Field in the town of Manchester, the other (or Worsley branch) is at Pennington near the town of Leigh, the junction of these branches being at Longford bridge; near Manchester there is a communication with the Mersey and Irwell navigation, and Manchester, Bolton, and Bury canal, by means of Medlock brook. Under the town of Manchester are arched branches of the canal of considerable length, from one of which coals are hoisted up by a coalgin, through a shaft out of the boats below, into a large coal-yard or storehouse in the main street, at which place the duke and his successors, are by the first act bound to supply the inhabitants of Manchester at all times with coals at only4d. percwt.of 140ib. a circumstance which must have had a great effect on the growing population of this immense town within the last 40 years. At Worsley is a short cut to Worsley mills, and another to the entrance basin of the famous under-ground works or tunnels, of 48 miles or more in length in different branches and levels, for the navigation of coal-boats; some of which are as much as 60 yards below the canal, and others 35 1-2 yards above the canal; these last, to which the boats ascend by means of an inclined plane, that we have already described, extended to the veins of coal that are working at a great depth under Walkden Moor. Most of these tunnels are hewn out of the solid rock; from the lower one, the coals in boxes are hoist ed up out of the boats, as they are in Manchester town mentioned above, and the whole of the lower works are prevented from filling with water, by large pumps worked by the hydraulic machine, which we have already mentioned in this article, and the water is thereby always kept at the proper height for navigation on the lower canal. The rise of 82 feet in the first 600 yards from the Mersey, by 10 locks, is the only deviation from one level on this canal, (except in the Worsley coalmines above mentioned;) and this length of level water is further increased, by 18 miles on the Trent and Mersey canal which connects therewith, making in all 70 miles of level. The width of the canal at top is 52 feet on the average, and depth 5 feet; the boats that navigate between Worsley mines and Manchester are only 4 1-2 feet wide, the others are 50 ton boats or upwards; there are also numerous boats for passengers; large warehouses have been built for goods, at the Castle Field in Manchester adjoining the canal. 'On this canal are three principal aqueduct bridges over the Irwell at Barton, where it is navigable, and over the Mersey and Bollin rivers, besides several smaller ones, and many roadaqueducts. There are also several large embankments; one over Stretford meadows, is 900 yards long, 17 feet high, and 112 feet wide at the base; that at Barton bridge is 200 yards long, and 40 feet high; at Bollington is also a stupendous embankment. "The illustrious duke of Bridgewater, justly styled the father of British Inland Navigation, died greatly lamented in March, 1803, and left this immense concern, (which cost at first 22,000l. it was said, and probably in the whole twice that sum, as the tunnelling, at Worsley alone has been estimated at 168,9601,) to earl Gower, the present proprietor, whose second son is to inherit it; the net profits are said now to be from 50 to 80,000l. annually. "The price of land-carriage for goods between Manchester and Liverpool was on the passing of the Duke's third act, 40s. per ton, and by the navigation on the Mersey and Irwell, 12s. per ton; but his Grace limited his price to 68. per ton; yet, such has been the increasing trade of these two places, that it was in 1794 seriously maintained, and made the ground of another proposed navigable communication, by a junction of the Manchester, Bolton, and Bury, and the Leeds and Liverpool canals, that both the Duke's canal and the river navigation were inadequate to carry the trade between Manchester and Liverpool, and that the most frequent and ruinous delays were experienced by the merchants.' We will proceed, without further remark, to give an abstract of the Report before us. After recounting the steps they had taken preparatory to entering upon their official duties, the commissioners, Messrs. Clinton, Van Rensselaer, Ellicott, Holley, and Young, taking up first, the canal from Erie to the Hudson, proceed to state, 'The dimensions of the western or Erie canal and locks, ought, in the opinion of the commissioners, to be as follows, viz. width on the surface, forty feet, at the bottom, twenty-eight feet, and depth of water four feet; the length of a lock, ninety feet, and its width, twelve feet, in the clear. Vessels carrying one hundred tons, may navigate a canal of this size: and all the lumber produced in the country, and required for market, may be transported upon it. 'From their own examination, the commissioners determined that it would be expedient to connect the west end of the great canal with the waters of Lake Erie, through the mouth of Buffalo creek. In adopting this determination, they were influenced by the following considerations. It is important to have, at that end, a safe harbour, capable, without much expense, of sufficient enlargement for the accommodation of all boats and vessels, that a very extensive trade inay hereafter require to enter and exchange their lading there. The waters of Lake Erie are higher, at the mouth of the Buffalo, than they are at Bird island, or any point further down the Niagara; and every inch gained in elevation will produce a large saving in the expense of excavation, throughout the Lake Erie level. That section of the route which extends from Buffalo to the east line of the Holland purchase, and lying south of the mountain ridge, as before described, was explored by William PeaVOL 1.-No. 11. cock, Esq. as engineer, under the superintendence of Joseph Ellicott, Esq. one of the commissioners, who had been previously requested, by a vote of the board, to afford such superintendence.' 68 The route of the canal from Buffalo, is along the margin of the Niagara river to Tonnewanta creek, a distance of 16 miles. It is then proposed by erecting a dam, to raise the waters of this creek to the level of Lake Erie, 4 feet 88, and to form a towing path on the bank, which will easily admit of it; by which means the bed of the creek might be used for a distance of 17 miles. The ordinary objections to the use of naturalstreams as a part of canal navigation, are said not to be applicable to the Tonnewanta. From the point where the canal leaves the Tonnewanta, to the summit level between Lake Erie and the Genesee river, is 12 miles. In this distance the rise is nearly 75 feet, which it is proposed to divide equally between 10 locks. This summit level extends 17 miles: from the end of the canal, at Buffalo, to the east end of the summit level west of the Genesee river, is sixty-two miles. In his report relating to this section, Mr. Ellicott observes, that in the preceding estimates of expense little has been left to conjecture. The aggregate amount of these estimates is $379,523. To which he adds; for grubbing and clearing; for conducting Bigelow's and Spring creeks into the summit level, near its east end; and for pay of engineers and officers to superintend the $70,477 execution of the work, making the entire expense of these six$450,000 ty-two miles 'It will be observed, that if the canal takes the direction here indicated, it will be raised seventy-four feet, and eighty hundreths above the level of Lake Erie; in which case recourse must be had to other reservoirs for its supply of water. Common prudence demands, that upon this subject every doubt should be removed, before this route is definitively adopted. Mr. Ellicott has had the sources of this supply guaged 0 with great care, during the driest part of the last season, which has been more remarkable for severe drought than any ever before experienced in that part of the State. The northern route, commencing at a point 11 miles up the Tonnewanta, and which has its confluence with the other at Rochester, on the falls of the Genesee river, was assigned to James Geddes, Esq. as engineer, who extended his survey as far east as the Seneca river. 'Pursuing this route, the canal never rises above the Lake Erie level. It would, therefore, derive its waters, until it descends to the Genesee level, and as much further as may be necessary, from that never failing reservoir. From the place of its commencement, at the distance of five miles and sixty-four chains, this route reaches the brow of the mountain ridge. As the excavation of the canal, through this, constitutes one of the most serious difficulties presented on the whole route, great pains have been taken to avoid all impracticable data of calculation relating to it, and, at the same time, to give to the work such dimensions and construction as may be required, with the greatest at 'Independently of waters deemed sufficient to repair the waste occasioned by evaporation and soakage, these sources consist of ten streams naturally flowing, or capable of being conducted into the summit level. When these streams were guaged, they afforded in the aggregate, 253,435 cubic feet of water per hour, which would fill six hundred and seventy-three locks every day, and provide for the passage of 1,209,600 tons during eight months, in boats of thirty tons burden. Besides, the raising of one of the canal banks to the necessary height for a towing path, on the summit level, would produce the flooding of more than a thousand acres of land, which has a reservoir, together with the hourly discharge of the streams above mentioned, would be abundantly sufficient for all the wants of this level. From the east end of this level, down the valley of Black creek, and tainable economy.' along the west banks of the Genesee The calculations are then given river, to the point where the route ex- with great precision. The length of plored north of the mountain ridge pass- the deep cutting necessary to perfoes that river, the face of the country rate the ridge, and preserve the Lake has not been scientifically examined. Erie level is 4 miles and 70 chains; It is well known however to present no the greatest depth of the excavation serious impediments to the construction is 25 feet. Here the Lake Erie level of a canal; and its facilities are thought terminates, and the line of the canal to be such, that if the difficulties occur- descends 65 feet, to the level of the ring on the summit level do not prevent, Genesee river. Our limits will not the canal should certainly take this di- allow us to follow the description of rection. The length of this unexamin- the course on this route, which is mied section would be about thirty miles; nutely detailed. It appears, however, and it would require locks for a fall of that numerous bridges, and some aqueone hundred and thirty-nine feet and ducts and embankments, will concur eighty hundreths. The expense of to swell the expense. The comparathese locks might be estimated at tive cost of the northern and southern $150,000 routes to their intersection, is computed as follows: and all other expenses of this distance The distance from Buffalo to the point eleven miles up the Tonnewanta creek, is 27 miles. From that point, $780,000' to the Genesee river, on the north route, 72 miles 10 1-2 chains. The distance in that direction is 99 miles 10 1-2 chains. 'The distance in the direction south of the ridge is supposed to be 92 miles. The whole expense, from Buffalo to the point, eleven miles up the Tonne wanta, including a proportionate part of the allowances for grubbing, superintendence, &c. as estimated on Mr. Peacock's section, is $205,877. The whole expense, from that to the Genesee river, as estimated on Mr. Geddes's section, is as follows: Whole expense of excavation, for 6 miles and 42 chains, 51 1-2 chains, and another for 20 miles and 40 chains. So uniformly is the declivity to the north, that from the foot of the mountain ridge, to the entrance of Mud creek valley, a distance of more than 90 miles, no stream crosses the canal except in that direction, and there is not a single mile in which the north bank of the canal will not be the lowest. 6 On this section, which is in general very free from porous earth, there are, including embankments, 8 1 2 miles, in parts of which, puddling may be required.-Little experience, in re$401,271 lation to the expense of the operation, has been afforded in this country; but it is presumed, from that little, that the whole expense of puddling in these 8 1-2 miles will not exceed $30,000 Total of the foregoing items is Total amount of extras, thence to Genesee R. 224,378 Expense of each mile, after all extras are calculated, for 65 miles 48 1-2 chains, at $2250, (for which allowance, see a subsequent part of the Report,) $1,089,925 On the south route, this cost is estimated at 780,000 Leaving a balance of expense in favour of the south route, by these estimates of $509,925' We shall not pretend to pursue the path of the canal to the Seneca river. The Report says of it,— $1,347,581 Add for contingencies, 5 per cent. is The entire expense of this section $1,550,985 The Seneca river, at low water, is 194 feet lower than Lake Erie; and to provide for this descent, 25 locks, besides the two guard locks at Genesee river, are located upon the canal line. The lift of some of these locks is small, owing to the unusual evenness of the country. At places where there are embankments and deep cuttings, of which the dimensions are not particularly stated, the calculations have been such as give a width of water, in the surface of the canal, never less than 27 feet. From the end of this section, eastward, to Rome, there is a rise, in the line of the canal, of 48 1-2 feet; thence the line descends to the Hudson, The middle section of the canal "The route of the canal, as explor- extends from Rome to the Seneca ri ed, pursues one level for 69 miles and ver, and is about 77 miles in length. It was surveyed and laid out by Ben- the canal, at the foot of the two locks jamin Wright, Esq. who acted as the engineer. The exuberant supply of water for the canal, in this section, must be at once perceived from an inspection of the topographical map. At its commencement, the waters of the Mo hawk river will be used, and they can be increased to any extent, by introducing a feeder from Fish creek. Independently of numerous small brooks, the canal can derive as much water as can be desired from the Oneida, the Cowaslon, the Canassaraga, the Chitteningo, the Black, the Limestone, the Butternut, the Onondago, the Ninemile, the Skaneateles, the Bread, the Cold spring, the Owasco, and the Crane creeks; some of which are the outlets of lakes, and others originate from perennial springs in high lands, and will never be affected by the clearing of the country. "The adaptation of the grounds of this section, for a canal, is peculiar and extraordinary. After proceeding two miles and fourteen chains, it will be necessary to descend 6 feet; after which, the line of the canal proceeds 41 1-2 miles on one level. A descent of 19 feet then takes place, from the font of which another level extends 30 miles. For the remainder of the distance to the Seneca river, there are three departures from the level-one of 8, one of 9, and one of 6 1-2 feet. Thus the whole extent of this section, occupying 77 miles, will require but 6 locks. near Onondago creek, which would require no greater depth of excavation than 4 feet, in any place, and no embankment, culvert, or lock. The whole of this section passes through earth of such a texture, or so situated, as to be deemed secure from leakage. Puddling will, therefore, be requisite only for some of the high embankments, estimated at $10,000 The aggregate amount of all pre ceding items is 759,225 Add five per cent. for contingencies, For engineers, superintendence, 36,961 and expenses connected there- The total amount of estimates for the middle section is $855,186 The five per cent. for contingencies is borrowed from the European mode of forming estimates; and the charge of $1,000 per mile for engineers, superintendence, &c. is too liberal. The eastern section of the canal extends from Rome to the Hudson river; and Charles C. Broadhead, Esq. was employed as engineer, to act upon that part of it which lies between Rome and Schoharie creek. He has accordingly levelled over and explored the route, within these limits. The details of the line explored by Mr. Broadhead terminate on the west side of the Schoharie creek, 71 miles and 27 chains from Rome. In the course of this distance, the line of the canal falls precisely 132.85 feet. To accommodate this fall, 16 locks are placed, at various distances, pointed out on the map, where the ground is favourable, and the materials for making them easily to be obtained. In many places inexhaustible beds of gypsum exist, which can, by means of this canal, be conveyed cheaper to the great agricultural counties of the State, than it can be procured by importation. And nothing is more easy The quantity of water which may than by a short lateral canal of 1 1-2 be introduced into the canal, on this miles in length, to form a communica- section, is such as to leave no solicitude tion between Salina and the great ca- on that subject. And no calculation of nal, thus furnishing fuel to the works, the expense of feeders from the Moand salt to the whole country. A hawk is made, because, at several level has been carried from that of places where dams and walls are to be |