mmm. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I i.25 1^ If m m 112., 2.2 2.0 1.8 -Ul IIIIIM Photpgraphic OUtillLfcJt) Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 iV iV %N L1>' V ^\-^^ ^ ">, 6^ rv^ <> I ( CIHM/ICMH Microfiche CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques ^ '<* Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes tachniqiiqs et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. n n D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur Covers damaged/ Couverture endommagia Covers restored anrl/or laminated/ Couverture restaur^e et/ou pellicist ill till' tiiiarj;<:iiuiiit id' a oliaiiiiiUvay, tliu construct ion of u new lock, tile cipMvoi'sion of the old link into a su|i|ilywi,Mi-, and the buildin" of a uuidi'-jiier at the nii|Mi- nitianee ol' the eanal. I lie full 1 xtiiit of the seetion, now under contiuet, is 21*50 feet in leii^tii, and tile total eost is estimate 1 at ab iiit a i|uarter of nuUiou of dollars. To nive in detail an aecount of tile different elasse.s of work woulil prove soniewliat voliiniinoiis. and the seope of the present iiaiii-r will, therefore, b.' coiitiiieil to a deseriplion of the eonstrnetion of tlie new i;iiard-loi-k. The looatioii of this stnntuie is ininiedialely north of tlm old loek, tiie len;;lli of its walls is liti;! f ■et, the distam >■ between j^ate (|Uoins is 27(1 ti'ct. the width beiween side walls is 45 leet. and llie'r tiiieklies.seH at the base are. in the elianiber 8 feet il ineiies, in the recesses 10 feet recess buttresses l.'i feet iiiehes, and the counterforts are ;{ feet in width by li feet in ien^tli. The height of walls is 2:5 feet, and tliu level of the mitre sills is S feet below thine of the old lock. The excavation of a lock-pit fias met with some unforseen difficul- ties, causing delay and necesBitatinj; operations of varyinj^t liaracter. For a depth of 7 feet, the niiitcrial bein;4 of ordinary formation, |iloiij;hs and scrapers were used ; but in e.xcavatini; lower down, picks and >hovels were resorted to, uud the progress of the work was thereby materially inip.ilid. Helow the above mentioned depth, the material met with ciisislcd of clay, jiravcl and boulders firmly cementei. toLiclher, and an occasional puckct of i|uicksatid of no greater extent than a few cubic yards. Tlie niutcri il when exposed to the wash of water would loosen, so that portions of it could be pumpctl out; but immediately after it became dry, it would assume the form of a rubber clay which, when exposed to tlie sun. would become as hard as e\er. I')x[ieriinciits were made by blasting it with dynumite, and jirovcd nnsuccesslul exce])t in winter, when parts of it were frozen hard. Tlie reipiirc.i .hptli of 25 feet Imviug nearly been attained, pump lioleswere duL at each end. Two pumps were erected for tiie purpose of kee]iing the lock-pit dry. When the full width towards the south side was reached, fissures aud leaks were discovered, proceeding from the tbiindation and chain wells of the old luck, which lay south within a berme of Iti feet on top. The leaks iiro'cd of sufficient magnitude to endanger the north wall of the (Id lock Hid a change in the method of working iiad to be made. It was 1(11111(1 necessary to extend the hick pit 10 feet further north, and a dam was cre('ted throughout the whole cxteat, tc protect the south bank of tfio pit. Ill order to tiirm the dam. piles 2ti fijet long and 12 inches diameter, with cast iron shoes weighing 27 pounds, were driven every 4 feet at tlie foot 111' the Miiith slope. A special pile driver was constructed tiir that purpose, with a hammer weighing 18(10 lbs. The pile driviiiii extended iniT a moiitli. An average nnmlicr of about six piles per day were driven, iind tiie luimlier of blows given to each pile often ow averaged froin SO to i((5. With a fall of 15 to 20 feet, tlie first ))li ve the ]iilc (i inidics to 1 limt. and at tlie last blow A an inch. Tl round timber w raced together, throughout their wliole extent, by aliiig jiicces, firmly lioltcd at the crossinii of each pile. The piles were driven to a depth of alwut 12 feet, the remaining 14 feet standing above tiie i in depth at the base, and decreasing up- wards according to the batter ol' the ehanib.r wall which was 1 in 24. The ehaiu-well sills averaging 7 ft. in length were cut on an inclina- tion, suitable U> tln' angle rei|uircd to admit of the play of the chains for the h)ck-gat*'S. Ill buildini; the lock walls, the four hollow or gate tjuoins were lirst located, and in each a eheek 2 feet long, lit ins. x 1!» ins., was cut to receive the ends id' the njilre sills. The recess :|Uoius chain-well sills and stop log grooves were then located. At each end of the k)ck chamber walls, two .stop log grooves ] ft. wide, l.H ins. dcej) at the base, were cut inlo the face and carried up pluud> making them at the top 4 ins. deeji. Both stop log uruoves were .'5 ft. ajiurt. All the prineiiial liiee stones iniving been local jd, the backing wa.s laid, allowinu anei|nal proportion to be built oti either side each day. In rear of the walls, at every 12 feet, counterforts tj ft. long and 3 ft. wide were built through"Ut the chamber up to i height of 18 ft. Th.' recess abutnvjnts were 50 ft. long ai d G ft. from each end, a ehainw.U of cut faosltiiin of the chamber, recess walls and counterforts being .secured, wing walls on the north side and at upper end of the south .side 18 ft. long and cut to radius of 45 feet were then locato'd in their place. The lower end (d'the south wall ii)ruiing almost a semicircle (d'a radius of 17 ft. 1 lA ins. at the base, was completed at a later date on an ex- tended foundation similar to that of lock chaudjer. The lock walls comprised 18 courses, varying from 29 ins. to 15 ins., diminishing upwards. Ivuli course was successively built, and from the licightof ISft., a frost batter at the rear was formed up to the top of the coping, except around the chainwells, which were carried up plumb to the coping. All quoins were laid alternately h-iadersand stretchers, headers being checked so as to bond one foot over the face stones of the recess. Tbrounhout the walls, no face stone less than 3 feet was allowed, each stone in every course Jjonding more than 1 foot over the subjacent stone and headers being placed 11 feet ajiart from centre to centre. .^11 T.^rt'.c.il and liori/int i! joints we.v ,'„ in. thick. The eopini;: of the ehainwells were cut ,semi-cireular to a C ft. radius, and the man holes circular, 2 ius. in diameter. The reinaiiiini; portion of the coping was 4 ft. wide on top, ita iuner arris, next tho lock, being rounonry was al>o built to make eoniieetiou WJtli that of the old lock. Its foundation was similar to that of the retaining walls. It was biii:i in two portions, the lornier, l(i ft. long, stepping up li feet above the Inek lijuiidation, and the latter portion, 4'J feet long, .stepping up 2 ft., being on the same level of tlie old lock walls. For tlie erection of tlie latter, a pile dam had pieviou-^ly been built. At the iii'per end of tli.' South- West wing of new loek, a s;|uare luce return wall wa-< carried up plumb to the .same height as lock walls. Its thickness -It the base i.'' 9 It., and it has a frost batler similar to the adjoinin'.' walls. Its length is :',\t feet. To enMire tin- ereelion of this wall, a pile dam had also been budt Kroui the end of thai uppT leturii wall will eoniniene. the abutment of the piopii-ed supply weir. 'I'he i-onstiuetii)ii of the supply-weir, as well as that of the loek-iiates and cro.^s dams, will foini a subjeet which it is iirdpnvcil to doer, In at .>:0Uie future date.