GREAT improvements have been introduced in the inland navigation of the United States within the last twenty years, both by removing impediments that have obstructed river navigation, and by the construction of canals. More than two thousand five hundred miles of canal have been constructed in the country, and numerous works of this description are now in progress, though the rail-road has perhaps, in most instances, been preferred, where the circumstances admitted of a choice. Our description of the principal canals in the country must be limited to a mere enumeration of the most important particulars.

CANALS IN NEW ENGLAND. The Cumberland and Oxford canal extends from Portland to Sebago pond, and was completed in 1829. Its length is twenty and a half miles; its width at the surface is thirty-four feet, at the bottom, eighteen; its depth is four feet. The number of its locks is twenty-six. Alock is also constructed in Songo river, by which navigation is continued into Brandy and Long ponds, making the whole natural and artificial water communication fifty miles.

Middlesex canal was completed in 1808, and opens a water communication between Boston and the central part of New Hampshire, by its junction with the Merrimack river. It has but one summit level, one hundred and four feet above Boston harbor, and thirty-two above the level of the Merrimack, at the place where it unites with that river in Chelmsford, above Pawtucket falls, on which are situated the great manufacturing establishments of Lowell. Its length is twenty-seven miles, breadth at the surface thirty feet, at the bottom twenty; its depth of water is three feet, and locks are twenty. It has seven aqueducts over streams and rivers, and fifty bridges, with stone abutments twenty feet apart. Around the numerous falls of the river, within the limits of New Hampshire, the following canals have been constructed:—Bow canal, completed in 1812, is one third of a mile long, and passes a fall of twenty-five feet with four locks; Hooksett canal, fifty rods in length, passes Hooksett falls by three locks, with a lockage of sixteen feet; Amoskeag canal, eight miles below the above, passes a fall of the same name, by a lockage of forty-five feet, with nine locks; Union canal, immediately below Amoskeag, overcomes seven falls in the river, and has seven locks in nine miles.

Pawtucket canal, in the town of Lowell, is used not only for passing a fall of the same name, but also for supplying very extensive hydraulic works. It is a mile and a half in length, ninety feet wide, and four feet deep, overcoming a difference of level of thirty-two feet.

In 1811, a charter, that has been subsequently renewed, was granted to a company for the purpose of constructing a canal from Winnipisiogee lake to Cocheco river, below the landing at Dover. The distance is twenty-seven miles. The waters of the lake are four hundred and fifty-two feet above the level of the river, and the fall would require fifty-three locks. The expense has been estimated at about three hundred thousand dollars.

The Blackstone canal extends from Worcester, Massachusetts, to Providence, Rhode Island. It is forty-five miles long, and follows in the greater part of its course the valley of the Blackstone or Pawtucket river, from which it is supplied with water. Its fall from the summit at Worcester to tide water at Providence, is four hundred and fifty-one and six tenths feet. It has forty-eight locks, eighty feet long by ten wide; the breadth at its surface is thirty-four feet, at the bottom eighteen; depth of water, four feet. It was built by an incorporated company, under charter from the legislatures of the states in which it lies, at a cost of about six hundred thousand dollars. It was finished in the autumn of 1828. This canal facilitates and greatly increases the trade from the northern part of Rhode Island, and the central parts of Massachusetts, to the markets of Providence, New York, and the middle and southern states.

The Farmington canal was commenced in 1825, upon the plan of connecting, by a line of seventy-eight miles of artificial navigation, Connecticut river, at Northampton, in Massachusetts, with New Haven harbor. It is thirty-six feet broad at the surface, twenty at the bottom, and four feet in depth. The locks are eighty feet in the clear, and twelve feet wide. It extends fifty-eight miles, from New Haven to Southwick ponds, on the boundary of Massachusetts, and cost about six hundred thousand dollars. In continuation of this work, the Hampshire and Hampden canal has been constructed in Massachusetts, as far as Westfield; it is to be continued twenty miles, to Northampton, and perhaps even to Barnet, in Vermont. The difference of level in this canal is two hundred and ninety-eight feet.

Enfield, South Hadley, Montague, and Bellows Falls canals are short cuts at the different falls on the Connecticut river. The first was built by a company incorporated in 1824. It extends around the falls of the same name, in the state of Connecticut, and is five and a half miles in length. It has two stone locks of ten feet lift, each ninety feet by twenty, and is used for extensive hydraulic works, as well as for navigation. Before the construction of this work, these rapids were passed in boats, but offered great obstructions to the navigation of the river. South Hadley canal was constructed for passing a fall of forty feet in the town of the same name, in Massachusetts, and is two miles in length. There is a cut in this canal through the solid rock, three hundred feet long and forty feet deep. The company that undertook this work was incorporated in 1792. Montague canal, in the town of the same name, in the same state with the preceding, and constructed for passing Montague falls, is three miles long, twenty-five feet wide, and three deep. Bellows Falls canal, in Vermont, opposite the town of Walpole, is half a mile long, with nine locks, overcoming a fall of about fifty feet. Several other short canals have been constructed on the western bank of the Connecticut in this state, for the purpose of improving the navigation of the river.

NEW YORK CANALS. The state of New York has an extensive system of inland artificial navigation, connecting the navigation of the Hudson with that of the lakes and Delaware river. The Champlain canal in this state passes from Albany to Whitehall, on lake Champlain, and is seventy-two miles in length. It is four feet deep, twenty-eight feet wide at the bottom, and forty at the surface. It has twenty-one locks, and its rise and fall amount to one hundred and eighty-eight feet. This work was commenced in October, 1817, and was opened for navigation in November, 1819. The whole cost was nearly one million two hundred thousand dollars.

The Erie canal extends from Albany, on the Hudson, to Buffalo, on lake Erie. It was commenced on the fourth of July, 1817, and was first navigated from Utica to Rome, fifteen miles, on the third of October, 1819; tolls were first received in July, 1820, and the whole work was completed in 1825. It is three hundred and sixty-three miles in length. It is four feet deep, twenty-eight wide at the bottom, and forty at the surface. The number of locks is eighty-four, and the rise and fall are six hundred and ninety-eight feet. The cost was over nine millions of dollars. Alittle below the Cohoes falls, a feeder enters from the Mohawk, and connects the Erie with the Champlain canal, and the united work then proceeds to Albany, eight and a half miles, and terminates in the tide waters of the Hudson. The collections upon the Erie canal, for the month of September, in the three last years, stand thus:

This great increase in the total amount of tolls has taken place, notwithstanding a reduction in the rates of tolls in the spring of 1833, which was equal to about twenty per cent. compared with former rates. The entire amount of tolls received at this canal in 1831, was one million, ninety-one thousand, seven hundred and fourteen dollars, twenty-six cents.

Oswego canal is a branch of the Erie, extending from Salina to Oswego, connecting lake Ontario with the Erie canal. It is thirty-eight miles in length, having one hundred and twenty-three feet of lockage, all descending to lake Ontario. One half the distance is a canal connected with Oswego river by locks and dams; the other half is a slack-water navigation on the river. It cost five hundred and twenty-five thousand, one hundred and fifteen dollars. The Cayuga and Seneca canal, extending from Geneva, on Seneca lake, to Montezuma, on Erie canal, is one half canal, and one half slack-water navigation. It was constructed in 1828. Its length is twenty miles and forty-four chains; the descent from Seneca lake to Montezuma is seventy-three and a half feet. The four canals last described were constructed at the expense of the state, and still remain under the administration of the state government as public property.78

Chemung canal, another work of the state, extends from the head waters of Seneca lake to the Chemung (or Tioga) river. It is eighteen miles in length, with a navigable feeder of thirteen miles from Painted Post, on the Chemung river, to the summit level, making in the whole thirty-one miles of canal navigation. On this canal are fifty-three locks of wood, three aqueducts, and seventy bridges. It was completed in 1832.

The Delaware and Hudson canal company was incorporated in April, 1823, with a capital of a million and a half of dollars, for the purpose of constructing a canal and rail-road from the Hudson river to the coal mines in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania. The canal extends from the tide-water of the Hudson to Honesdale, Wayne county, Pennsylvania, a distance of one hundred and eight miles, when it meets the rail-road. The canal is from thirty-two to thirty-six feet wide, and four feet deep. The most important article of transport upon this canal is coal, of which forty-three thousand two hundred tons were brought down in 1830. In 1831, the amount of tolls, exclusive of that of coal boats, was nineteen thousand, five hundred dollars.

The Harlem canal company was incorporated in April, 1826, with a capital of five hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This canal is to extend from Hudson to East river, through Manhattan island; its length is three miles, its width sixty feet, and its depth six or seven. It is to be walled with stone on both sides, and to have a street on each side fifty feet wide its whole length, with a lock at each end to command the tide water.79

NEW JERSEY. The Morris canal was commenced in 1825, and extends from Jersey city, on the Hudson, across the state of New-Jersey, to Delaware river, opposite Easton, Pennsylvania, where it unites with Lehigh canal. It is one hundred and one miles in length, with rise and fall of one thousand, six hundred and fifty-seven feet; of which two hundred and twenty-three are overcome by twenty-four locks, and the remaining one thousand, three hundred and thirty-four feet by twenty-three inclined planes. This canal is supplied with water from Hopatcong lake, situated nine hundred feet above tide-water. The cost is estimated at somewhat more than one million, one hundred thousand dollars. The Delaware and Raritan canal, extending from Lamberton, on Delaware river, to New Brunswick, on the Raritan, is thirty-eight miles in length. It is seventy-five feet wide, and seven feet deep.

PENNSYLVANIA. The canal system of this state is very extensive, and has been in a great measure established by the state government. We shall first notice the canals constructed by private corporations. The Schuylkill canal was commenced in 1816, and has been in operation for a number of years. It extends from Philadelphia to Reading, and thence to mount Carbon. Its length is one hundred and ten miles, and in this distance is a lockage of six hundred and twenty feet. It comprises thirty-one dams, one hundred and twenty-five locks, seventeen arched aqueducts, a tunnel of four hundred and fifty feet in length, cut through the solid rock, and sixty-five toll and gate houses. The whole cost of this work, up to January 1, 1830, was two million, three hundred and thirty-six thousand, three hundred and eighty dollars. The Union canal was constructed in 1827. It extends from Middleton, on the Susquehanna, to the head of the Girard canal, two miles below Reading, connecting the waters of the Susquehannah with those of the Schuylkill. Its length is eighty miles, exclusive of Swatara feeder, which extends twenty-four miles. The works comprehend, a tunnel, eighteen feet wide, fourteen high, and seven hundred and twenty-nine in length; two summit reservoirs, containing twelve million cubic feet of water; two steam engines, each of one hundred horse power; one hundred and thirty-five bridges; twelve small and two large aqueducts; ninety-two cut stone locks; and fourteen miles of protection wall of stone. Connected with this canal is a rail-road, about four miles in length, extending from the basin at Pine grove to the coal mines. The cost of the whole work was about two million dollars. The Lackawaxen canal commences at the termination of the Delaware and Hudson canal, near Carpenter’s point, and unites with a rail-road at Honesdale. It is thirty-six miles in length. In junction with the Delaware and Hudson canal, this canal opens a navigation of one hundred and seventeen miles, including seventeen miles of Lackawaxen river. The Lehigh canal company was incorporated in 1818, and constructed a canal from Easton, on Delaware river, to Stoddartsville, connecting Morris canal with the Mauch Chunk rail-road. Its length is forty-six and three fourths miles, and it cost one million, five hundred and fifty-eight thousand dollars. The Conestoga canal extends eighteen miles, from Safe Harbor, on Susquehanna river, to Lancaster. Conewago canal is two and a half miles long, and is constructed about a fall of the same name on the Susquehanna.

The following table exhibits a view of the canals in Pennsylvania, constructed by the state, prior to the first of January, 1831, with the amount expended for ordinary and extraordinary repairs during the year 1831.

The main trunk of this system of canals commences at Columbia, at the termination of the Philadelphia and Columbia rail-road, and extends thence westward one hundred and seventy-two and a half miles, till it meets the Alleghany Portage rail-road at Holidaysburg. It recommences at the western extremity of the rail-road, and continues westward one hundred and five miles, to the Monongahela river at Pittsburg.

The following canals, constructed by the state, have been but recently completed:

Frankstown line of the Juniata division, extending from Huntingdon to Holidaysburg, is thirty and one third miles in length, including about fifteen and three fourths miles of slackwater navigation. Beaver division commences upon the Ohio river, at the mouth of Big Beaver, and extends to Newcastle. Length, twenty-four and three fourths miles, of which about two thirds are slackwater and towing-path. Franklin line commences on Alleghany river, at the mouth of French creek, and extends up the latter stream till it meets the French creek feeder. Length, twenty-two and one fourth miles, seventeen of which are slackwater and towing-path. Lycoming line commences at Muncy dam, and extends up the west branch of the Susquehanna, and terminates at the Big island, opposite to the mouth of the Bald Eagle. Length, forty-one and one fourth miles, of which about ten miles are slackwater. Wyoming line of the North branch division commences at the Nanticoke dam, and extends up the North branch, and terminates near the mouth of Lackawannock creek. Length, sixteen miles.

DELAWARE AND MARYLAND. The Chesapeak and Delaware canal was commenced in 1824, and completed in about five years. It is thirteen and five eighths miles long, ten feet deep, and sixty-six feet wide at the surface. Leaving the Delaware, forty-five miles below Philadelphia, it crosses the peninsula, and meets Chesapeak bay. The summit level is twelve feet above tide water. The whole cost of this work was two million, two hundred thousand dollars. Port Deposit canal is a public work of the state of Maryland, extending ten miles along a line of rapids, on the east bank of the Susquehanna, north of the boundary line of Maryland and Pennsylvania. There are two short canals, one of twelve hundred yards, and one of two and a half miles, around the Great and Lower Falls of the Potomac.

The Chesapeak and Ohio canal company received their charter from Virginia in 1824, and it was confirmed in the following year by Maryland and congress. The proposed length is three hundred and forty-one and one fourth miles, from the tide water of the Potomac river, above Georgetown, in the district of Columbia, to its termination near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Its depth is six or seven feet, its breadth at the bottom fifty, and at the surface from sixty to eighty feet. Five miles from Georgetown, arrangements have been made for constructing branches to Alexandria, Baltimore, and the navy yard at Washington. The amount of lockage required on the whole canal is three thousand, two hundred and fifteen feet. At the summit level on the Alleghany mountain, a tunnel is required, four miles and eighty yards long, with a deep cut of one thousand and sixty yards at the western end, and another of fourteen yards at the eastern end, each of which opens into a large basin. The original estimate of the cost was twenty-two million, three hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars.

OHIO. This state has been active and liberal in the encouragement of canals as public works. The state canals are the Ohio and the Miami. The Ohio canal connects lake Erie, at Cleaveland, with the Ohio river, at Portsmouth; its main trunk is three hundred and ten miles in length; its lateral branches and feeders make twenty-four in addition. Miami canal connects the town of Dayton, situated on the Great Miami river, with the Ohio river, at Cincinnati. Its main trunk is sixty-five miles in length, and it has a side-cut of one mile. The total length of canals in Ohio, constructed at the public expense, and owned by the state, is four hundred miles. The Lancaster Lateral canal is nine miles in length, and was constructed by an incorporated company. The expense of the Ohio canals has been about five million dollars.

VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA. At the city of Richmond is the James River canal, around a fall, with twelve locks, overcoming an ascent of eighty feet, and connecting tide water with a basin on Shockoe hill. From this basin proceeds a canal two and a half miles long, uniting with the river. Three miles further up is a short canal, with three locks, overcoming a fall of thirty-four feet. The James and Jackson River canal extends from the basin at Richmond, to a fall in Goveland county, a distance of thirty and a half miles. There is also a canal seven miles long, around the falls on James river, in Rockland county. Canals have also been constructed to improve the navigation of the Shenandoah. The Dismal Swamp canal is twenty-two and a half miles long, lying partly in Virginia, and partly in North Carolina. It connects the waters of Chesapeak bay with Albemarle sound, extending from Deep creek to Joyce’s creek, at the head of Pasquotank river. The expense of this canal was three hundred and sixty thousand dollars, of which two hundred thousand were subscribed by the United States. The Danville and Dan River canals are a series of improvements upon the upper branches of Roanoak river. The North West, Weldon, Clubfoot and Harlow, Cape Fear, Yadkin, Tar River, New River, and Catawba canals, have done much to improve the inland navigation of North Carolina. The Santee, Columbia, and Saluda canals, from Columbia, through the Columbia canal into Broad river, and through the Saluda canal, from Broad into Saluda river, through Drehr and Zorick’s canals, on to the Abbeville county line, near Cambridge; also from Santee river, by the Santee canal, into Cooper’s river, and down this river to the port at Charleston, present a mixed navigation of one hundred and fifty miles. Winyaw canal is ten miles in length, uniting the Santee river with Winyaw bay.

KENTUCKY. The Louisville and Portland canal passes from the Ohio at Louisville, to a point of the same below the rapids, a distance of three miles. It is constructed for the accommodation of large vessels, and the general government have contributed towards its completion.

GEORGIA AND LOUISIANA. The Savannah and Ogatchee canal is sixteen miles in length, passing from Savannah river, at Savannah, to the Ogatchee river; hence it is to be continued to the Alatahama. The Carondelet canal is a short cut to admit small vessels into a basin in the rear of New Orleans, extending from bayou St.John. It is only a mile and a half long, and is without locks. The Lafourche is a small canal, supplied with water only when the Mississippi is in flood, uniting the outlet of Lafourche with the chain of lakes and creeks which lead into the lower Teche, and opens the commerce of Attacapas to New Orleans. The Plaquemine canal passes from the Mississippi into bayou Plaquemine, at its efflux from the Mississippi, and is navigable only at times of high flood. The New Orleans and Teche River canal is a projected navigation of one hundred miles, from a point on the Mississippi, to the waters which unite with the Teche river, at Berwick’s bay.

‘The spirit of enterprise,’ says Mr.Smith, ‘has been displayed on a scale commensurate with the extensive territory of the United States. With the exception of Great Britain and Holland, no country on the face of the globe contains so many or as extensive canals as this republic; and the whole of combined Europe has not effected as much during the last sixteen years, as the three states of Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio only. There are many other important canals not here enumerated, in the different sections of the country, and others are in contemplation. The whole number of miles of canals in the Union, exceeds three thousand; nearly three fifths of which are in the three States above mentioned.’