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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. ita iure. : 2X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 DE :> R E P O R T ON «. WMM j^Mjm^mmt mn'^^m. AND PROPOSED I DEVIATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS OF THE wisasA»sr2& €^3sr^a, By WLcssvH. BAIR9> ^. KILI.ALY, CIVIL ENGINEERS, &c. &c. «T. CATIIAHINES — II. LEAVENWORTVI,' IRINTEB. 1838. ' '(' 4 < ill > ! if h ■ ; >_ 1 i. c^-^^7 ^ 1942 g>t ENGINEERS' REPORT. TO THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTORS OF THE WELLAND CANAL COMPANY. Gentlemen : Having agreed, in accordance v/it'h your application, conveyed to us by your Secre- fj^^^^TeS. tary's letter of 2nd June ultimo, to act in conjunction, upon an inspection and exami- nation of the Welland canal, for the purpo- ses provided for in the act of last session, relating to that work, we lost no time, con- sistent with our other engagements, in ma- king a commencement thereof. Aware of the magnitude of the work to which our at- tention w&c directed, its great importance to the provinces generally, the sums of money already expended on it, the probable extent of the expenditure still required, and the large portion of public attention given to it, we approach the subject with a due feeling of the great responsibility thereby incurred. The tenor of your verbal instructions to •^ . . , 1 11 Instructions of us, in our interview with your honorable the Commis- Board, at St. Catharines, 15th June last, as i""^^^^?^;*^* well as those conveyed to us in your letter I Engineers re- quire to know from the Com- missioners, the scale of canal by which they are to be go- verned. The Commis- sioners iifiopt locks of 110 feet in length by 24 feet in width. engineers' report. of the same date, bcitio; "/o examine info the state of the WeUand Canal its present route, and to report fully upon the propriety or ne- cessiti/, as regards the puhlic interest only, of altering the present ronte, or any part tliereof and the expense of making the same a pf, rr.a- nent work, either in the present or any oihe, route which we might recommend,^' we pro- ceeded to the necessary inspections of the present works— of the adjoiniiiii; country — of the various proposed terminations, Sic. the result of which we shall now have the honor to submit for your consideration. At the outset, we were soon convin. -1 of the necessity of coming to an understanding with your Board, as to' the general scale up- on which this work should be constructed— the decision upon this important point de- pending, as we conceive, more properly up- on commercial and statistic information and principles, than upon civil Engineering. In reply to a letter of ours, upon this subject, dated 27th June, 1837, we received an an- swer from your Secretary, stating that ''he tvas directed to inform ns, that the scale of Locks for the Welland Canal adopted by t/ie Board, is 110 feet in length, and 24 feet in width:' By this scale we have accordingly been governed, in the deviations and improve- ments proposed, shewn on the plans by red tinting, and hereinafter particularly described. Engineeis pro- ceed with a ge- neral and com- parative exami- nation of all the routes previous- ly proposed. The scale being fixed on, the next impor- tant point to which our attention was natu- rally directed, was a general and compara- tive examination of the merits and demerits of the several lines, which have been, from mme into the resent route, 'til or ne- KNC INKERS REPORT. ft rest onljf, of part thereof, line a pf, rr.a- or any oihei ff,^^ we ]) re- gions of the ff count rv — nations, kv. >w have the leration. Ronvin* '\ of nderstanding ral scale iip- oiistructed — mt point de- propeily up- Drmation and ineering. In this subject, eived an an- ing that "/*e the scale of d op ted by the 'id 24 feet in ) accordingly and improve- })lans by red ily described. [3 next impor- ion was natu- Lind compara- and demerits fe been, from t'lne to time, proposed by various parties, each having its respective advocates •, and then, a selection from them, of that one which miijht aj)pear to us as most eligible for the |)ubiic interest. The principal of these are — ist. That from Chippawa river, by the The routes de- * " Herviiig ot con- talls, to Q,''.een.ii01). Bideration. 2nd. T!iat from the Niagara harbor, to fall in with the present line, at or near Thorold. 3rd.' The present course throughout. 4th. Ihe general course of the present line, with occasional departures therefrom. To each of the foregoing, we have devoted considerable and unbiassed attention, and shall proceed, as concisely as possible, to explain the grounds upon which we have been governed, in our ultimate decision. The "Chippawa Line" was proposed to start from the Chippawa river, a little above TheChippawa the village of Chippaw^a— thence, keepmg west of the line of railway, and nearly paral- lel thereto, until near Magarry's tavern, where it crossed it and the main road at nearly right angles, descending the abrupt break of land and turning northerly, in Mr. Street's mea- dow, it became necessary that it should be carried along and midway up the face of the cliffs between the river and the late Pavilion hotel, and a little below Captain Creighton's cottage— when, crossing the road leading to ill I Not feabible. The Niagara line. ENGlNEEIts' REPORT. i the Clifton House, it shortly fell into the line of the Military reserve, along the brow of the precipice, which it followed nearly to the Whirlpool. The carefal examination and levelling of this line, thus far, presented so many natural difficuhles that, independent of any other consideration, we deemed it waste of time to pursue it farther. Those difficul- ties are— first, the uniform increase of cut- ting, from 13 feet at leaving the river at Chip- pawa, to upwards of 60 feet at the crossing of the high road at Magarry's tavern— thence to Captain Creighton's cottage, the line pro- posed creates the necessity of either, as it were, suspending the canal midway from the chff, or of incurring an embankment on one side, of from 30 to 40 feet, under bottom of canal ! From thence to its junction with the Mihtary reserve, no difticuhy presents itself-, but from this point to the Whirlpool, the line is necessarily close along the brow of the precipice, and for the entire of this distance, an uninterrupted cutting through solid rock, of from 20 to 40 feet, would be required. We were, therefore, induced to consider the farther exploring of this line as fruitless. Following the order already laid down, the next route proposed, which claimed our at- tention, is that from the mouth of the Nia- gara river, to fall in with the existing line at or near Thorold. Of the various departures heretofore proposed from the course of the present canal, none appeared to us at all so deserving of serious consideration, as this. That there exists no peculiar obstructions to the execution of such a line, we are fully prepareid to admit-, and from our own gene- ral bor its out jecl altl the in I I per Pol 12 Th cul to bei or by am ga: sui CO i to pa qu cu de HO be th tic vi; cr cu into the line the brow of n^'arly to the iiinntion and presented so dependent of 'med it waste 'hose ditlicul- rease of cut- river at Chip- the crossing vern — thence , the line pro- f either, as it Iway from the iment on one ier bottom of ction with the resents itself, Ipool, the line 5 brow of the ' this distance, j igh solid rock, j be required, o consider the IS fruitless. laid down, the laimed our at- ith of the Nia- Bxisting line at ous departures ; course of the to us at all so ration, as this, obstructions to J, we are fully our own gene- ENGINEERS' REPORT. ral inspection of the country, and our corro- borating check levels, we are of opinion, that its course was judiciously selected and laid out by Mr. Roy — whose report on the sub- ject, we consider a sound practical document*, although we are not prepared to admit, to their full extent, some of the principles there- in laid down. Theeeleciionof the Port Dal- housie route, or that from Nia- gara river, to be governed by the merits and ca- pabilities of the respective har- bors. Having, from actual levels, ascertained the perfect practicability of an internal line from. Port Dalhousie, (apart from the vale of the 12 mile creek,) to the present canal neaT* Thorold ', and as this route exhibits no diffi- culties whatever, more than Mr. Roy's lin^-^ to the same point, and has the advantage of being 5l miles shorter, the selection of one or other must, of course, be chiefly governed by a consideration of the respective merits and facilities afforded by the harbor at Nia- gara, and by that at Port Dalhousie. To this part of the subject, we beg to as- sure you, we have given our most serious consideration — we have brought our minds to bear upon the question with perfect im- partiality : we have taken every pains to ac- quire an intimate knowledge of all the parti- culars connected with it, and have been gui- ded in the preference we give to Port Dal- Preference gi- HousiE, by its appearing to us as capable of 0^"^^°^'^. being made to afford, in the greatest degree, the indispensable requisites for the termina- tion of such a navigation upon lake Ontario, viz : a facility of ingress and egress to the craft frequenting the canal, under any cir- cumstances of weather, and of perfectly safe lying when in port. -^t Disa('vantag<'8 of Niagara har- bor. Cannot be re- moved. National impoli- o" of adopting for the canal, a termination wholly under the control of the Americans. engineers' KEPOnT. The (lisnilvmitnges of Niagara liarb()r lie in tho entrance thereto, and are- -that in calm or lij^ht winds, (especially f"ota the Soeth, i which Irequently prevail,) it is found that sailing vessels cannot niake the harbor, ow- in"- to the stronp; current which sets down, an^d are obliged to resort to the aid of steam- ers, or be under the necessity r>f waitinc? for a ^hift of wind. This serious inconvenience is experienced when the wind blows from any point from S. E. to S.W. Again, in gales blowins; from N. E. or N., or any intermedi- ate point, great difficulty is felt in clearmg out to thr lake, owing to the very circumscri- bed nature of th^ fair channel— so much so, that we have known, from our own observa- tion, instances of vessels, (even steamers,) having to put back: and on the other hand, the same winds meeting the current, create so great a swell and cross sea upon the bar, as to render vessels unmanageable-, and it has frequently occurred, that vessels bound for Niagara, have been obliged to put about, and run for Toronto or Presque Isle. The existence of these disadvantages, corrobora- ted, as it is, by your own observation, and the' information of intelligent and disinter- ested seamen, and depending upon natural causes which cannot be removed, leads us to recommend, without hesitation, that Port Dalhousie be adopted, as the most suitable place for the construciion of a good, commo- dious and extensive harbor. At this stage ' of our Report, we wish particularly to record our decided objection to the selecting of a harbor so perfectly under the control of our neighbours, as Niagara harbor undoubtedly is for the termination of tLe Welland canal. ENOIXKERS nEPOTlT. 9 'a Vifjrbor lit* -that ill (Mini n the Sortli, s found tliat 3 harbor, ow- h sets down, uid of steam- >f waitinc^ for nconvenience ows from any ;ain, in p;ales ay intcrmedi- It in clearing y circiiniscri- — so much so, own observa- m steamers,) e other hand, urrent, create upon the bar, eable •, and it essels bound to put about, lie Isle. The 2S, corrobora- scrvation, and and disinter- upo?i natural I, leads us to )n, that Port most suitable good, commo- At this stage larly to record selecting of a control of our ' undoubtedly \^elland canal. The third lino ref(*rrcd to, (see page No. 5,) we do not follow, for reasons which will ^^^'j^^nrp"^;;;*^^^^ appear in the course of our observations up- adopt: a. on the fourth, or modified . •, which is the one Ave adopt, and whicii is particularly de- lineated on the maps. Assuming Port Dalhousio as the northern termination of the ♦"anal, the deficiencies ex- [„ Pf^"Vl!aou. isting in it are — the scantiness of water on sie. the bar, and the want of shelter against winds blowing from any direction between N. W. and N. E., both inclusive. Upon the plpns whicli accompany this Report, we have mark- ed, in a distinct manner, the piers and other works which we recommend as suited to ob- viate fully these defects •, and we are of opi- nion, that, if properly carried into execution, Port Dalhousie harbor would be second to none upon the lake. By a reference to the plans, the Board will perceive, that we pro- pose to place the first locii. more to the soutii- ward than the existing one — to extend twoy°fk^p.opo9ed , , . . c^ , . I to remove the piers in the directions shown, to the other defects in Port extremity of the bar, leaving an entrance be- dalhousie. tween them of 350 feet ^vide ; the entire of which, as well as of the channel to the inner harbor, is to be cleared out to the depth of 14 feet below low water. The inner harbor to be dredged to the depth of 12 feet. These works, with the construction of the intended light-house upon the outer pip" and of the leading light on the position mc.Ked, would enable vessels to make in or out, at any time, and with any wind. We propose to combine at this, our first lock, the two falls of the pre- f;;„enocL sent locks Nc.'s 1 and 2 — thereby we obtain an immense extent of lying ground, for ves- fn.aer harbor. 1 ' • s T ■ -a 10 engineers' report. Immense power ggls B Considerable shortening and straight- ke^rthTctn:^ ening of the navigation course, and a power nei open, by the ^f discharging such a quantity ot water, (a- tSmniiolbove 7,000:000 yards,) directly through our of cubic yani'i ^^^^ chanucl, 38 wiU, WO are convinced, pre- "' '"'" vent it, at all times, from being silted up. The line direct from Port Dalhousie to near Present line foi-Thorold, alluded to when treating upon the lowed to head of ^. j-^^^ j^ marked upon the general map! by a dotted line •, but from considera- tions founded on the score of expense, as well as the facilities presented by this part of the valley of the 12 mile creek, for the adoption of the improved system of combi- ned lockage, we have preferred following the present course of canal, to above the 11th lock. In this distance, it is sufficient for our present purpose to state, generally., that m sundry places we have much shortetied and improved the line of navigation, got rid of many existing defects, made ample provisic.n for the discharge of waste water, and modi- fied the lifts of the locks so as to effect con- siderable saving in the execution, and parti- cularly of the after maintenance of the works. From the head of the nth lock to Thorold, From nth lock the Board will perceive, on referring to the to Thorold, a ^^^ deviation from the present line is deviation recom-"»mical, affords 7 locating the i^ell combined the dangerous upon the shel- ENOINEERS REPORT. n The lifts of the four locks at Thorold, in- cluding, also, the raising of the level thence Thorold lock. to Allanburgh, we propose to surmount by two double locks. The reason for raising ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^ ^ the water of this level, is to afford greater ^ thl^uue'deep facility in navisjatnig tlirough ''the little deep ;;ut" to be raised cut,'' the traction through it, at present, be- ing very heavy— the necessary raising and Reasons, strengthening of the embankments will be effected at much less expense than the taking out of the bottom, which is rock. The lifts of the two locks at Allanburgh, ^„^^j^^^ ,^ we combine into one, adding two feet six lock" ""^^^ inches for an additional height of water in- -n^g ^^^^e^ to tended to be put upon this level, which rea- be raised 2 ft. ckos to the termination of the canal at Port ti";/Jr-tSe Colborne — the several embankments, of Deep Cut." course, will require strengthening. We have heretofore studiously abstained from making any re^narks up^n several de- fects in the original layi.^g out and execution of ihese works, which presented themselves to us in the course of our surveys , but here we cannot forbear from expressing our regret that, from want of skill and experience in the construction of this part of the canal, as we conceive, more than from the supposed im- practicability, the original bold idea of car- rying the waters of lake Erie into lake On- tario, had to be abandoned. We must, how- ever, in this case, also, be governed by a principle which has guided us throughout, namely : to avail ourselves, as much as pos- sible, of the outlay already incurred, and to make the most of the works as we now find them. The instructions of the Board to us, Engineers re- gret the aban- doning of the bold idea of car- rying the water of lake Erie through to lake Ontario. Originally rracticable. Engineers go- verned by the principle of ma- king the most of the outlay incurred. 1^^ 12 And interrupt- iiig the naviga- tion as little as possible. Carrying the waters of lake Erie thro' "the Deep Cut," now impractica- ble, owing to its mismanage- ment. Port Colborne. Can be made an excellent harbor for schooners. Engineers gui- ded in the adop- tion of this ter- mination in lake Erie, by the small outlay re- quired, and the scale decided on Otherwise would prefer following the Chippawa and feeder in part, and entering the Grand river by Broad creek. Grand river har- bor the finest on the lake, for ves- 8. Is of every class. Additional cost of this route, £50,000. engineers' report. verbally, ''to interrupt the navigation as little as possif)le;' and the improper manner in which the immense excavation of the Deep Cut was disposed of, on the very edge of the canal, add so much to the difficulty of now attempt- ing any serious deepening through it, we are forced to adopt the expedient of raising the water upon the level, strengthening the banks, and widening and improving the feeder, as hereinafter described. Port Colborne, although in its present state much exposed, possesses great capability of beino- made an excellent harbor for schooners. This" fact, coupled with the comparatively small additional outlay required upon the ca- nal back to the aqueduct, points it out, un- der existing circumstances, as the termination to be selected on lake Erie, for the Welland canal, supposing it constructed upon the scale adopted by the Board. The works proposed by us, for the perfecting of this har- bor, are so clearly shown upon the map, that they will at once be understood by the Board, upon a reference thereto. Had we not been necessarily governed by the principle alluded to, we should have pre- ferred, even for a schooner navigation, lock- ing down into the Chippawa at the aqueduct, following the reach of that river as far as the creek entering it from Marsh ville mill, b} which we would ascend to the feeder, pursue it to the bend, thence to the Broad ci^ek, and by it descend into the Grand river. 1 his route would terminate in a harbor admitted to be the finest on the lake, for vessels of any class •, but would cause an addiiion lo mc estimate, of about £50,000. I engineers' report. 1 o ation us little nner in which )eep Cut was of the canal, now attempt- igh it, wc are ^f raising the ing the banks, he feeder, as present state capability of for schooners, comparatively 1 upon the ca- its it out, un- le termination r the Welland ed upon the The works ing of thishar- the map, that i by the J3oard, y governed by ould have pre- vigation, lock- the aqueduct, 3r as far as the hville mill, b} feeder, pursue ) Broad creek, nd river. This irbor admitted • vessels of any iddition to the In order to be enabled to add two feet six inches to the height of water upon the Deep Cut level, it will be necessary to expend To raise the about £10,800 upon the feeder— widening it ^^^^^'^c'^rfevei, and deepening it in sundry places, raising the sundry im- banks thereof, removing the old bridges and SreToTtir stop-gates, and substituting new bridges and feeder. a guard-lock in lieu thereof, forming a catch water pier, and removing the projecting an- gle of ground at the junction of the feeder with the river, constructing regulating weirs to prevent the indraught to the mills at Dunn- ville from operating injuriously, as they now do, upon the flow of water down the feeder. These improvements, properly carried into effect, will vastly increase the command of water, and the requisite power of control over it. As connected with this subject, we beg leave here to remark, that by the deviation objection as to ' »' . , (he passing ot we have adopted at "the mountam, the flood and mill strong and well-founded objections c'lgainst ^^^^^^^ ^J^y^iJeJ^ the occasional passing of floods, and the con- ;Stant flow of water through the canal, for milling purposes, is obviated wholly in that part of the canal where Us injurious effects are seriously felt \ as upon the completion of this deviation, the present course of the ca- nal, from the 31st to the 11th lock, becomes exclusively the channel for the distharge of the surplus water. Having, in the foregoing, w^ith sufficient detail, described the proposed alterations in the line, and the several works requisite to render this canal a permanent navigation, upon the scale adopted by the Board, at a 1l 14 Cost of line from Port Dalhousie toPortColborne Total expense. Doubts as to the scale adopted being suited to the prospective wants of the country. Scale_not suffi- cient, in a com- mercial point of view. % ENGINEERS* REPORT. cost of £287,147 Us. 3J.* exciusisre of itie junction lock and graving dock, at Dunnville, (estimated at £13,156 lis.)— in all, £300,.304 25. 3flf. — we cannot, with all due submission to the Board's instructions, dismiss the sub- ject without expressing our fears, that this scale will not be found sufficient for the pros- pective wants of the country. We view the matter in a two fold light : first, as regards the great revenue produced bv the vast tide of immigration constantly flowing west •, this, it is well ascertained, is monopolized by the Erie canal, chielly in consequence of the difficulties and hardships hitherto unavoidably experienced, from Mon- treal iipwards— the causes of which, howe- ver, being now in progress of removal, so far as the lower end of lake Ontario, the obstruc- tion to the uninterrupted transport of emi- grants or merchandise, ivithoiit transhipment, will rest at the head of that lake. This be- ing the case, and having estimated the cost of constructing the Welland canal upon a scale suited to steamers capable of naviga- ting the lakes, (say the- locks to be 45 feet wide by 180 feet long,) we find, that by an increased expenditure of £250,000, an addi- tional internal navigation of about 1,200 miles, would be thrown open to the steamers on lake Ontario. The second point of view we look at this scaienotsuffici- question in, is as relates to the greatly in- entinamiutary^j,^g^gj advantages whicli would be posses- pomtof view. ^^^ ^^ ^^.^ proviuce, iu case of war, was the ~^f this sum, £63,452 48. 8rf. will bo required tor the construction of Ports Dalhousie and Colborne. Wei men our ces ceni the (SIG An additional outlay of £250- 000 would open 1,200 miles of .f\ internal naviga- If tion to the :v steamers of lake i Ontario. T ;iusive of trie at Dunnville, all, £300,304 le submission miss the sub- lars, that this t for the pros- 70 fold light : nue produced on constantly scertained, is lal, chielly in and hardships ed, from Mon- which, howe- emoval, so far o, the obstiuc- isport of emi- f transhipment, ike. This be- lated the cost canal upon a ble of naviga- to be 45 feet nd, that by an [),000, an addi- ' about 1,200 ,0 the steamers engineers' report. Welland canal constructed of sufficient di- mensions to allow of the concentration of our armaments on either lake, as circumstan- ces might require — an advantage which re cent events tend, in our minds, to enhan the value of. We have the honor to be, I Gentlemen, With much respect. Your most obedient servants, (SIGNED,) _ .V ^. .. N. H. BAIRD, I Civil U, U. KILLALY, I Engineers. Toronto, February 23rd, 1838. 15 p 4h ve look at this the greatly in- uM be posses- 3f war, was the :onstruction of Ports