NEW JERSEY. The Morris canal was commenced in 1825, and extends from Jersey city, on the Hudson, across the state of New-Jersey, to Delawareriver, 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.
| Length miles | Ordinary repairs | Extraord. repairs | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware division | 59¾ | $10,000 | $87,339 | $97,339 | |
| Columbia, east division | 10 | 1,658 | 7,316 | 8,974 | |
| Harrisburg line |  | 63 | 3,108 | 6,216 | 9,324 |
| Susquehanna division | 5,855 | 11,709 | 17,964 | ||
| North branch division | 55½ | 18,584 | 37,168 | 55,752 | |
| West branch division | 24½ | 6,699 | 13,397 | 20,096 | |
| Juniata division | 89 | 22,326 | 44,651 | 66,977 | |
| Western division | 105 | 24,406 | 48,812 | 73,218 | |
| French creek feeder | 19½ | 74 | 4,327 | 4,401 | |
| Total | 426¼ | $92,708 | $260,936 | $353,644 |
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 andone 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.