| 716 Documents
tial that the Canal at the Great Fall, and that at the Little Falls, if the
Navigation should be effected by Canals and Locks shall be made to con-
tain four Feet depth of Water in Drv Seasons when a sufficient depth
for Boats of one foot draft of Water only, is required to be trade in
the River.
That your Petitioner,, believe so great a depth in the Canals was re-
quired for the convenient and easy passage of Rafts and deep Boats
which might pass in the River when it is pretty full on the presumption
that there would not be an equal or indeed any considerable increase of
depth in the Canal on the rise of the Water in the River a supposition
which would be well founded as to the Spaces between the Locks if
they were from Necessity or Convenience placed distant from each
other.
'that your Petitioners have examined and levelled the Ground from
where the Canal must be taken out above the Great halls to some dis,
lance below the Falls where the Navigation must be led again into the
Bed of the River and find that a Cut on one Level and connected Locks
will be the simplest cheapest and most convenient Way of effecting Navi-
gation there; they may add that almost of Necessity it must be made in
that Manner.
That on executing that plan at the Great Falls, as they intend, the
depth will as certainly be increased in the Canals on the rise of "lie,
River as that Water will flow to it's own Level and thev are under the
the strongest Impressions, if a Canal and Locks should be necessary or
useful at the Little Falls, that a Cut on one Level and a Waste of the
whole Fall by a set of connected Locks at Tide Water will he far the
best on every- Account and therefore the depth of water will be increased
there by the same material means as ;it the Great Falls.
That as in the Canal purposed to be made at the Great Falls as well,
probably, as in that, if any at the Little Falls the rise of Water will un-
avoidably keep pace Nvith the rise in the River when only Rafts and
Boats of considerable Draft can pass, all useful purposes would bcv
equally answered by Canals of even less than two feet depth of Water
in dry Seasons as if they were made to contain four which would ac-
cording to the annexed Calculations not only save one fourth part of!
their Expence at the least but would by so much lessen the Work and
save that proportion of the Time necessary to effect it and render the
Canals, when finished, in a degree more secure.
Four Petitioners therefore pray that Acts of both the Assembly's
may pass whereby it may be made necessary that a Canal at each or
either of the said Falls if carried on one Level and supplied by the
Current of the River contain two feet only instead of four reef
depth of Water as required by the said Acts or that if the Level
should be broke by Locks placed apart from each other that the
first Level may necessarily contain only two feet depth and the
others or rest four.
And your Peat's will pray etc
G. W. presidt.l'
No. z.
[In September, r j8,;, Johnson wrote to V.~ashington : " I have
amused myself with writing my- ideas on the Canal and Locks in
"These initials are in Johnson's handwriting.
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