Chap. VII.
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the north bank of the Mohawk , and by the upper aqueduct again crosses it, and is carriedalong the southern bank to Utica , distant from Albany 108 miles; still winding along thesouthern bank of the Mohawk , another 160 miles, it arrives at Rochester , where by meansof an aqueduct it crosses the Genesee. This aqueduct, formed of eleven arches of hewnstone is 804 feet in length.
The canal after leaving Rochester runs in a westerly direction towards Lockport, a dis-tance of 63 miles, where it ascends the mountain ridge by five double combined locks,each rising 12 feet 6 inches; at Pendleton, which is nine miles farther, it enters Tonne-wanda Creek, and twelve miles beyond, this magnificent canal terminates at Buffalo .
The breadth at top is 40 feet, at bottom 28 feet, and its depth 4 feet. On the main lineare eighty-four locks, 90 feet in length, and 15 feet in width ; the total lockage being 688feet. There are eight feeders, eighteen aqueducts. From Buffalo to Rochester the fall is4 feet; then a rise of 630 feet, and again a fall of 62 feet; the total rise and fall being692 feet.
One of the aqueducts which crosses the Mohawk is 1188 feet in length, and the greatembankment between Palmyra and Pittsford, about 245 miles from Albany , is 72 feet inheight.
Albany , in the state of New York , is situated on the right bank of the Hudson; and inorder to improve the navigation above the town, a dam 1100 feet in length, and 9 feet inheight, has been erected across the river; the lock united with it is in length 115 feet, andin breadth SO feet. Albany is the great depot , and the vessels which navigate the canalare received in a large basin, the area of which is about thirty-two acres. This basin isformed by a mound of earth, 4300 feet in length, and 80 feet in breadth at the base, thrownup in a line with the Hudson, for the purpose of shutting in a part of its waters. Thelower end of the bank is unconnected with the shore, a passage being left for the vessels topass; and the upper end is usually closed, in order to prevent the floating ice from enteringand injuring the vessels within ; but there are means for allowing the passage of the waterat the upper end which acts as a cleanser, by driving the mud before it. On the top of theearthen embankment are erected the warehouses, and around it is constructed a timberwharf for the vessels to load and discharge their freights. Great improvements have re-cently been made on the canal,'which was commenced in the year 1817 : it has been in manyparts increased in width, and deepened. A new aqueduct has been erected over theGenesee river at Rochester , which is 858 feet in length, and 28 feet in height from the baseof the piers to the top of the parapets. It has seven arches 52 feet span, and the six piersand two abutments on each are 10 feet in thickness.
The width at the base is 75 feet 6 inches, and at the coping 67 feet 8 inches. The clearwidth of the water-way is 45 feet, which allows for a double boatway.
The old locks, which were of timber, have been replaced by those of stone : the cuttingthrough the rock at Lockport extends 2^ miles, for a width of 62 feet, with vertical sides.
From the Erie canal branches off the Champlain, the Chenango, the Black River, theOswego , the Cayuga and Seneca, the Crooked Lake, the Chemung, and the GeneseeValley.
The Champlain Canal commences 9 miles from Albany , and is 11 miles in length,besides a river navigation of 76 miles ; the width at top is 40 feet, at bottom 28 feet, andthe depth 4 feet. There are 21 locks, each 90 feet in length, and 14 feet in width ;the total rise is 134 feet, the fall 54 feet, the lockage being 188 feet.
Chenango Canal is in length 97 miles, its rise from Utica is 706 feet, its fall 303 feet.The total lockage is 1009 feet ; there are 116 lifts, and one guard lock ; five are of stone,and the others of stone faced with timber. There are 19 aqueducts, 52 culverts, 21 wasteweirs, 56 road and 106 occupation bridges, 53 feeder aqueducts, 12 dams, and 7 re-servoirs.
The Black River Canal is a succession of slack water pools and canals, and the totallength of its navigation is 85 miles ; the ascent and descent from Rome to Carthage is1078 feet.
The Oswego Canal is of a similar kind, and its length is 38 miles : there are 14 locksconstructed of stone, and 6 guard locks, which are in length 90 feet, and breadth 17 feet;the total descent is 123 feet.
The Cayuga and Seneca Canal is 23 miles in length, and has eleven locks, descending73 feet.
The Crooked Lane Canal is 7^ miles in length, and has twenty-seven lift and one guardlock, built of timbers; the total lockage being 269 feet.
The Chemung Canal is in length 23 miles, and has one guard lock and 52 lift locks oftimber, which accomplish an ascent and descent of 516 feet; there are 76 bridges,5 culverts, and 3 aqueducts.
The Genesee Valley Canal, for the first 36 miles after leaving Rochester , passes through arich low country, and then rises 95 feet by means of 10 locks. On leaving Mount Norris,it passes through a natural and precipitous rocky defile, upwards of 400 feet in depth ;
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