Page images
PDF
EPUB

In 1827, a further sum of $45,000 was appropriated. The following year the Canal Commissioners were authorized to construct a canal to East Cayuga, and the sum of $100,000 was appropriated therefor. That canal was 211⁄2 miles long, had II locks 90 feet long by 15 feet wide, with a prism 40 feet wide at the surface and 4 feet deep.

By Chapter 325, Laws of 1829, $8,000 was appropriated for the canal to East Cayuga and $24,000 for the Cayuga & Seneca canal. Considerable difficulty was experienced from the variation of the depth of water in Seneca lake, which occasioned some contention between residents at the head of Seneca lake and those in the villages at the foot and below the lake. The industries at Waterloo and Seneca Falls were affected by the height of water in Seneca lake and the people at the head of the lake were subject to floods and washouts when the water was very high in Seneca lake. The Cayuga inlet falls into the head of Cayuga lake and at one time was navigable for the largest vessels on the Erie canal for a distance of two miles from its mouth. From time to time the Legislature has taken cognizance of its navigability and made appropriation to remove sandbars at its outlet and for the improvement of its channel. This afforded water transportation for the industries of Ithaca.

In 1839, in response to petitions for the improvement of the Cayuga & Seneca canal, the Canal Board reached the conclusion that: "The peculiar connection of the Cayuga & Seneca canal with the Cayuga and Seneca lakes; the extent of the country thereby penetrated and reached; a judicious regard to the union of lake and canal navigation which this case [presented], together with the kind of vessels best fitted for this twofold use, and a just and fair consideration of the extensive and growing interests of the large and increasing population, whose trade [would] naturally take this route," justify the enlargement of the canal to the full dimensions of the Erie, which was then undergoing enlargement.1 No action, however, was taken in the matter until 1840 when the commissioners were authorized by Chapter 302, "to improve the Cayuga and Seneca canal,

[blocks in formation]

by cutting a channel through the bar at the northeast bend of the Seneca lake to the said canal, and to regulate the height of the water of the lake and the outlet thereof, in such manner as in their opinion [should] be most conducive to the public interests." For the work the sum of $12,000 was appropriated.

[ocr errors]

Chapter 114 of the Laws of 1842 "caused all work on the State canals to cease except as was necessary to preserve or secure navigation, until the adoption of the Constitution of 1846." That was known as a "Stop law," and was occasioned by the financial affairs of the State which were in a deplorable condition.

Little was done until 1847, when the locks on these canals were to be made of the same dimensions as those on the Erie. In 1849, two enlarged composite locks were completed and brought into use at Waterloo.

In 1850, five locks were completed and in 1851 the Seneca side lock was completed and two piers 350 and 400 feet long at the Seneca outlet.

Down to September 30, 1882, when tolls were abolished, there had been expended on the Cayuga inlet $2,020 in addition to payments from the General Fund, and for superintendence on the Cayuga & Seneca canal, for construction and improvement, the sum of $1,834,184.40; and for superintendence and ordinary repairs the further sum of $1,027,538.57. The revenues derived from the Cayuga inlet were $8,837.02, and revenues derived from traffic on the Cayuga & Seneca canal amounted to $1,054,355.96, as stated by the auditor of the Canal Department in his report under date of January 9, 1883.

The size of the locks was increased to 110 feet in length, 18 feet in width, and a depth of 7 feet, which were the same dimensions as the locks on the enlarged Erie. The enlargement was completed in 1863, with the exception of locks which were rebuilt and enlarged subsequent thereto.

The Crooked Lake canal connected Crooked lake with Seneca lake. Its construction was authorized on April 11, 1829. The work was commenced in 1830 and completed in

[blocks in formation]

1833 at an expense of $333,287.00. The canal was 8 miles long and after it was enlarged it had 27 locks, which were 90 by 15 feet, and boats navigating it carried from 70 to 76 tons. It was abandoned in June, 1877.

The Chemung canal connected the waters of Seneca lake with the Chemung river at Elmira. Its construction was authorized on April 15, 1829, and it was completed in May, 1833, at a cost of $314,395.51. It was 23 miles long and had 49 locks, which were 90 feet long by 15 feet wide and had a depth of 4 to 41⁄2 feet. Boats navigating that canal carried from 85 to 90 tons freight. It was abandoned in 1878.

By this system of intersecting waterways the coal regions of Pennsylvania were brought into water communication with the cities, towns and villages of Western New York. A boat with a cargo of coal passed from Pennsylvania up the Chemung river into the Chemung canal, proceeded into Seneca lake and thence through the Seneca and Cayuga canal into the Erie canal.

In 1869, there was upwards of half a million tons of freight carried over the Cayuga and Seneca canal and 245,761 tons over the Chemung canal, and in the year 1863 there was transported over the Chemung canal 307,151 tons of freight; that included freight from Cayuga lake and the Cayuga inlet, as well as freight from Keuka lake through the Crooked Lake canal, down Seneca lake, and the freight passing through the Chemung canal into Seneca lake. Fleets of from 30 to 50 boats were seen in tow on Seneca lake at one time. The effect of this water transportation upon the towns, cities and villages in touch with it may be judged by their rapid growth during the period of its greatest activity and in advance of railway transportation.

As already stated, the new barge canal is within easy reach of these interior lakes whose commerce during the middle of the nineteenth cntury was extensive. It is only a matter of time when these interior lakes will be brought into complete communication with vessels navigating the new barge canals, for surveys have already been made for that purpose.

One can hardly imagine a more delightful tour from the eastern or western portions of the State to the central portion of the State, up into these beautiful lakes which have. played so important a part in the history of Western New York and which are surrounded by thriving villages and a prosperous and intelligent population.

Shortly after the Erie and Champlain canals were completed the traffic was so great upon them that it became apparent that they were inadequate to meet the demands of the increasing commerce over them. Within 15 years after their completion several lateral canals were commenced and some of them completed. Sentiment throughout the State was strongly in favor of the extension of waterways to the outlying counties and the improvement of the existing Erie canal to meet the increased traffic over it.

In 1834, the Canal Commissioners submitted a special report to the Legislature in relation to the reconstruction of the aqueduct over the Genesee river, and providing an additional feeder at Camillus on the Jordan level for the Erie canal. This report followed the message of Governor William L. Marcy to the Legislature in 1834, in which, among other things, he said: "If our canals are to be what a wise management cannot fail to make them-the principal channels for this trade-we must calculate its extent, and make them adequate to this object." 1

The Canal Commissioners first addressed themselves to the question of doubling the locks and employed Holmes Hutchinson to examine sites and furnish plans and estimates to accomplish that result.

XIV. ENLARGEMENT AND RECONSTRUCTION.

On May 11, 1835, the Legislature authorized the first enlargement of the Erie canal, and the work was commenced in 1836. The estimated cost of the enlargement was $23,402,863.02. It was not completed until September 1, 1862, and cost $31,834,041.30.

1.

I "History of the Canal System . . . of New York," 134.

The plan of enlargement adopted in 1835 contemplated an increase in carrying capacity of boats from 75 to 175 tons. The work of enlargement was protracted and costly, and resulted in the loss of commerce to the State. Railroads were released from the payment of tolls in 1851 and canal tolls were reduced in 1852 and 1858. The average cost of railway freight charges from 1860 to 1865 was $4.42 per ton, and canal charges including tolls were $1.88 per ton. During this period the aggregate canal tonnage was 29,895,121 tons.

The direct loss to the State by the abolition of railway tolls was several millions annually and the indirect loss by the diversion of tonnage from the canals to the railways was large. The cost of transportation on the canals in 1853, including tolls, was one cent and one mill per ton per mile, and on the New York and Erie railroad two cents and four mills per ton per mile.1

The enlargement finally consummated increased the dimensions of the prism so that it was 70 feet on the surface, from 52% to 56 feet on the bottom and 7 feet deep. The number of locks was reduced to 72 lift locks and 3 guard locks, which were 110 feet long and 18 feet wide, built of stone, which admitted of the passage of boats carrying 240

tons.

The revenue from tolls was so large during the decade after the completion of the Erie that extravagant notions were entertained as to their volume in the future. It was predicted that they would amount to a million dollars in 1836 and four million in 1856, and would continue to increase in that proportion for half a century. Hitherto there had been no direct tax to carry forward canal construction in this State, and the Governor and State officials generally were opposed to raising revenues by direct taxation; and still, large as the revenues were, it was evident that the expense of the improvement could not be met without negotiating a loan or resorting to direct taxation on account of the enormous drain upon the canal fund in the construction of the various lateral canals.

I. Report of the N. Y. State Engineer for 1853, p. 28.

« PreviousContinue »