3.000 enbic yards, from the Upper Mohawk aqueduct to Lock No. 18, near Cohoes.... 11,476 cubic yards, from Rome to Little Falls.. $20,083 175 110, 726 52, 500 $183, 309 ONEIDA SHIP-CANAL. First Summary—From Durhamville to Albany. Specification of estimates for Excavation embankment, puddling slope and vertical walls, culverts, aqueducts, bridges, and tow-paths Locks, including side-cut locks at Troy. Add 10 per cent. for engineering and contingencies.... $1,546,558 40 Fish Creek feeder $12, 203, 607 00 3,078,668 00 183,309 00 15,465, 584 00 Land-damages Total from Durhamville to Albany... 430,276 00 1,847,842 00 3,824, 676 40 19, 290, 260 40 Summary of the estimates for the construction of the Oneida Ship-Canal from Oswego to Albany. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, Oswego, December 18, 1874. SIR: In compliance with your instructions of August 3, 1874, I have the honor herewith to submit a report, with maps, plans, and estimates on the proposed enlarged water-route from the Saint Lawrence River to Troy, on the Hudson River. This route includes a ship-canal from Caughnawaga, on the Saint Lawrence, to Mint John's, on the Richelieu River; the Richelieu River and Lake Champlain to Whitehall, New York; a ship-canal from Whitehall to Fort Edward, on the Hudson and slackwater navigation from Fort Edward to Troy. River; By the plans and estimates herewith presented, it is contemplated to construct a ship-canal from Caughnawaga to the Chambly Canal, a distance of 23.62 miles: to enlarge the Chambly Canal to Saint John's, 8.88 miles; to deepen the Richelieu River, where necessary, between Saint John's and Rouse's Point, on Lake Champlain, a distance of 22 miles; to adopt the present channel through that lake to Whitehall, 111 miles in length; to construct a new ship-canal from Whitehall to Fort Edward, 24.13 miles long; and to slackwater the Hudson River thence to Troy, a distance of 39.8 miles; making the entire distance from the Saint Lawrence River, by the proposed route, to tide-water at Troy, 229.43 miles. This distance may be divided as follows: Your instructions not contemplating a regular survey of the proposed route, I have relied for the data on which my estimates are based on a personal reconnaissance of the entire line, and on maps, plans, and reports of surveys previously made, together with the results of a preliminary survey of the line between Whitehall and Fort Edward, made under my directions, during the months of September and October last. In this report I propose to divide the subject into four parts, discussing each division under its proper head, and submitting estimates of the cost of each part of the work separately, to wit: 1. The Canada division, from Saint Lawrence to Lake Champlain.. 2. The Champlain division, from Rouse's Point to Whitehall 3. The Canal division, from Whitehall to Fort Edward.. 4. The Hudson River division, from Fort Edward to Troy Canada division. Miles. 54.50 111.00 24.13 39.80 As this division lies without the jurisdiction of the United States it is not expected that I should, myself, make any estimates as to the cost of its construction. A description of the proposed route, together with an estimate of cost, as furnished by the president of the canal company, is all I propose to submit under this head. For the purpose of making a navigable connection between the Saint Lawrence River and the waters of Lake Champlain a company, with the Hon. John Young, of Montreal, as president, was incorporated by special act of the Canadian Parliament in 1870, under the title of the "Caughnawaga Ship-Canal Company," with a capital of $300,000, limited. This company was given full authority to construct the proposed canal, and to enter upon and enlarge the Chambly Canal to the desired dimensions. Accurate surveys of several lines proposed for this canal had been previously made by Mr. J. B. Mills, a distinguished civil engineer, and a report giving his opinion of the work, as well as his estimates of its cost, was submitted to the Canadian government. After careful examination by several eminent civil engineers, his survey of the route was approved and adopted. The domicile of the company being at Montreal, I visited that city in August last for the purpose of obtaining all possible data with respect to the proposed route. Mr. Young, the president of the company, very kindly and courteously gave me such reports, maps, estimates, &c., as he was able to furnish, including a map and profile of the route as surveyed and adopted, together with much interesting and valuable verbal information, and also assisted me in a thorough reconnaissance of the route between Caughnawaga and Saint John's. The line selected by Mr. Mills appears to have been well located, the natural formation of the country being remarkably adapted to the purpose. The excavations will be comparatively light and mostly in earth, except in the vicinity of the Indian village of Caughnawaga, where some rock-cutting will be required. The level of the Saint Lawrence River at Caughnawaga is about twenty-nine feet below that of Lake Champlain, requiring three locks to attain the summit-level of the canal. Two of these are located near the river, with lifts of nine and ten feet respectively. The third, about eight and one-half miles distant from the river, will have a lift of ten feet. The summit-level thus attained is carried to the intersection with the Chambly Canal, and thence through that canal to the Richelieu River. Five aqueducts, two water-weirs, twenty culverts, and twelve bridges will be required on this line. The prism of the proposed Caughnawaga and enlarged Chambly Canal is to be of the same dimensions as those of the enlarged Welland, viz, one hundred feet wide at the bottom, about one hundred and fifty feet in width at surface of water, and thirteen feet in depth, with locks two hundred and seventy feet by forty-five, by twelve feet on the lower miter-sills. Mr. Mills's original estimate was based on the dimensions of the existing Saint Lawrence canals, viz, locks two hundred by forty-five feet, with nine feet on the mitersills, and amounted in the aggregate to $1,814,408, (gold.) An estimate, recently made by Walter Shanley, esq., an eminent civil engineer, at the request of the Hon. John Young, president of the company, and kindly forwarded to me by the latter, makes the amount required for the construction of the canal and the enlargement of the (hambly to Saint John's, $5,500,000, (gold.) The excess of this estimate over that made by Mr. Mills is due to the enlarged dimensions of the proposed canals, as well as to the increased cost of labor and materials at the present time over that ruling in the year 1848, the date of Mr. Mills's report. Some slight dredging will be required between Saint John's and Lake Champlain, which, as estimated by Mr. Young, will cost about $35,000, making the total cost of the Canada division $5,535,000, (gold.) LAKE CHAMPLAIN DIVISION. On this division, viz, from Rouse's Point to Whitehall, the terminus of the present Champlain Canal, the route will follow the natural channel, through which, it is believed, a depth of not less than twelve feet water can be found. I have not been able to obtain accurate soundings through the entire length of this channel from any available sources of information. The charts published by the United States Coast Survey Department give an ample depth of water, so far as they have been furnished. The soundings in the basin at Whitehall, the head of the lake, give twelve feet water, and propellers of that draught have passed through the lake the past season, and arrived at the Whitehall pier. Should an increased depth of water be required in any portion of the lake-channel, it can be had at comparatively slight expense by dredging. The Caughnawaga Canal will depend upon Lake Champlaim for its water supply, which will be ample for all the requirements for lockage, evaporation, leakage, &c. This lake is fed on the west by the Saranac, Au Sable, Chazy, and Bouquet Rivers, and by Lake George; the latter being about thirty-six miles in length, with a maximum width of about three miles, and an elevation above the level of Lake Champlain of 158 feet. The affluents on the east are Otter Creek, Missisque, La Morelle and Onion Rivers. On the south it is now fed by Wood Creek; but on the completion of the proposed canal, it will have in addition a portion of the water from the summitlevel, supplied from the headwaters of the Hudson, which alone would be sufficient for the demands for lockage and leakage in the Caughnawaga. The volume received from Lake George and the other affluents will be largely in excess of the amount required to cover evaporation, &c., of both the lake and the canal. CANAL DIVISION. At Whitehall commences the improvement proper of that portion of the route lying within the boundaries of the United States. From this point to Fort Edward, a distance of 24.13 miles, it is proposed to construct a new canal in connection with the improvement of the navigation of a portion of Wood Creek. On my first reconnoissance between these two points, my attention was particularly directed to the condition and capabilities of the present Champlain Canal, with a view to its enlargement. A careful and thorough examination of this canal, throughout its entire length, satisfied me that to make it conform to the requirements of a ship-canal would involve many changes in its alignment, as well as in its depth and width, to enable it to pass vessels drawing 12 feet water. Its summit-level also was apparently from 10 to 15 feet higher than it should have been, if properly located, necessitating an extra lockage up and down. A further reconnoissance suggested that a better line farther to the east, following the valleys of Wood and Little Wood Creeks, might be found, provided that the natural summit between those two streams was not too high for the purpose. This could be determined only by an instrumental survey; and not being prepared to make such an examination at the time, I thankfully accepted the ofer of Mr. A. Barkley, canal commissioner, that he would have a preliminary line run by one of his assistants, and would furnish me with a map and profile of the same. This duty, with consent of the State engineer, Mr. Sweet, was very satisfactorily performed by Mr. G. Thomas Hall, civil engineer, under my directions. The result of this survey shows that the natural summit between the two creeks mentioned is 145 feet above tide-water, or 49 feet above Lake Champlain, and 29 feet above the Hudson River at Port Edward. By making the summit-level of the new canal 135 feet above tide, it will be 12 feet lower than that of the Champlain Canal, and it can be attained by means of three locks, from the level of Lake Champlain, of 15, 12, and 12 feet lift respectively. The descent to the level of the Hudson will be made by one lock of 17 feet lift. |