The log cabin Democrat., 1909-09-30
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On the upper end of the island l stand the Buffalo Wickwire Works l Smoke and fire belch out of it's many | | chimneys and darken the pure fresh l air. Grimy men move in and out or the plant Built along straight lines | with it's many outbuildings and intri- | cate outriggings suited to the pur- | poses of the works, it looks both com monplace and bizarre
 From the Buffalo Wickwire Works | to the heart of Black Rock, the strip | between the river and the canal ta- pers down to a narrow embankment. | The proximity of the city shows itself in numerous habitants and boathouses which stretch in a thin file along the waters edge. Narrow, with pointed roofs resting on piles behind the smooth even surface of the embank- ment, they look like big toy houses placed there by giant infant in his play along the banks of the mighty river.
 One mile inside the city line. the lumber yards begin, boathouses and 
 rural suburban life that sinners and bobs up its head now and then on the l little stretch of land between the canal and the river Is swallowed up in the life of the big city.
 The construction of the new Erie canal now being pushed by the state of New York Is a waterway undertak ing second only in importance to the building of the Panama canal. The Erie canal, when completed, will have cost approximately $101 100000.
 The new canal, which is going to be of the greatest importance as car rier of commerce between the sea board and the Great Lakes, is being constructed from the Hudson river to Lake Erie, parallel with the old canal The new canal will admit boats 300 feet long, 40 feet beam ten feet draft and capable of carrying a cargo of 2,500 tons.
 The magnitude of the new canal may be realized by comparison with the old canal. The present canal ac- commodities only barges IS feet long, 17h feet beam and feet draft capa- ble of carrying 24O tons. The original Erie canal, opened to traffic in 1925. could handle boats of but 30 tons ca pacity, 61 feet long, 7 feet beam and 3la feet draft. There were enlarge ments of the canal in 1850 and 1862.
 Col Thomas w. Symons of the United States engineer corps is called the father of the new canal, because he suggested it. When he was en- gagged on harbor work for the United States at Buffalo he prepared for tho chief of engineers an elaborate report upon the general traffic between the lakes and the seaboard.
 This report attracted much atten- tion and discussion. Finally Theodore Roosevelt. who was governor of New York at the time, appointed a com mission to investigate the subject. It's report was favorable. a survey was made of the route suggested by Col. Symons, and at the following election the people of the state voted bond issue of $l01 100000 to pay for the work.
 The main channel of the new canal from Troy to Buffalo will be 353 miles long. and there will be branches from Waterford. near Troy. to Lake Cham plain, 57 miles long; from Three Riv- CTS. near Syracuse, to Oswego, 22 miles long; from Syracuse to Lake Onondago, six miles, and from Roches- ter to Lake Ontario, three miles, mak- ing a total of 442 miles.
 The new canal route utilizes the Hudson river from New York to Wa terford, four miles north of Troy At Waterford one branch continues north ward along the bed of the Hudson to Fort Edward, and thence across the country to Whitehall on Lake Cham plain. The second branch turns west ward at Waterford enters the Mo hawk river above the Great falls, thence 1t follows the bed of the Mo hawk river to Rome, where it crosses the country to Oneida lake, and then goes down the Oneida river to the point where the Oneida, Seneca and Oswego rivers join at Three Rivers, From there one branch keeps on down the bed of the Oswego river to Lake Ontario.
 The second branch follows the bed of the Seneca river nearly to Seneca Lake, and thence up the Clyde river and some smaller streams and across a small land area to the Genesee at Rochester. The Genesee is crossed in a pool and about six miles west of Rochester the new canal joins and becomes identified with the present Erie canal, which will be enlarged to the Niagara river at Touawanda