OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Ohio Canals (Part 5) *********************************************************************** OHGENWEB NOTICE: All distribution rights to this electronic data are reserved by the submitter. Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted material will require the permission of the copyright owner. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/oh/ *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 August 29, 2001 *********************************************************************** Historical Collections of Ohio The Kelley Family Collections Newspaper article, Plains Dealer compiled by S.J. Kelley-- 1925 And Then They Went West by Darlene E. Kelley 1998 *********************************************************************** Ohio's Canals -- Part 5. From the Columbus Gazette -- July 4th 1825. Licking Summit. " The ceremonies commenced as been agreed upon. Governor Clinton received the spade, thrust it into the rich soil of Ohio, and raised the first spadeful of earth, admidst the most enthusiastic shouts of the thousands present. The earth was placed in what they called a canal wheel-barrow. Then the spade was passed to Governor Morrow, the Governor of Ohio, a statesman and farmer. He sunk the spade into the earth, its full depth, and raised the second spadeful. Then commenced a hustle for whom would raise the next. Captain Ned King, having the command of an Infantry Company from Chillicothe, raised the third, then some of the guests in Governor Clinton's company, and finally, the Canal wheel-barrow being full, Captain King took hold of the handles and wheeled it out to a bank. For me at this time to attempt to describe the scene is impossible ---- the most enthusiastic excitement by all the thousands, and shouts went to the All-giver. The feeling was so great that tears fell from manly eyes, the strong expression of the heart. Mr. Thomas Ewing, of Lancaster was orator of the day. The stand for speaking was in the woods. The crowd was so great that one company of calvary were formed in a hollow square around the back and sides of the stand for speaking. The flies, after three days' of rain, were so troublesome that the horses kept up a constant tramping, which induced the following remark from my friend Caleb Atwater, that evening from Lancaster: " Well" says he, " I suppose it was right to have the horses in front of the speaker's stand, for they cannot read and we can. " From a Cleveland Newspaper -- Cleveland-- June 30, 1825. " It was a heavenly day, not a cloud in the sky, the lake calm as the river, its glistening bosom reflectin the fiece rays of an almost tropical sun; the boat soon passed Water Street, dressed with all her flags and came to anchor about a mile opposite the mouth of the river and fired her usual signal gun. Her commander, Captain Fisk, ordered the steps to be let down and her yawl boat placed along side them; then taking Governor Clinton by the hand, seated him inthe stern of the boat, and was followed by his aids, Colonel Jones, Colonel Read, and Colonel Solomon Van Rensselaer, who had transversed the state when a wilderness, as an officer under General Wayne. Messrs Rathbone and Lord who had loaned the money with which to commence the canal, and Judge Conkling, United States District Judge, of New York. They came up the river, the stars and stripes waving over them, and landed at the foot of Superior Street, where the recepion committee with carriages and a large concourse of citizens awaited them and took them to the Mansion House, where Governor Clinton was addressed by Judge Samuel Cowles, who had been selected by the committee to make the reception address. Governor Clinton made an eloquent reply. In a part of his remarks he made the statement, " that when our canals were are made, even if they cost five million dollars, they would be worth three times that sum; that the increased price of our productions in twenty years would be worth five million dollars; that the money saved on the transprtation of goods, to our people, during the same period would be five million dollars, and that the canals would finally by their tolls, refund the entire cost, principal and interest."" *********************************************** Glossary of Canal Terms -- Abutment -- The point where a canal structure is built into an existing hillside or stream bank to begin either an aquaduct or a culvert. Parts of an abutment are the breast and the wing walls. Aquaduct -- A structure designed to facilitate the travel over an existing river, stream or valley. An aquaduct was mostly built of wood or stone and carried the canal with a towpath over these obstructions. Balance Beam -- A wooden timber attached to the lock gates. One one each side. These were used by the lock keeper to open and close the gates. Basin -- An area where the canal widens allowing for passing of boats and economic development such as mills,canal warehouses. Often the site of " Canal Towns." Berm -- The opposite bank of the towpath. Boaters -- A term used by canallers for themselves. Breakwater -- Designed to protect the canal from destructive forces such as floods from lakes and rivers. Breast -- The notched area of an abutment onto which the aquaduct or culvert flume construction was fitted. It helped to support the weight of the flume. Bulkhead -- The head of a breakwater, helping to protect an area from water damage. Buttress -- An area of the lock wall thickened ad strengthened where the lock gates were installed and operated. Chain Measure -- A linar meaurement used in surverying. A chain was equal to 66 feet. A tunnel was measured in chains because instead of being towed by the mule team the boat was pulled along on a chain. Chamber -- The portion of the lock between the gates. Standard measurements for a chamber were 15 feet wide and 90 feet long. Depending on the depth of the chamber, it would hold 100,000 to 120,000 gallons of water. Clinton's Ditch -- A nickname for the Ohio & Erie Canal. Culvert -- A smaller structure than the aquaduct. It served a simular purpose, often constructed like a bridge of stone with arches. Deep Cut -- Often used in areas where a canal needed to traverse a hill or ridge. A large area was blasted with gunpowder. It was cheaper than building a lock system through the area. Debris from this construction was often used elsewhere in the canal system. Dressed Stone -- Limestone or Sandstone, carefully processed in a quarry, often very close to the canal but usually within a 20 mile radius. These stones were 1 to 1 1/2 feet thick, 2 or 3 feet deep, 3 to 8 feet long and weighed 1 to 1 1/2 tons. Feeder -- A structure or stream that fed water either from lakes or rivers into the canal to maintain the required o desired water level. A feeder lock often helped control the entry of water into the canal and prevented canal water frombackng up or leaking out of the canal. Flooring-- The top layer of wood in the bottom of the lock. Flume -- The canal channel maintained and supported by aqueduct or culvert. Intermediate Pier -- A structure built around the aqueduct pillars to protect them from flooding or ice jams. Lay To -- A stop when the canal boat became stuck in the canal. If a canal boat was stuck in the mud it was termed " mudlarked." Lock -- The main structure of a canal. It enabled the water level of the canal to be adjusted to the surrounding land elevation. Often called " LIft Locks, " they could be built to raise the boats varying depths. Oe of the highest was a lift of 17 feet. Standard Ohio canal lengths were 120 feet, but also varied. If land elevation changed an excessive amount within a short distance a series of locks would be built in a row to navigate the change in elevation. Lock Gates -- Gates at each end of a lock that with the help of wickets and wrenches, enabled water to move the boats through the canal. Through the lock a controlled current was created as part of the " locking through" process. The gates formed a "V" pointing upstream. Usually each gate folded into a recess built into the lock walls, when open. Lock Keeper -- Often called the Lock Master or Lock Tender, each was a term for the person opening and closing the lock gates. Lock Wall Hangers -- Metal objects approximately three feet long and a half inch thick. These were incorporated into some lock chamber walls to help secure the lock planking and forming a watertight chamber. The planks were held in place with metal wedges driven through holes at one end of each hanger. Lock Wrench -- A curved metal device attached to a rod running he height of the lock gate. It was used to control the sluice gate or wicket. Long Level -- A length of canal free of locks, oftrn at the summit of a canal. Millrace -- A channel where some canal water overflow or river rapids were diverted to run a mill waterwheel. Milltail -- The water left over after the mill wheel had been turned, usually returned to the canal or river. Mitre sill -- The wooden threshold upon which each set of lock gates would fit in the " V " formation. Penstock -- A millrace. Pivot -- A metal device like a ballbearing at the base of each lock gate on which the lock gates could turn more easily. Planking -- The middle layer of wood making up the lock floor. Prism -- The configuration of the canal ditch. Dimensions varied bu averaged between 5 feet deep, 40 to 60 feet wide at the water line, and 26 to 28 feet at the bottom of the ditch. Quarry -- A site where limestone or sandstone was dug to be used on the canal. Often very close along the canal route. Reservoirs -- Man made lakes to store water at the summit levels of canals. Rip-Rapping -- Stones used of varying size placed in th canal prisms to prevent erosion of the canal banks. Erosion would create sandbars around the lock gates and in the chambers, jamming the gates or stranding a boat on the obstruction. Section -- A length of canal transformed from virgin forest or virgin swamp into a canal prism. It was possible to build a one-mile prism in 4 1/2 days. Sidecut -- A lateral canal which connected the main part of the channel to a nearby stream or canal. Slackwater -- Where a portion of a stream was dammed so that it could act as a canal. Slackwater was used where a canal had to cross a river, stream or lake. If navigation across a slackwater area would be difficult, since canal boats had no form of propulsion an aqueduct over the obstruction was often built. In other areas of slackwater all would be needed was a towpath built across the top o the dam. Sluice Gate -- A mechanism in the bottom of the canal chamber that adjusted the water level before the gates could be opened. Also called a Wicket. It was opened by turning the metal lock-wrench at the top of the lock. This enabled water to enter through the lock gates. When the water was level on both sides of the gates the sluice gate was closed and the lock gates opened. Snubbing -- Used to control the boats in the " locking-through " process. Taking many forms snubbing could be large wooden posts along the lock walls or metal posts and rings to whch the boat was tied. Tailrace-- see Milltail. Timbers -- White oak beams making up the lowest layer of the lock bottem. Toll Collector -- The person who collected the fees for traveling the canal. It cost $ 17.00 for anyone over 12 years of age to travel the full length of the Ohio & Erie Canal. It was 5c for each " Locking-through " process. Cargo was subject to toll. Toll House -- This was the place where tolls were paid, spaced along a canal. Towline -- A rope used to link the draft animals to the canal boat. Animals either pulled individually, in tandem ( one behind the other ), or as a team ( side by side ). In a lock this rope was used to tie the boat to the snubbing posts. A towline was kept as wet as possible to allow it to be dropped quickly to the bottem of the canal so that other boats could cross over them when they passed on the canal. Towpath -- A ten footwide walkway for both canal workers and animals, built on one side of the canal bank. Tunnel-- A tunnel often built through a hillside to maintain the long level at a canal summit and reduce the need for lockage. There were three in Ohio. Two in the Sandy & Beaver Canal and one in the Cincinnati & Whtewater. Waste Weir -- This helped remove excess water from the canal ditch. Also called an overflow. Weigh Lock -- A weigh lock is thought to be a forerunner of the truck weigh-stations that we have today. The lock was designed with a cradle attached to scales to check the weight of the cargo and obtain correct toll fees. Weigh Master -- The operator of a weigh lock. He knew the empty weight of the boats. He would subtract these from the full weights of the boats to get an accrurate cargo weight. Wicket -- See Sluice Gate. Wing Walls-- Usually a " V " shaped formation divided by an abutment breast. The wing wall protested the abutment by deflecting water away. Upstream wing walls were always larger than the downstream wing walls. Locks also had wing walls. *********************************************** to be continued in Part 6