New-York tribune., 1907-01-14

The work actually under contract covers dis
tance Of seventy miles and represents pros
pective outlay of s20,00O00O.
In his report to the Secretary of War Colonel
Symons calls attention TO the fact that every
Item Of expenditure thus far placed on record is
below the estimated cost. Nearly $1,000 900 has
been thus saved that portion of the work
der contract.
saving of 900 made for the state
when the board Of engineers decided to use
concrete instead OF stone for its masonry and
Colonel Symons expresses the opinion that the
result OF the selection will prove a good illus
tration Of the relative value of the two materials
for future engineers 10 study. The consulting
engineer describes minutely the painstaking
manner in which the ground is studied before
contracts are called for; the strict with
which safeguards taken against colluson
and other forms of crookedness, and the process
by which the board secures control of the right
of way. An important change Of route Is con-
templated which WILL If made connect the canal
with Seneca and Cayuga lakes and thus bring
the system in direct touch with the coal fields
Of Pennsylvania. Colonel Symons informs Sec
retary Taft that the last vestige Of organized
opposition to the canal work has disappeared.
This opposition at one time, he says, very
vigorous indeed, but the interests that were
abandoned the fight ana there is effort made
In any quarter TO hamper or hinder the work.
Colonel symons's report is follows:
~ It is deemed appropriate at this time to mako
work OF improving the canals of the state of New
special act Of Congress to serve as consulting en-
sineer; as this progress has bearing on the mat
Niagara and Hudson rivers by the general govern
which canals will haV
questions of the military and naval defence of the
country.
90 The total length OF the Erie. Oswego and
Chsmplain canals under improvement is about
nect Lakes Erie ontaTio % and Cha chanpiain with the the
Hudson River near Troy and through the Hudson
with the seaboard at New York City.
SIZE OF CANALS.
g The depth OF all the canals win be twelve feet,
with variable width depending on location. char
seter Of %ateria al etc In & the e larger lakes and
on the bottoms in the smaller rivers and valleys
feet. The canal sections proper in earth, with
a s6o SOPss t Of Of Sns on wS w hsys a minimum
and vertical wall sections the minimum width will
4-The locks will have this depth OF Il feet and
width OF As feet and a usabie, net. length of
sit win be observed that the locks and the
canal prism away from rivers and lakes are
arises from the fact that the canal Prism was
designed to 1T locks % feet wide. and that the
St the state to be wdened to g feet AND it's
deemed possible mat the canal prism may in the
future be Widened TO correspond with the widened
locks the precaution is being taken to procure
right of way wide enough for the purpose
and in depOsiting spoil and embankments place
them far enough away from the canal so that
they Will have be rehandled in the future
should the prism be wfdened
AT all navigable stages of the canals and the
rivers and lakes traversed by the canals the mini
mum clear headroom under bridges Is fixed 151s
This is fixed being sufficient 10 allow pas
sage under ali conditions Tor the bsrges that viii
probably be engaged IN canal traffic.
An interesting episode connected with the
locks occurred in the early stages OF the work.
When the stonecutters OF the state learned that
structures Of concrete they inaugurated a cam
paign 10 compel the OF stone. The advisory
board made report that the additional cost TO the
state from using stone using concrete would
be about se.Oooooo, and that no benefit therefrom
would accrue TO the state This ended the cam
peign. This is believed be a good indication OF
the value of concrete.
SURVEYS. ETC.
s-TopoErsphic surveys. oorings and souudinss
have been made from the Hudson River at Water
ford TO the Montezuma Marshes at Fox Ridge and
from PitIsford miles of Rochester TO
TonRwanda: also for the entire length of the Os-
and on the line of the Champlain Canal from
northumberland northward to Whitehall also for
large storage reservoirs on the Mohawk River at
Delta ard the West Canada Creek at Hinckfry
sTopographic mars have been made from The
MonteZuma Marshes TO PiTtsford but all OF the
data necessary for the preparation OF plans
have not yet been secured
lo-on tie Hudson River, from Northumberland
pleted. and as ice forms on tie Hudson