Delaware and Raritan canal.

[PASSED FEBRUARY 13, 1817.] The commissioners, appointed by an act of the legislature, for ascertaining the most eligible route for, and the probable expence of a canal to connect the tide waters of the Delaware with those of the Raritan,

REPORT

That in ascertaining the most eligible route for a canal to connect the tide waters of the Delaware with those of the Raritan, they have examined the plans and routes of canals heretofore proposed, and have considered the advantages and disadvantages which would respectivley attend them.

Fourth. From the locks being placed in low situations, and therefore subject to injury and decay. Fifth. From the cuts in the low grounds being liable to be filled by freshes, with sand or mud, or to be washed to an improper size or shape.

Sixth. From the unequal currents of the streams, which in some places, would require the labor of many men to stem their force.

Seventh. From the inconvenience of eight mills in the route, any one of which could at any time during the summer destroy the navigation, by using and exhausting the water of their ponds so as to occasion shallow water above, and to prevent the use of the locks.

Eighth. From the great distance of the route, preventing the dispatch so necessary to ensure a preference of conveyance and transportation.

The first and most obvious plan heretofore proposed, was to use the beds of the streams intervenNinth. From the varying quantity of water at difing between the Raritan and the Delaware, to ascend the Raritan from the tide water to the first ob-ferent times of the year. In dry seasons the water struction, and by deepening or widening, or by con- near the dams being spread over the wide surface of fining the stream to a narrower channel, to proceed the bed of the creek, or river, and in some places as far as practicable on that step, and then, by a damn over the adjacent grounds, great quantities would and lock, to raise boats to another step, to be pur-be lost by evaporation; and on the streams becoming sued by deepening, widening, narrowing, or clear-low, the navigation would be obstructed by either ing, as before, until another dam would become permanent or shifting bars, and shallows, which necessary, and in the same manner to continue the would be often impassable for several days or weeks; process until the navigation would arrive at the and in wet seasons the torrents of water after heavy mouth of the Millstone river; to proceed from thence rains would totally stop the navigation, displace the up the Millstone, erecting locks in the several mill-stones and walls constructed to widen or narrow dams, and deepening, widening or clearing the parts of the water-course, fill up parts of the chan. channel, and placing other dams and locks where nel, and sometimes destroy the dams and locks, and necessary, to the mouth of Stonybrook, and from perhaps the boats. These contingencies would octhence up the Stonybrook in like manner, to the vi- casion great losses to the navigation, not only from cinity of the great meadows, in the township of Law- the expence of removing sands and obstructions, rerence: here a connecting cut would be made through placing facilities, and rebuilding dams and locks, the meadows of Lawrence to the Shippetaukin but also from the injury to the boats and their carbranch of the Assanpink creek. This connecting goes, the delay and loss of time, the consequent cut would, on this route, be the lowest part of the loss of toll, and the diversion of trade to other changround dividing the waters of the two rivers, and nels. Another plan has been suggested, by digging a cawould form the summit, or crown level, of the canal. The boats would be raised by locks to this level, nal in the valleys, and along the banks of the streams which would be supplied by a feeder from the near-above mentioned, pursuing the level as far as pracest stream of elevation; they would from thence de- ticable, and constructing locks where necessary; scend by locks into the Shippetaukin, where a like thus rising to the summit level, from whence the nawould be used, to enable them to navigate vigation to the opposite tide water would decend in process to the Assanpink, and down the Assanpink, by Lam-the valleys and along the banks of the other streams, berton, to the Delaware. In this route it would be by the same process. necessary, in some places, to make cuts through intervening low grounds, and to depart occasionally from the beds of the streams; the elevation of the summit level would be about forty-six feet above the tide water, and the whole distance would be about forty miles. The route was viewed and levelled by several gentlemen, in the year 1804, who were of opinion that a communication might be opened between the tide waters of the Delaware and Raritan, of at least three and a half feet in depth.

This plan is liable to objections:

First. From the difficulty and great expence of removing obstructions in the beds of the Raritan and Millstone, which are formed, as far as Rockyhill, of red sand-stone, and its accompanying red shell,

or wack.

This plan is also liable to objections: First. From the frequent occurrence of deep ra vines and gullies, conveying small runs of water to the stream of the valley, occasioning expensive aqueducts, culverts, walls, and embankments, which in wet seasons would be subject to injury.

Second. From the adjacent stream overflowing its banks, in some situations filling the canal with mud or sand, and in other places destroying the locks and sides, and washing deep holes.

Third. From the irregularity of the valleys, high promontories and low bottoms often succeeding each other, rendering the crossing of the stream frequently necessary, by expensive aqueducts.

Fourth. From the red stone and other hard matter difficult to excavate, forming the banks of seIveral of the streams.

Fifth. From the circuitous route of the naviga Sixth. From the number of locks which would be required at irregular distances and in ineligible si

Second. From the precipitous, marshy, or cavernous banks of the streams, preventing the cons.ruction. tion and continuance of towing paths, thereby rendering the labor of men necessary for propelling boats instead of the draft of horses.

tuations.

Seventh. And, above all, from the almost insuThird. From the dams across the streams occasioning back water on the adjacent ground, destroy-perable difficulty of procuring a sufficient supply ing the finer species of grass, and generating a miasma, affecting the health of the infrabitants of the country.

of water at the crown level to answer the demand at the locks, for the passage of every boat to or from the summit, and from thence to the tide water.

Another route proposed was to make a cut from or branch of Rockyhill, but of different formation, Lamberton to the Assanpink creek, and to proceed extends from hence northerly, for several miles, on on the bed of the Assanpink to the mouth of Sto- the right of the Millstone, forming its second bank, ny-brook, as in the first-mentioned route; from and contains sand-stone and wack, also of consithence up the Millstone to Devil's brook, up Devil's derable elevation. From this view it is apparent, brook to the head thereof, from thence across to that we cannot proceed to the northward of the Lawrence's brook, and to proceed on the bed of termination of Rockyhill, and that the ground near Lawrences's brook to the tide water of the Raritan. this termination is lower than the ground to the A third route proposed was to ascend Crosswicks southward of it, towards the sources of the Millcreek to Doctor's creek, up Doctor's creek to the stone and South rivers, and the Assanpink and vicinity of Allentown, and from thence, crossing Crosswicks creeks.

the Millstone and other intervening streams, to It is also to be noticed, that Stonybrook, from the Menolopen, then down the Menolopen to South its confluence with the Millstone to the vicinity of river, and down South river to the tide water of the great meadows of Lawrence, and the Shippethe Raritan. A fourth route proposed was to pro- taukin, from its confluence with the Assanpink to ceed from the Assanpink, near Wright's mill, to the the same great meadows, are sluggish streams, Menolopen near Mount's mill, or Spotswood. A with very little perceptible fall; and that in the fifth from Crosswicks creek to the head of Law. time of freshes, part of the water of Stonybrook is rence's brook, and a sixth from the head of Law discharged through the great meadows, by the rence's brook to Wright's mill, on the Assanpink. Shippetaukin, into the Assanpink, from which it is It has also been proposed to dig canals in the inferred, that those meadows are lower than the valleys of the above-mentioned streams on the fore- Millstone and Assanpink above Scudder's and John going routes, in the manner specified in the second Mount's mills. proposition.

It will likewise be recollected, that a single foot It is obvious that many of the objections to the of additional height of the summit level of a canal, plans already examined, apply also to these; and gives two feet additional ascent and descent of that there are others still more forcible from the boats, increases the expence of constructing the elevation of the ground, and the scanty supply of locks, produces greater delay, and requires more water; but in order to appreciate their relative labor for the transit, is attended with a greater merits, it is necessary to take a general view of the consumption of water, and occasions a smaller supdistrict of country through which it is proposed to ply, by placing the canal above the level of some effect an inland navigation. streams, and nearer the sources of others.

In the county of Monmouth, there is a ridge of From the foregoing objections to the old plan of highland, which, like the chief part of the district, using the beds of the streams with connecting cuts is of alluvial formation. This ridge divides the and locks, and to the more recent mode of pursuing waters of the streams running immediately into the valleys of the streams with canals adjacent to the ocean, from the waters of the streams running their banks, and from a general view of the face of into the Delaware and the Raritan: the highest the country, it was proposed, as the plan of the De part is near Perine's and the Burnt taverns, in the laware and Raritan canal, that the lowest part of township of Upper Freehold. the ground, dividing the highest streams which Within a circle of not more than five miles diame- would be intersected between the Delaware and the ter, are the heads of Tom's river and Metetecunk, Raritan, should be ascertained, and assumed as the flowing into the ocean, of Crosswicks creek and As point of passage of the canal, which would be the sanpink creek, flowing into the Delaware, and of highest part of the ground that it would be necesthe Millstone and South river, flowing into the Rari- sary to pass between the two rivers; that a level tan. Although no actual measurement has been should be pursued from this place, and on this made, it may be safely asserted, that this spot is three elevation, towards the Delaware and towards the hundred feet above the tide waters of the Delaware Raritan, terminating on a high bank on the tide and Raritan; from hence the country gradually de- water of each of the rivers, and that locks should scends in a northerly direction to the mouth of the be constructed at such banks for the ascent and Millstone, a distance of thirty miles, and where the descent of boats, to and from the canal and the tide waters of the Raritan are not more than thirteen waters. feet above the tide water.

It appeared reasonable, that if this level could be

It is manifest, therefore, that the further we pro- pursued without meeting with hills or hollows, ceed from this circle in a northerly direction, and which could not be passed with moderate digging the nearer we approach the mouth of the Millstone, or embanking, and if banks could be found at conthe less will be our elevation above the tide water; venient places on the tide waters of the Delaware but in our progress northerly, keeping in view the and the Raritan, of the same elevation, or which descended country between the Delaware and the might be made so, by moderate digging or emRaritan, we are stopped by Rockyhill and the Sand- banking, that great advantages would result from hills; the former,a part of the granite ridge, first ap- the adoption of this plan.

pears in the south-easterly part of Humerdon coun- First. The canal crossing the country on the ty, passes through the westerly part of Somerset surface of the ground, as much water as may be county, permits the Millstone to pass in a northerly frequisite of all the streams intersecting it, may be direction through a narrow gap between Kingston turned into it by dams and feeders, constructed in and Rocky-hill Proper, and terminates in Middle- and from those streams, at short distances above sex county, near Dean's saw-mill, on Lawrence's the canal, and the quantity of water supplied will brook, where it gives place to sand-stone and wack, be regulated by the gates of the feeders, the rewhich continue to New-Brunswick. The Sandhills mainder of the water will fall over the dams, and are a detached mass of sand, of greater elevation pursue the old channels through arches or culverts than the terminating part of Rockyhill, and are si under the canal. tuated about one mile to the northward of Dean's Second. It will not be necessary to conduct a saw-mill. The sides of the gap of Rockyhill are feeder to the spot assumed as the crown level, as of considerable elevation, with little soil. A spur the whole canal will be of the same elevation, but