ter. member Of the American Society Of 'lyl IN
gate the amount necessary TO feed the level east Of
Iockport has testified that the probable now
Al present lowing through the enlarged PRISM. The
water which ~ not used fOr lOckag's. but !s 10
River. first taken out by rdc"Wty Oh tao
souiherly or right hand side OF the canal, subsc-
pa,h the left hand side q the canal which joins
the canal below the locks. Since the enlargement
tunnel has been dceiened. though none Of To-
States employees apparently know It's dimensions
In 1870 tho DRAFT on The ieyc. above 10 kport
"A irc Tod ff,f e.
feet per minute. The use OF that water for manu-
issg SS5 gaTPo,Ss ~ee f", i[9R ga ag ugT
required for iorkage, but IS required 70 feed the
canal to the eastward is not detrimental to tho IL
terests OF the State.
HOW LOSS IS CAUSED TO THE STATE
But the large amount, used BY the Lockpor, Hy-
draulic Power Company. the present SUCCESSORS q
The original lessecs has FOR some time phst caused
Inconvenience and increased expense TO canal iraic
by at times inducing Il cIrren, Of two miles per
hour. against which loaded boats drawn by horses
cannot ascend and sometimes an entire suspension
OF navigation has occurred by the boats grounding
lhroE6h iae water being drawn down Tor manu-
featuring purposes.
dIduic Power Company, according to IT, secretary
and treasurer is over ,20vo or more rhan one nun
your engineers ihat some further compcn,1iio1
should De made 10 the State Tor the Increased
The abstraction at Eighteen Nile Creek OF 1900
cublc FEET per minute from tho canal none OF when
l. returned II not based any lease direct pay
mcnt 10 the State which = on record. \ claim i,
made that there was mill Oh this creek bc,orr me-
canal was built but as. when there Is any water IA
II, the creek Rows through cUlvcrt under the
canal, this claim Is untenable. Tnc manufacturing
ON this creek. which fails 10 feet In the CITY limits
Of LOckpOrt. was developed through the excessive
drars made ON the upper level by the Iockport
liydauhc Power Company. forcing more water into
the lower level than the canal could safely carry
The surplus water was first DISCHARGED by a u.,sf..-
weir into Elghtecn-Me Creek
IN lss- Sal superiinlendent OF Public Works
canal. with a covering Of timbers twelve Inches
square ana the water was taken out over Weir
on the bernie or right hand side of the canal and
was carried 10 the creek under the canal TINS
spring on. OF the local sdprrlntcndents OF St,t.
Superintendent Of Public Works Adrldge took ON
attIntte umDers covering a portion 81 this tunnel
50 mat the Industries on the Eighteen Milo creek
received Watcr from the bottom of fno canal
through openings that aggregate by y feet in
area.
We are told 1t IS claimed. that the permission of
Hannah establishes the right OF
In 81