REPORT 
 
 OF THE 
 
 ON 
 
 ROAI5S, BRIDGES AXB> OLAVD MTIGATIOW, 
 
 RELATIVE TO THE 
 
 CANALS AND RAIL ROADS 
 
 ©if iuiieii cg@mKfl@gfW if 
 
 Mr. STROHM, Chairman. 
 
 READ IN SENATE, MAY 24, 1839. 
 
 HARRISBURG: 
 PRINTED BY E. GUYER. 
 
 1839 
 
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 report. 
 
 Mr Strohm, from the committee on roads, bridges and inland navi- 
 gation, acting under the resolution of the Senate passed on the 
 twenty-fifth day of March last, which authorized them to send for 
 persons and papers, for the purpose of enquiring as to the amount of 
 money actually necessary for repairs upon our different finished lines 
 of canals and rail roads, and to ascertain the amount of money ac¬ 
 tually due for repairs and materials furnished for repairs; and 
 whether any supervisors have unsettled accounts, and whether they 
 have procured authenticated vouchers, without paying the amount 
 due to laborers and others; and that they also have power to visit the 
 different lines of public works andl employ an engineer to accompany 
 
 them, made the following report, riz : 
 
 That they have, during the recess of the Legislature, visited all 
 the canals which have been constructed and completed by the Com¬ 
 monwealth, and also the Allegheny Portage rail road. 
 
 The time in which the committee were compelled to execute the 
 dutv assigned to them, in order to enable them to attend to their 
 legislative duties at the re-assembling of the Legislature, was too 
 limited to permit them to make s«ch a minute investigation, and ac¬ 
 curate detailed report, as would bfe desirable on the occasion. The 
 season of the year, too, was unfavorable to the examination of some 
 portion of the work—being a time when the streams are full, and the 
 volume of water too great to admit of a careful examination of the 
 condition of the dams, which can only be done advantageously, an 
 with a degree of accuracy approximating to the truth, during the 
 summer and autumn, when the waters, usually, are at the lowest 
 stage, and when an occasional submersion can be endured without 
 suffering disagreeable sensations or serious consequences. In esti¬ 
 mating the amount necessary for repairing the dams, the committee 
 
 0 
 
 ;& 99.39 
 
4 
 
 were obliged to rely on information obtained from persons acquainted 
 with the particular situation, or adopt the report of engineers, founded 
 probably on no better data. 
 
 Upon reading the report of the Board of Canal Commissioners, 
 dated March 11, 1839, your committee were struck with the anxious 
 desire evinced, throughout that report, to impress upon the public 
 mind the belief that, through “ negligence and inattention, upivards 
 of one million and a half of dollars ” was necessary to render the 
 public improvements “ adequate to transact the business which may 
 and should be done upon them.” If this were the fact, it would be 
 right that the Legislature, and the whole people should know it; but 
 evidence of a contrary character, sufficient to satisfy your committee 
 that the amount required for repairs was greatly exaggerated, had 
 been developed before the report was printed, and a personal exami¬ 
 nation has only confirmed what concurrent circumstances had pre¬ 
 viously rendered evident. The sum of one hundred thousand dollars 
 had not been expended in repairing the improvements, when your 
 committee passed along the lines end found them in a condition (ex¬ 
 cept in a few places that will be hereafter noticed,) to accommodate 
 the most active business that has ever been transacted upon our canals. 
 This, then, was indubitable evidence, that it did not require “ one 
 million and a half of dollars , to render them adequate to transact 
 the business which may and should be done upon them.” 
 
 The committee found the Eastern division, commencing at the 
 outlet locks at Columbia, and terminating at the outlet lock in the 
 pool of the Clark’s Ferry dam, in good navigable order. On this 
 line some repairs are necessary, but they are of no considerable 
 magnitude, and may be effected without interrupting the navigation. 
 The water-way near Columbia should be renewed, as the timber is 
 very much decayed and scarcely susceptible of judicious repair. 
 Some of the other water-ways on this line require some repairs. 
 One of the piers at the aqueduct over Conewago creek has given 
 way. It is now temporarily supported by posts, but the pier should 
 be rebuilt at the earliest possible day. The aqueduct at Swatara re¬ 
 quires considerable repairs, and those over Chicques, Conoy, Clark’s, 
 Stony and Paxton creeks need some repairs. The aqueduct at 
 Clark’s creek is the worst on this line; two of the piers will have to 
 be rebuilt and the superstructure renewed. The abutments also 
 require some repairing. 
 
5 
 
 The locks on this line are generally in good condition. The upper 
 outlet lock from the basin at Portsmouth to the Svvatara creek, is said 
 to be defective at the foundation; this is not perceptible when the 
 water is in, but the greater portion of the wall is straight, and seems 
 to be permanent. A number of the lock gates are a good deal shat¬ 
 tered, and require to be renewed during the ensuing winter, and 
 probably may need some repair during the summer. Some of the 
 bridges and bridge abutments stand in need of repairing, and*a few 
 will have to be rebuilt. The canal banks, and especially the towing- * 
 path bank, needs repairing in many places. Where the banks are 
 composed of sand, clay, or alluvia]] earth, as is the case in many pla¬ 
 ces, the agitation of the water is constantly washing it away, render¬ 
 ing frequent repairs necessary, and requiring constant vigilance on 
 the part of the public agents, to prtevent breaches which would cost 
 considerable labor and expense to repair. This will continue to be 
 the case, until those vulnerable parts of the canal banks are perma¬ 
 nently secured, by a good slope wall or lined with timber. On this 
 subject the committee will give their opinion in a subsequent part of 
 their report. 
 
 On this division of the canal a grpat proportion of the towing-path, 
 and part of the berm bank, is supported by high vertical walls. 
 These walls have, in many places, given way, and parts of them 
 have fallen down. The security of the canals renders it necessary 
 that those parts should be rebuilt without delay. The cause of this 
 dilapidation at so early a period nay be ascribed, in part, to defects 
 
 in the original construction, but in : 
 of the materials used. A kind of 
 
 ome instances, more to the quality 
 slate stone, found along the banks 
 
 of the river, the character of which was not well understood at the 
 time, was used in the construction of those walls. Experience has 
 shown that when long exposed to the action of the atmosphere, those 
 stones, in some measure, decompose and crumble into small pieces; 
 consequently, whenever this kind of stone has been used, the wall 
 will inevitably sink and eventually.fall. The guard fence on the 
 berm side of the canal is decayed, and in many places entirely pros¬ 
 trated. This is an item not essentially necessary to the navigation of 
 the canal, but is of great public utility, in promoting the security of 
 those who travel the road immediately on the bank of the canal, 
 which has been constructed by the Commonwealth in lieu of one 
 heretofore enjoyed by the public, on the ground now occupied by the 
 canal. It is therefore incumbent on the Commonwealth to keep 
 
6 
 
 those guard-fences in a proper state of repair. The committee be¬ 
 lieve that forty thousand dollars will be required on this line for or¬ 
 dinary repairs, and completing those locks now in progress, two of 
 which are nearly completed. 
 
 JUNIATA DIVISION. 
 
 From the outlet lock at Clarke’s Ferry to Hollidaysburg. This 
 .division, from its present appearance, may, with the exception of 
 the aqueduct near the mouth of Juniata, with proper care and a rea¬ 
 sonable expenditure, be kept in good navigable order throughout the 
 season. The aqueduct above referred to, is in a precarious situation. 
 Two spans have been renewed, the workmanship of which seems to 
 be very substantial and well executed. The remaining four spans 
 are much decayed, and at the time your committee passed, a portion 
 thereof had sunk so much that it became necessary to draw off the 
 water and repair it. It is now supported by posts, placed under it, 
 and so long as those remain, the navigation may probably not be in¬ 
 terrupted; but should a freshet in the river sweep away those sup¬ 
 ports, portions of the aqueduct would, in all likelihood, sink so much 
 as to render it impassable for a time, or perhaps make its immediate 
 reconstruction unavoidable. Your committee agree with the engi¬ 
 neer, that “ the materials for renewing it should be provided and 
 framed, in readiness to be put up next winter, or sooner if necessary.” 
 This has in part been done. The remainder of the aqueducts, the 
 locks, lock gates, waste weirs, culverts and bridges, may be pro¬ 
 nounced in tolerable condition, and not likely to need more than the 
 usual ordinary repairs during the season. The committee are of 
 opinion, that the estimate for repairs on this division, as made by the 
 engineer, is most extravagantly high. Indeed, the very language of 
 the report seems to evince a disposition to cavil and find fault, rather 
 than to give a candid opinion and a reasonable estimate of the amount 
 required for all necessary and judicious repairs. The extraordinary 
 character of this report, induces the committee to advert particularly 
 to some of the items which compose the aggregate of two hundred 
 and thirty-two thousand dollars, said to be necessary to put this line 
 in complete navigable order. Fifty-three thousand dollars is put 
 down for rebuilding aqueducts on the present plan, including two 
 spans, then puiting in at Duncan’s Island, and an additional sum of 
 fifty-six thousand dollars for widening thirteen aqueducts to thirty 
 
7 
 
 feet in the clear. Towards the construction of the two spans in the 
 aqueduct at Duncan’s Island, a specific appropriation of fourteen 
 thousand dollars has been made, a sum nearly sufficient to renew 
 the whole trunk of the aqueduct; it is composed of six spans, two 
 of which have been renewed at an expense of two thousand four 
 hundred dollars each, at which rate, the whole would cost only four¬ 
 teen thousand four hundred dollars, being but four hundred dollars 
 more than the appropriation already made. Independent of that, the 
 committee cannot conceive that any thing like the sum mentioned 
 will be necessary for rebuilding aqueducts. The additional sum re¬ 
 quired to widen aqueducts is, in a great measure, superfluous. For, 
 though it may be advantageous to have the aqueducts widened, and 
 may be proper to do so where rebuilding is actually necessary, the 
 committee are satisfied that very few (if any) of the aqueducts on this 
 line, are in a condition to justify such an undertaking within the pre¬ 
 sent year, and therefore the sum of ninety-four thousand dollars may 
 safely be deducted from those two items. The amount required for 
 road, farm and tow-path bridges, and for repairing and building locks, 
 lock gates, and waste weirs, seem to have been estimated upon the 
 same high-pressure principle, and may safely be reduced more than 
 twenty-five thousand dollars. The sum of forty-six thousand two 
 hundred dollars is estimated for cleaning out pools at Hollidaysburg, 
 Frankstown and Canoe creek, and for cleaning out canal and raising 
 and clearing towing-path. The amount required for cleaning out the 
 canal, your committee had not anjopportunity of ascertaining, as the 
 canal was filled with water; but, from the great facility with which 
 heavy laden boats pass and repass, the committee are strongly in¬ 
 clined to believe that this too has been greatly exaggerated and might 
 without risk of stinting the appropriation, be greatly reduced. The 
 committee believe that the sum necessary for repairs on the Juniata 
 division is about eighty thousand dollars. 
 
 i 
 
 PORTAGE RAIL ROAD. 
 
 The committee found the Portage rail road in good order, so as to 
 admit the transportation of all the passengers, produce, merchandize, 
 coal, &c. &c. during the most active business season of the year, 
 without difficulty or delay. Some repairs are necessary and always 
 will be on such an improvement, but the committee are of the opin¬ 
 ion that on the road alone, exclusive of the amount required for 
 
8 
 
 additional depots and repairing engines, one half of the amount esti¬ 
 mated by the engineer on the first of February last, would be suffi¬ 
 cient, at this time, to make the necessary repairs for the balance of 
 the season. How much has already been expended, since the engi¬ 
 neer’s estimate was made, the committee have not ascertained; some 
 of the timber on the inclined plane is decayed and should be replaced 
 with new timber. This, in a country where timber can be obtained 
 at a very low rate, will be cheaper, at least so long as the iron bars 
 are good, than to lay those planes with T rails. In regard to the 
 amount necessary for the repair of engines, your committee made 
 neither examination nor estimate, not deeming themselves competent 
 judges of those matters. The viaduct at Hollidaysburg needs some 
 repairing, and the plan suggested by the engineer, to make additional 
 passages for the water, should be adopted. The committee estimate 
 the amount necessary for repairs on the Portage rail road, at twenty- 
 five thousand dollars. 
 
 WESTERN DIVISION. 
 
 This division, with the exception of a few of the locks and dams, 
 was in excellent order when the committee passed along. In some 
 of the locks the mortar has been washed out, and consequently the 
 water passes freely between the stones, and in one or two instances 
 entirely through the banks; but the walls appear firm and substan¬ 
 tial—the injurious leakage may be prevented at a slight expense. 
 The dams appear to be in perfect repair, but the committee were in¬ 
 formed by persons who had opportunities of knowing their true 
 situation, that some of them require cribbing and gravelling. The 
 committee, for reasons already given, do not pretend to accuracy in 
 this particular. Some of the bridges, waste weirs and lock gates 
 require repairing, and some will have to be rebuilt. The amount 
 required to keep this division in good repair during the season, and 
 make the necessary repairs during the ensuing winter, unless some 
 unforeseen accident should render more necessary than can now 
 reasonably be anticipated, will not, in the opinion of the committee, 
 exceed thirty-five thousand dollars. 
 
 REAVER DIVISION. 
 
 Some of the locks on this division require repair, of which the 
 heaviest item will perhaps be at the out-lock at the Ohio river. This 
 
9 
 
 lock was originally located to accommodate the canal at a low stage 
 of water in the river; consequently, at any other stage, it is rather too 
 low, and liable to receive a deposite of sand, which renders it diffi¬ 
 cult to be kept in good working order. On this line there are seven 
 dams, which at present seem to be in tolerable good condition, but 
 which, in reality, from the best information the committee could ob¬ 
 tain, require considerable repairs. From Beaver to New Castle the 
 towing-path is reasonably good, as are also the aqueducts, except one 
 near New Castle, which is in a dilapidated condition, and needs a 
 good deal of repairing. 
 
 The piers of the towing-path bridge, at the mouth of Conneque- 
 nessing creek, have been injured by ice and driftwood, but not so 
 materially as to render its reconstruction necessary ; with compara¬ 
 tively slight repairs, it may stand for several years, unless farther in¬ 
 jured by extraordinary freshets. The towing-path above New Cas¬ 
 tle has been very much injured, and in some places entirely washed 
 away. The towing-path in many places has always been too low, 
 and will constantly be subject to overflowing unless raised to a greater 
 height. A part thereof has already been repaired, and other por¬ 
 tions were in progress when the committee visited the line. The 
 present navigation terminates at Western Reserve Harbor, four miles 
 above New Castle. On the remaining two miles, the banks being 
 composed principally of light sandy loam, easily affected by the agi¬ 
 tation of the water and yielding to the friction of the current, the 
 towing-path has been entirely destroyed. Your committee would 
 deem it unwise to expend any money on that part of it during the 
 present season. It is utterly useless until the Shenango line is com¬ 
 pleted, which will probably not be under two years, by which time 
 the labor and money now expended on this portion of the towing- 
 path, would be very likely to be all swept away again. 
 
 The committee estimate the cost of repairing the Beaver division, 
 at thirty thousand dollars. 
 
 i FRENCH CREEK FEEDER AND FRANKLIN LINE. 
 
 The feeder dam above Dr. Bemus’ mill, has in part been swept 
 
 » away, and the remainder so much injured as to render the rebuilding 
 
 of the whole unavoidable. In addition to this, a considerable portion 
 of the mound between the dam and the guard lock, and which in 
 fact constituted part of the dam, has been swept to the foundation, 
 
10 
 
 and several feet below it. The scite of this dam is unfavorable in 
 several points of view. First, in regard to the facility for securing 
 its permanency, in the absence of rock foundation, which cannot be 
 done without increasing the length of the weir, and of course the 
 expense of construction. Second, the great length of guard bank 
 necessary to prevent the water from overflowing a considerable area 
 of valuable land, and thus rendering the payment of heavy damages 
 inevitable ; and third, the peculiar porosity of the soil, through 
 which the water percolates, rendering the adjacent lands unproduc¬ 
 tive, and subjecting the State to the payment of damages, which have 
 not yet been liquidated. The committee were assured, that little 
 more than a mile higher up the creek, an eligible situation for a dam 
 could be obtained, where a good foundation would be had, and the 
 height of the dam materially diminished, and where very little 
 damage would be occasioned to private property. Not having viewed 
 this scite, the committee forbear speaking confidently on the subject, 
 but recommend that discretionary power be given to the Canal Com¬ 
 missioners, to change the location of this dam, if in their opinion, 
 after due examination by a scientific engineer, the interests of the 
 Commonwealth would be promoted by such change. 
 
 An engineer employed by the committee estimated the cost of re¬ 
 building this dam on the old scite at nineteen thousand one hundred 
 and forty-three dollars. The engineer employed by the Canal Com¬ 
 missioners estimates it at twenty-one thousand nine hundred and 
 twenty dollars. This difference in a work of that character and 
 magnitude, is not material, and in round numbers, twenty thousand 
 dollars might be considered a fair estimate. The cost of constructing 
 a dam about a mile higher up the creek, at or near M’Guffin’s Falls, 
 and extending the feeder to that point, is estimated at twenty-nine 
 thousand dollars, and would avoid the necessity of keeping up a 
 guard bank of about three fourths of a mile in length, of which a 
 part has already been swept away, and being composed of light allu¬ 
 vial material, will always be subject to injury from freshets. The 
 aqueduct over French creek, needs considerable repairs. One of the 
 abutments mu3t be rebuilt; and the upper end of one pier has given 
 way. The timber of the superstructure is decayed, and must be re¬ 
 newed. Large deposites of sand and gravel have been made at dif¬ 
 ferent points of the canal, by the discharge of streams and freshets 
 from the hill sides. 
 
11 
 
 The berm bank has in many places been protected by a timber wall 
 at the foot of deep side cuts. Much of this will require repairing, 
 and in some places renewing—some of the bridges ought to be re¬ 
 paired. 
 
 The object and design of this feeder, being to supply the Conneaut 
 and Shenango lines of the Pennsylvania canal, usually denominated 
 the Erie extension, with water, at the summit level, by conveying 
 the waters of the French creek into Conneaut lake, making use of 
 said lake as a reservoir. The feeder then, is entirely useless, until 
 one or both those lines are made navigable. Should the Shenango 
 line be completed, the waters of Conneaut lake alone might be suf¬ 
 ficient to supply that, for the limited trade that will be thrown upon 
 it previous to the connection with the lake been completed. If these 
 premises are correct, as your committee believe them to be, the 
 French creek feeder, as such, will not be needed until the canal from 
 Conneaut lake to Erie is finished, which in all probability will not be 
 before the spring of 1842. To put the feeder in complete navigable 
 order during the present season, will only be to expose it to the fury 
 of floods and storms, and the more slow, though not less certain 
 operation of all-destroying time and natural decay, for two years 
 before it is actually wanted. 
 
 Your committee, therefore, are of the opinion that any expenditure 
 upon the French creek feeder at this time, except for repairing a few 
 of the bridges, and providing materials for the dam which ought to 
 be put under contract during thq present season, would be injudi¬ 
 cious, if not altogether useless. For this purpose the sum of fifteen 
 thousand dollars would be sufficient. 
 
 FRANKLIN LINE. 
 
 One of the dams upon this line has been entirely swept away. A 
 canal was substituted for the dam and slackwater, which is about one 
 third completed. Another dam has been partially destroyed, thus 
 rendering the navigation entirely useless, except for descending, 
 when the water is high. The principle amount necessary to put 
 this line in navigable order, will be required for repairing the dams. 
 The towing-path in some places stands in need of repairing, and in 
 some places has been repaired. 
 
 The construed >n of this line seems to have been very unwise, and 
 a further expenditure of money in repairing it, would also seem to be 
 
12 
 
 injudicious. If the waters of the French creek should be found ne¬ 
 cessary to supply the Shenango and Conneaut lines, the capacity of 
 the feeder will be adequate to convey nearly all the waters of that 
 stream, except during the periods of freshets or wet seasons, into 
 Conneaut lake, as the reservoir for supplying the above mentioned 
 canals. Having thus diverted the stream from its natural channel, 
 would it not be folly to maintain dams and locks, collectors, supervi¬ 
 sors and lock keepers upon a stream, that for three-fourths of the 
 boating season, will be destitute of an adequate supply of water? 
 
 Your committee believe it would be advantageous to the inhabi¬ 
 tants along the French Creek valley, to have the dams removed, leav¬ 
 ing to them the unobstructed natural descending navigation of the 
 stream. Yet the committee are unwilling to recommend such an 
 apparently destructive measure, until the completion of the Erie 
 extension be consummated, when actual demonstration will prove the 
 correctness or fallacy of their anticipations. 
 
 WEST BRANCH. 
 
 The West Branch canal is in fine navigable order, seeming to re¬ 
 quire very little repairs, except what may be necessary for giavelling 
 and cribbing the dams, and repairing and rebuilding a few bridges. 
 With regard to the amount actually necessary for properly, and as 
 near as may be, permanently, securing the dam, the committee had 
 not, as has been already stated, the means of acquiring accurate infor¬ 
 mation, but when they take into consideration the time, the season and 
 circumstances under which the report and estimate was made by the 
 engineers, they are disposed to suspect that those estimates are pre¬ 
 dicated upon information obtained from irresponsible, or probably 
 interested persons, rather than founded upon actual, careful, personal 
 examination. And when they observe, as they have frequently had 
 occasion to do, the strong disposition manifested throughout those 
 reports, to avoid erring on the side of economy and frugality, the 
 committee feel constrained to believe, that the amount required for 
 repairing the dams on the West Branch, are greater than a judicious 
 application of the repair fund would justify. These remarks may 
 be deemed invidious, perhaps taken as unkind, but they result from 
 the honest convictions of the committee, after a deliberate investiga¬ 
 tion of the whole subject. Your committee entertain the opinion 
 
13 
 
 that the sum of forty thousand dollars will be amply sufficient for 
 repairs on this division, during the ensuing year. 
 
 NORTH BRANCH. 
 
 This division of the public improvements is far from being in 
 good condition, but is navigable at present, and perhaps with proper 
 c-are may be kept, during the season, in a condition to accommodate 
 all the business that may be offered. The feeder dam at Lacka¬ 
 wanna has been destroyed by a freshet since the adjournment of the 
 Legislature. A temporary dam has been constructed, which now 
 turns the water into the canal, but that cannot be expected to last 
 long. The dam should be rebuilt with the least possible delay. The 
 scite of the old dam is a very bad one, being a gravel bottom, a por¬ 
 tion of which has been washed out to the depth of twelve or fifteen 
 feet, and requiring a guard bank on the north side of considerable 
 extent. The committee were informed by several respectable gen¬ 
 tlemen who are acquainted with the locality, that there is a situation 
 about a mile and a half up the river, from the present dam, where a 
 rock foundation could be obtained, with rocks on each side of the 
 river, where a permanent dam might be erected at a small expense. 
 Such a change would, however, of necessity encounter the expense of 
 extending the feeder; what that would amount to, the committee had 
 no opportunity of ascertaining; but would suggest, as in the case of 
 the French Creek feeder dam, the propriety and probable utility of 
 authorizing the Canal Commissioners to investigate the subject, and 
 exercise their discretion, as in their opinion the interests of the Com¬ 
 monwealth might require. A portion of the vertical wall, on the 
 towing-path side, at and below Pittston, and a part of the berm bank 
 wall, above Pittston, has fallen down, and several hill slips have oc¬ 
 curred, leaving considerable obstruction in the canal. For a more 
 detailed account of the repairs necessary upon this line, the com¬ 
 mittee submit the following statement, made by Dr. Whippo, who 
 1 was employed by and accompanied the committee. 
 
 North Branch Division, below Nanticoke Dam. 
 
 In order to put this division in complete repair, it will be neces¬ 
 sary to raise the wall between the guard lock and the upper end of 
 the pier head, adjoining the dam, to rebuild the guard lock, make a 
 
14 
 
 new one at Henlock’s creek, rebuild the seven lift locks, repair fifty- 
 five road and farm bridges, and repair the Nanticoke dam. 
 
 The most economical plan to do this, it appears to me, would be 
 to build the crib above the guard lock, repair the bridges and Nanti¬ 
 coke dam, make the ordinary repairs, and furnish the materials for 
 the locks during the present season; and next season draw off the 
 water and build the locks, using the old foundations and irons, which 
 I have no doubt would answer, with some slight alterations and re¬ 
 pairs. This would be more economical than to build the new locks 
 beside the old ones with the water in the canal, because we should 
 not only save a heavy expense in the two items just referred to, but 
 we should also save the unavoidable expense of pumping and bailing 
 water in the seven lift locks. 
 
 The locks should be built on the combined plan. The guard 
 lock at Henlock’s creek is necessary, as the water of this stream 
 frequently rises very high, which, with the present guard gates, often 
 stops the navigation for several days at a time. I would locate this 
 lock below the creek, and let the water in flood times discharge itself 
 over the wier now constructed. The banks of the canal, and the 
 adjoining banks next the river, between the guard lock and this 
 stream, are in several places washed away. This was done several 
 years ago by a high flood, which destroyed the embankment adjoin¬ 
 ing the guard lock, and let the water into the canal below, making so 
 heavy a pressure upon the banks as unavoidably to break them. 
 
 By making the new guard lock where I propose, it will not be 
 necessary to repair these banks. If the water of the river should 
 ever rise high enough to flow over the banks, (which must be a rare 
 occurrence,) and cover the towing-path, it cannot at any rate remain 
 up long, and would not therefore be a very serious inconvenience. 
 A. heavy expense would in this way be saved in raising and repairing 
 these banks; the floods of Henlock’s creek could never do any injury, 
 as they would all be discharged over the wier, and the navigation 
 could not be impeded, except in very extraordinary floods, and then 
 only for a very short time. 
 
 The following estimate of the cost of the locks, I feel confident, is 
 sufficiently high to cover the cost, making them upon the combined 
 plan, and in the most substantial manner. In examining the estimate 
 of the cost of the locks upon the Wyoming line, above Nanticoke 
 dam, which are made upon the combined plan, I find that none of 
 
15 
 
 Shem cost more than five thousand dollars, except one, (the third) 
 which cost $5,389. The others cost a little more than four thou¬ 
 sand dollars, except two, which cost $3,585 each. The locks on 
 the West Branch cost nearly four thousand dollars each on an ave¬ 
 rage, those on the Delaware division, four thousand seven hundred 
 dollars each, and those on the Juniata division, (Frankstown line,) 
 three thousand one hundred dollars each. It is true that similar work 
 will cost more now, on account of the increased price of labor and 
 provisions; but then, by using the old foundations and irons, nearly 
 as much may be saved as will balance this disadvantage. 
 
 Another reason which induces me to believe that the estimate is 
 high enough is, that several individuals entitled to credit on this line, 
 informed me that the stone could be delivered at the scites of the locks 
 at one dollar a perch; and as a confirmation of this statement, Mr. 
 Crownover, one of the supervisors, told me that he had entered into 
 contract with responsible individuals, to build several bridge abut¬ 
 ments of stone , at two dollars a perch, including the excavation of 
 the foundations. 
 
 The bridges, in my opinion, ought to be built upon a cheaper plan 
 than to make stone abutments. As I said above, they are fifty-five 
 in number, twenty-four of which require simply to be keyed up, and 
 they will last several years. The remaining thirty-one stand on 
 wooden tressels, which are so much decayed and broken as to render 
 them unsafe—the superstructures are in some instances decayed at 
 the ends also. These bridges can be cheaply repaired by sloping 
 down the embankments at the ends of the bridges, and putting in two 
 additional reaches and two new tressels at each bridge. The tressel 
 on the berm side could be set a little further in towards the canal 
 than the old ones, and the superstructure keyed up, and the decayed 
 ends cut off. In this way, they may be made useful and good for 
 many years. 
 
 In regard to an additional feeder for this line of canal, I can only 
 say, that none can be taken in of any value, so far as I know, ex¬ 
 cept by making a high dam across the river at the head of Rocky 
 Island, which would be exceedingly expensive and injurious to the 
 river navigation. Fishing creek, which has been talked of as a 
 feeder, becomes so low in dry seasons, that it would hardly be worth 
 while to incur the expense of taking it in. Besides, I am of opinion 
 that the line can be sufficiently supplied from Nanticoke dam. In 
 
16 
 
 making- the guard lock at this place, a sluice should be constructed,, 
 sufficiently large to let through the requisite quantity of water; and 
 as there is a descent on the bottom of the canal, of one-tenth of afoot 
 in a mile, and as the banks of the canal are thick and apparently 
 strong, I have no doubt that a sufficient supply could be sent down, 
 without doing any injury to the canal or the navigation; it is true it 
 would cause a considerable current in the canal; but when it is con¬ 
 sidered that much the largest portion of the freight—perhaps nine- 
 tenths of it—will be downwards, and that the return boats will 
 generally be empty, this objection will have but little force. 
 
 Estimated amount of money necessary for the present season, upon 
 the supposition that the bridges will be repaired , and the timber - 
 crib above the guard lock built. Including also , the expense of 
 ordinary repairs, procuring the materials for the locks , and com¬ 
 pleting Nanticoke dam , viz: 
 
 Repairing fifty-five road and farm bridges, 
 Building timber crib above guard lock, 
 
 $3,850 00 
 3,650 00 
 
 Repairing aqueducts and waste weirs, rebuilding walls, fac¬ 
 ing banks, &c., &c., say, 10,000 00 
 
 Procuring materials for eight locks, 19,200 00 
 
 Do do one lock, 3,000 00 
 
 Completing Nanticoke dam, 1,500 00 
 
 Total sum for this season, 
 
 $41,200 00 
 
 Estimated amount of money necessary to put the line in complete 
 repair , upon the supposition that the locks will be built next 
 season and the water drawn off for that purpose, viz : 
 Workmanship on seven locks, $19,950 00 
 
 Do. one lock, 3,750 00 
 
 Do. do 2,600 00 
 
 Pumping and bailing water at guard lock, and making 
 
 dam above to turn off the water, 1,500 00 
 
 Total amount for next year, $27,800 00 
 
 Add estimate for materials, repairing bridges, &c., <fcc., 
 
 as above, viz : 41,200 00 
 
 $69,000 00 
 
17 
 
 WYOMING DIVISION, 
 
 Between Nanticoke Dam and the Lackawanna Creek. 
 
 To put this division in complete repair, it would be necessary to 
 rebuild the dam across the Lackawanna, which has recently been 
 swept away ; to repair two bridges ; the aqueduct across Mill creek ; 
 rebuild a piece of vertical wall, which has fallen down ; cleaning out 
 the canal in several places ; make a large amount of wall and em¬ 
 bankment along the pool above Nanticoke dam, and a towing-path 
 bridge over the pool near its lower termination. 
 
 The two latter improvements, however, are not absolutely neces¬ 
 sary to keep up the navigation. I am informed that there is not now, 
 and has not heretofore been, any considerable amount of business 
 done upon this division, and I presume there will not be, until the 
 entire communication is completed to tide and to the state of New 
 York. I would suggest, therefore, whether it would not be good 
 policy on the part of the State, to omit these expensive improve¬ 
 ments for the present. The communications above alluded to, are 
 now in progress. When they are completed and the business becomes 
 extensive and active, as it probably will do, they will be found ne¬ 
 cessary, and should then be made without delay. 
 
 Should these improvements be omitted, as I suggest, the estimate 
 for this division, will then be as follows, viz : 
 
 Rebuilding dam across the Lackawanna, $10,000 00 
 
 Repairing two bridges., 200 00 
 
 Breach in wall, 540 00 
 
 Mill Creek aqueduct, 600 00 
 
 Clearing out canal, &c., 1,500 00 
 
 $12,840 00 
 
 In these views the committee concur, except the omission of the 
 towing-path along the pool of the Nanticoke dam. If the navigation 
 is to be kept up at all, that towing-path ought to be repaired. And, 
 as it will require a considerable quantity of stone, some of which 
 must perhaps be brought some distance, the work ought to be com¬ 
 menced immediately, when the stones could be procured by using 
 the canal or the pool of the dam. For this item, ten thousand dol¬ 
 lars would probably be sufficient for the present season. Thus 
 making the whole amount necessary for the repair of the North 
 Branch canal, sixty-five thousand dollars. 
 
 2 
 
SUSQUEHANNA DIVISION. 
 
 With the exception of the Middle Creek aqueduct, this line of 
 canal is in very good repair. The aqueduct alluded to is in a pre¬ 
 carious condition. At the time the committee visited it, the naviga¬ 
 tion was interrupted for about two days, in consequence of one of 
 the piers having given way. The mason-work of those piers, origi¬ 
 nally, appears to have been badly executed, and nearly all require 
 repairing ; the abutments remain firm, but the timber of the super¬ 
 structure is considerably decayed and will require to be renewed. 
 Some of the locks leak a good deal und require repairing. A number 
 of the lock gates are decayed and somewhat shattered, so as to ren¬ 
 der new ones necessary in the course of next winter. Some ten or 
 twelve bridges need slight repairing, but the expense will be incon¬ 
 siderable. The banks generally on this line are strong, and seem to 
 require very little expenditure. 
 
 Of the sum requisite for repairing the Shamokin dam, the com¬ 
 mittee had not the means of acquiring accurate information, but are 
 of the opinion that the estimate made by the engineer is larger than 
 will be really necessary® 
 
 The following sums are believed to be fully adequate to meet the 
 necessary expenses on the Susquehanna division, viz: 
 
 Shamokin dam, $12,000 00 
 
 Repairing Middle Creek aqueduct, 7,000 00 
 
 Ordinary repair, 16,000 00 
 
 Whole amount, 
 
 DELAWARE DIVISION. 
 
 $35,000 00 
 
 The Delaware division of the Pennsylvania canal requires, and is 
 now undergoing extensive repairs. In addition to the ordinary re¬ 
 pairs rendered necessary by time and the natural decay of materials, 
 this line sustained material injury by the freshet in January last, and 
 also by the more recent one during the last month. The damage 
 has been temporarily repaired and the water let in. The hope was 
 entertained, when the committee was there, that the canal would be 
 in navigable order in the course of a few days. 
 
 The feeder dam at Easton is undermined, and one of the abutments 
 entirely destroyed. The lock at this place is also much out of repair. 
 Some of the bridges need repairing, and others will have to be rebuilt. 
 
19 
 
 The culvert and aqueduct at the head of Rocky falls, are being re¬ 
 built. The aqueducts at Gallows run and Durham creek have been 
 rebuilt; and that at Tinicum partially so. One or two of the locks 
 are slightly collapsed, and otherwise in want of repair; many of the 
 locks need but slight, others more general repairs. The locks on this 
 canal are but eleven feet wide, and the canal in many places too nar¬ 
 row for the accommodation of the increased trade, which the exten¬ 
 sive coal fields, to which it constitutes a principal outlet, will eventu¬ 
 ally throw upon this line of improvements. Your committee are of 
 the opinion that wherever it becomes necessary to rebuild locks, the 
 dimensions thereof should be increased to fifteen or sixteen feet, so 
 that, in time, the capacity of the whole line may be made commen¬ 
 surate with the business that may be offered. 
 
 The towing-path, in many places, is too low, and subject to be 
 overflown during high freshets; this cannot be obviated without 
 incurring enormous expense. As to the expediency of encountering 
 this expense at this time, your committee express no opinion. The 
 banks of the canal, where they have not been injured by the late 
 freshets, are generally in good order. On this division, the com¬ 
 mittee think, considering the extensive injuries done by the late 
 freshet, the sum of forty thousand dollars may be required. 
 
 The committee did not visit the Columbia rail road, not having 
 had time to do so during the recess and not choosing to neglect their 
 official duties in the Senate chamber. 
 
 The whole amount, then, which the committee deem necessary for 
 the repairs of the public improvements, exclusive of the Columbia 
 and Philadelphia rail road, is as follows, viz: 
 
 Eastern divisiofi, .... $40,000 
 
 Juniata division, - 80,000 
 
 Allegheny portage rail road, ... 25,000 
 
 Western division, - 35,000 
 
 Beaver division, .... 30,000 
 
 French Creek feeder, - - - 15,000 
 
 West Branch, ----- 40,000 
 North Branch, - 65,000 
 
 Susquehanna, - - - - - 35,000 
 
 Delaware division, - - - - 40,000 
 
 Total amount, - - - $405,000 
 
20 
 
 If to this be added fifty thousand dollars, for ordinary repairs on 
 the Columbia rail road, and one hundred and ninety-two thousand 
 dollars, being the amount applicable to repairs this year out of the 
 three hundred thousand dollars, appropriated by the act of February 
 9th, supposing that the seventy-eight thousand dollars which has 
 been drawn by the old supervisors, to have been applied to the pay¬ 
 ment of old debts, we would have the sum of six hundred and forty- 
 seven thousand dollars appropriated to repairs for the present season; 
 a sum much larger than has ever been devoted to that object in any 
 one year heretofore. 
 
 By a report made by the Auditor General to the House of Repre¬ 
 sentatives, on the 20th of February last, it appears that there has 
 been expended for ordinary repairs, during the three preceding years, 
 the following sums, viz: 
 
 1836, .... $324,551 40 
 
 1837, - 399,026 24 
 
 1838, .... 302,217 13 
 
 3)1,025,794 77 
 
 Making an average of - - 341,931 59 
 
 This estimate, though far below that of the engineer’s, your com¬ 
 mittee deems ample and liberal. Your committee are sensible of the 
 evil effects of being too penurious in making appropriations for re¬ 
 pairs. The public agents should always be sufficiently provided 
 with money to enable them to pay cash for materials furnished and 
 services rendered. This would enable them to make purchases on 
 the most advantageous terms, and command the services of the best 
 laborers. The commonwealth ought to be known as the best pay¬ 
 master, instead of being liable, as is sometimes the case, to be stig¬ 
 matized as the worst. But while plenty should be given, profusion 
 should be carefully guarded against. Too great liberality on tHe part 
 of the Legislature, might encourage a spirit of negligence or prodi¬ 
 gality on the part of the public officers, and the system which is 
 intended to promote economy and frugality in the necessary disburs- 
 ment of the public money, may, by a too generous advancement, be 
 productive of a contrary effect. 
 
 The Committee cannot overlook the fact, that, in the late reports 
 made by the engineer, occasion seemed to be taken and a disposition 
 
21 
 
 was strongly manifested to swell the estimates to an unreasonable 
 amount. This circumstance, taken in connection with some expres¬ 
 sions used by the Canal Commissioners, evinces an earnest desire to 
 create an impression upon the public mind, that under the late ad¬ 
 ministration, the public improvements had been neglected, and had 
 suffered from the want of timely repairs. Of such negligence, the 
 committee take occasion to say, they have, upon inquiry and ob¬ 
 servation, found no evidence. The repairs which are now neces¬ 
 sary, are incident to the common wear and tear of the works and the 
 natural decay of the materials of construction. In some instances 
 there may have been a defectiveness in the original construction, but 
 that took place long before the late administration came into power; 
 consequently it was not chargeable with those deficiencies. The 
 officers under the late administration not only expended the whole 
 appropriation made for repairs, but incurred a debt of one hundred 
 and thirty-seven thousand dollars in making necessary repairs to keep 
 the improvements in proper condition. The fault then, if any there 
 is, would seem to rest upon the Legislature, who had neglected to 
 make the necessary provisions for keeping up repairs. 
 
 Your committee regrets the necessity of adverting to these things. 
 They deprecate the introduction of any thing like political or party 
 feeling in the prosecution or management of our internal improve¬ 
 ment system ; but the inference was too glaring to escape observa¬ 
 tion, and too palpable to be permitted to pass unrebuked. The com¬ 
 mittee would also observe, that in relation to the present supervisors 
 on the lines, so far as their conduct came under the personal observa¬ 
 tion of the committee, no want of attention or care has fallen with¬ 
 in their view. A disposition to subserve the interests of the com¬ 
 monwealth, by keeping the improvements in the best possible condi¬ 
 tion, was everywhere evinced; Some complaints were made in re¬ 
 gard to the payment of debts contracted by their predecessors. In 
 that, however, the subordinates have only acted in accordance with 
 the instructions received from their superiors. 
 
 The committee have accused the engineers with a disposition to 
 increase the amount required for repairs beyond what a liberal policy 
 and sound prudence would justify. To sustain this allegation, they 
 will refer to a few particular items, which they have had full oppor¬ 
 tunity of carefully examining. 
 
 The Laries creek aqueduct, on the West Branch division, the en¬ 
 gineer says, “ requires a course of heavy stone compactly placed 
 
22 
 
 round each pier and abutment to secure their foundations ; unless 
 this be done, a sudden rise in the creek might cause the total destruc¬ 
 tion of the structure.” Estimated cost one thousand two hundred and 
 fifty dollars. At the time the committee visited this aqueduct, the 
 water was low and clear, affording a full opportunity of seeing every 
 part of it, except the foundation, which is under ground. This struc¬ 
 ture has now stood for some four or five years. The walls are firm, 
 and appear very substantial, not having a crack, nor any other evidence 
 that the foundation or any other part thereof has given way in the 
 least, or is likely soon to do so. The timbers of the trunk are also 
 firm and solid and the trunk leaks very little. But the engineer says, 
 “ a sudden rise in the creek misrht cause the total destruction of the 
 
 o 
 
 structure.” True, such an event is not without the range of possi¬ 
 bility. Extraordinary freshets and violent convulsions of nature 
 sometimes demolish the most permanent works of human construc¬ 
 tion. But the legislature might as well appropriate twenty millions 
 to renew all our public improvements, as to give one thousand two 
 hundred and fifty dollars for repairing the Laries creek aqueduct.— 
 To do what is recommended by the engineers would not only ob¬ 
 struct the passages of the water and thereby endanger the safety of 
 the aqueduct. The utmost that the most cautious prudence could re¬ 
 quire would be the placing a course or courses of flat stones around 
 parts of the piers, which could be done at a small expense, as stone 
 are close at hand. Even this the committee deem unnecessary. 
 
 The next and last items which the committee intend to notice, 
 are the aqueducts over Stony creek* and Paxton creek, on the 
 eastern division—the cost of the former, estimated at seven thou¬ 
 sand eight hundred dollars, and the latter at six thousand dollars.— 
 The walls of both those structures have given way. Some of the 
 stone used are the red sandstone, of which some appear to have dis¬ 
 integrated by the action of frost and weather. To prevent this, and 
 to strengthen the arches, wooden centres, composed of timber and 
 plank, has been placed within the arches. These timbers appear per¬ 
 fectly sound, as does also the lining of the aqueducts, which is also 
 of timber, excepting a few pieces that are slightly decayed on the out- 
 
 * The committee have been told, by the supervisor on this line, that the estimate 
 of seven thousand eight hundred dollars for the Stony Creek aqueduct, was intend¬ 
 ed for that at Clark’s creek: if so, it is not so extravagant, though still double what 
 the committee conceive to be necessary. 
 
23 
 
 side. Your committee conceive there is no occasion for extensive re¬ 
 pairs to either of those aqueducts; they are light and with slight 
 judicious repairing, not exceeding four hundred dollars each, may 
 stand for a number of years. Your committee observed numerous in¬ 
 stances where a corresponding exaggeration existed in regard to the 
 amount required, but anxious to make this report as brief as circum¬ 
 stances will permit, they forbear to particularize any further. 
 
 The engineers have reported nearly one hundred thousand dollars 
 as necessary for clearing out canals and pools, and in some places 
 have connected with these item3, the repairing of the towing-path. 
 How much may be necessary for the two former items, the committee 
 cannot tell; the canal being filled with water, they had no oppor¬ 
 tunity of seeing the amount of deppsite at the bottom; neither could 
 they ascertain how much had been removed since the report was 
 made. Judging, however, from circumstances within their know¬ 
 ledge, the committee would infer that a portion of the cleaning out 
 had already been done. Evidence of this appears at some places on 
 the banks of the canal, and further evidence is adduced from the fact, 
 that boats now navigate every part of the canals with facility and un¬ 
 obstructed when the levels are properly filled. 
 
 The repairs of the canal banks form another item which may be 
 increased or diminished to any requisite amount, at the discretion of 
 the supervisors. It is desirable that our canal banks should be pro¬ 
 tected by a vertical, slope or rip-jap wall throughout their whole ex¬ 
 tent, except where they are composed of rock or gravel, and are ca¬ 
 pable of resisting the action of the water. Much work of this char¬ 
 acter has already been done; more still remains to be done. To 
 undertake it all in one season would be injudicious, and very expen¬ 
 sive. The weaker parts should be first protected, and by complet¬ 
 ing some every year, the whole may in a few years be perfectly se¬ 
 cured. Different opinions prevail even among those who have had 
 considerable experience on the subject, respecting the best mode of 
 securing the canal banks. Some recommend vertical wall, others 
 prefer slope wall, whilst a third class insist that rip-rap, made of 
 stones broken small, is preferable to either of the other modes. The 
 committee are of opinion that slope wall, commenced about eighteen 
 inches below the surface of the water, composed of good stones care¬ 
 fully laid down, will constitute the cheapest and best protection that 
 can be made. It seems to combine economy, durability and utility 
 in a greater degree than any other that has fallen within their view. 
 
24 
 
 Before the repair of any of the dams is undertaken, your commit¬ 
 tee would recommend a careful personal examination by some com¬ 
 petent engineer, at a time when the water is low and an accurate es¬ 
 timate can be made, for they feel assured that the estimates heretofore 
 made cannot be relied upon with certainty. 
 
 The committee was also required to ascertain the amount of money 
 actually due for repairs, and materials furnished for repairs; and 
 whether any supervisors have unsettled accounts, and whether they 
 have procured authenticated vouchers without paying the amount due 
 laborers and others. 
 
 There seems to have been some misapprehension in regard to the 
 amount due, or alleged to have been due for repairs, under the late 
 supervisors, on the first day of February last. The present board of 
 Canal Commissioners evinced a laudable desire to have the precise 
 situation of the public improvements, at the period these improve¬ 
 ments passed from the hands of their predecessors into theirs, laid 
 before the Legislature; so that whatever of merit or demerit belonged 
 to either, should be attributed to the proper source. Whether they 
 intended by the term predecessors, to include all who had preceded 
 them in the capacity of Canal Commissioners, or alluded only to the 
 board which immediately preceded them, the committee cannot de¬ 
 termine, but the general impression made by the different communi¬ 
 cations submitted to the Legislature, and the action of the House of 
 Representatives on the premises, seemed to place the latter construc¬ 
 tion upon their course. A similar misunderstanding seems prevalent 
 in relation to the communication made to the Governor by the Canal 
 Commissioners, on the 25th of March last, and by him transmitted 
 to the Legislature, setting forth the amount of debts due by the com¬ 
 monwealth, on the finished lines of canal and rail road, on the first 
 of February last. The prevailing impression was, that the amount 
 given, ($310,574 62,) was due by the preceding supervisors for re¬ 
 pairs, and in a bill which came to the Senate a few days previous to 
 the adjournment on the 27th of March, there was the sum of three 
 hundred thousand dollars to pay old debts. Your committee were of 
 the opinion that those reports included items which did not properly 
 come under the head of repairs, and for which specific appropriations 
 had been made; and for the purpose of ascertaining this, asked for 
 and obtained the authority under which this report is made. Justice 
 to the former board demands that these points should be fairly under¬ 
 stood, not only by the Legislature, but by the community at large. 
 
25 
 
 On careful examination, your committee discovered that the report 
 above alluded to contained, in some instances, sums due for damages, 
 for which specific appropriations have always been made, and for 
 which the money must yet be in the treasury, unless the Legislature 
 neglected to appropriate a sufficient amount. In other instances, the 
 amount due to lock keepers is embraced; this too is payable out of a 
 separate fund, over which the Canal Commissioners have no discre¬ 
 tionary control. The money due to contractors and others for work 
 done, and materials furnished, on the road to avoid the inclined plane 
 at Columbia, constitutes a heavy item in that report. This, although 
 not placed under the direction of a separate superintendent, is in fact 
 new work, which has been specifically provided for. In the bill 
 which passed on the 9th of February last, there was thirty thousand 
 dollars appropriated to this road, and in the bill above alluded to, as 
 passed in the House of Representatives, there was an appropriation 
 of thirty-nine thousand dollars, making an aggregate of sixty-nine 
 thousand dollars, specifically provided for the payment of money in¬ 
 cluded in the item of three hundred thousand dollars, for the payment 
 of old debts, in the same bill. Thus, virtually making two appro¬ 
 priations for the same object. 
 
 The same circumstance occurs int relation to the amount due for 
 iron, purchased for relaying a portion of the northern track of the 
 eastern division of the Columbia and Philadelphia rail road. By the 
 act of 8th January, 1838, there wa3 appropriated for this purpose, 
 the sum of $59,060. Of this sum, $28,060 remained in the treasury 
 on the 1st February last, and the former superintendent, Mr. Russell, 
 on the final settlement of his account, since, has refunded $2,533 68, 
 leaving an unexpended balance of this fund of $30,593 32 ; and 
 yet this sum forms a part of the $300,000 alleged to be necessary to 
 pay old debts. On the upper part of the Eastern division of the 
 Pennsylvania canal, the supervisor has included the amount expend¬ 
 ed for repairing the aqueduct over the Juniata at Duncan’s Island, 
 and that expended for the construction of additional locks below 
 Clark’s ferry, amounting in all to the sum of $30,000. This was 
 perfectly right on the part of the supervisor, acting under the resolu¬ 
 tion of the Board of Canal Commissioners, with the exception of an 
 inadvertent mistake, of which he has since given information to the 
 committee, and which reduces the amount $5,600. But it must be 
 remembered, that previous to the communication made by the board, 
 
26 
 
 namely, on the 9 th of February, a specific appropriation of $30,000 was 
 made to defray the cost of the above works, which money was in the 
 treasury, subject to the draft of the supervisors at that time, yet this sum 
 is made to constitute a portion of the three hundred thousand dol¬ 
 lars, so frequently referred to. Another item in that report, consists 
 of debts due and alleged to be due from the commonwealth, previous 
 to the 1st of January, 1836, and which cannot fairly be chargeable 
 to the immediate predecessors of the present board. Of the justness 
 and validity of those claims, as well as of many of the others, your 
 committee think there is strong reason to doubt. A considerable por¬ 
 tion of this class is composed of sums due on certificates issued by 
 John Foresman, formerly supervisor on the Delaware canal, during 
 the year 1832, ’33, ’34 and ’35. One thousand dollars is stated to be 
 due on the North Branch to Mrs. Nourse, which your committee find 
 to have been paid in December last, although not finally settled at 
 the Auditor General’s Office, until within the present month. There 
 is also a claim returned on the Allegheny portage rail road as due to 
 Garber and O’Conner, in the year 1836. That firm has been dis¬ 
 solved for several years, and this claim, if just and valid, would most 
 probably have been prosecuted to a final settlement long before this 
 time. The superintendent, in relation to this claim, says, “ it may 
 have been settled, but still stands against the commonwealth, by the 
 papers in the office, and my predecessor thinks it has not been.” 
 
 On the West Branch two of the Supervisors, Messrs. Maxwell and 
 Reeder, each return one thousand dollars, due to the contractors on 
 the Muncy dam. On enquiry, your committee find this to be one 
 and the same sum. That the return was so made by the supervisors, 
 seems to have been occasioned by a change in the division of this 
 line, sometime after the appointment of the supervisors, so that eaeh 
 of them for some time had charge of the Muncy dam, and may have 
 been strictly in the line of his duty in returning all the claims he 
 could find. 
 
 These circumstances, with others of similar character, excite a 
 suspicion on the minds of your committee that many of those claims 
 have been accepted and returned by the supervisors without that 
 strict attention to accuracy, and that scrutinizing investigation of their 
 validity which the security of the Commonwealth from gross impo¬ 
 sition requires, and which those officers would no doubt have be¬ 
 stowed upon them if they had been presented for final settlement. 
 
27 
 
 In support of this position, the committee will refer to some of the 
 reports made by the Supervisors. 
 
 Jacob B. Lyon, Supervisor on the Eastern division, has in his report 
 the following item : 
 
 “ Jacob Foreman, Esq., amount due him for services, he supposes , 
 about five hundred dollars.” 
 
 David Woods, one of the Supervisors on the Juniata division, says, 
 in his communication to the Canal Commissioners, in reference to 
 the amount returned by him, “ I would suggest that some, at least, of 
 these claims would, before payment, be the proper subject of inves¬ 
 tigation.” 
 
 Joseph Riter another Supervisior on the Juniata, says : 
 
 “You will observe there is in the inventory, a claim for lock 
 houses now being built. There are other claims, some of which I 
 have heard of, which with the lock houses will amount to about five 
 . thousand dollars more than I have reported.” 
 
 At the foot of the above communication we find the. following: 
 
 “ You will observe the amount is $10,715 84 
 
 Amount supposed not reported, 5,000 00 
 
 $15,71 5 84” 
 
 And this whole amount is included in the Commissioner’s report. 
 
 These circumstances induce the committee to believe, that the sum 
 included in the following tabular statement, under the head of 
 “ amount actually due for repairs under the former board of Canal 
 Commissioners,” will ultimately be materially diminished. The 
 subjoined statement exhibits the amount returned by the respective 
 supervisors, under the heads to which the committee believe they 
 appropriately belong. To effect this, has been a task of some dif¬ 
 ficulty and considerable labor, in the execution of which, some in¬ 
 advertent errors may have occurred, notwithstanding all their care to 
 j prevent it. The principle, however, the committee believe to be cor¬ 
 rect, and the errors, (if anyj they flatter themselves will not be ma¬ 
 terial. 
 

 * 
 
 
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TABULAR STATEMENT, 
 
 P. 23 
 
 Exhibiting the amount of money due by the Commonwealth upon finished lines of Canal and Rail Road, on the first day of February last, as returned by the present Supervisors. 
 
 SupersiR.irs' Xame-J. 
 
 Divisions, 
 
 Due for services rendered 
 per report of Supervisors. 
 
 Due for materials furnish¬ 
 ed, per report of Supcr- 
 sors. 
 
 Whole amount as report¬ 
 ed by Supervisors. 
 
 Motive Power. 
 
 Arn’t. actually due for repairs under the former 
 Board of Canal Commissioners. 
 
 Due for objects specifically provided for. 
 
 Del/ts contracted previous 
 j to 1st January, 
 
 Due for services rendered, 
 as corrected by the com¬ 
 mittee. 
 
 Due for materials as cor¬ 
 rected by the committee. 
 
 Lock-keepers. 
 
 Damages. 
 
 Columbia and Philadel¬ 
 phia railway. 
 
 
 Columbia and Phila. railway, 
 
 $2,965 50 
 
 $7,401 25 
 
 $10,366 75 
 
 10,366 75 
 
 $2,965 50 
 
 $7,401 25 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 do 
 
 2,244 08 
 
 47,163 33 
 
 49,407 41 
 
 
 
 931 66 
 
 
 
 $46,231 76 
 
 
 
 do 
 
 732 22 
 
 
 732 22 
 
 
 732 22 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 do 
 
 61,719 85 
 
 8,666 00 
 
 70,385 85 
 
 
 £94 70 
 
 
 
 
 70,091 14 
 
 
 John Snodgrass, 
 
 Allegheny Portage railway, 
 
 6,496 00 
 
 22,820 00 
 
 29,316 00 
 
 29,316 00 
 
 6,496 00 
 
 22,820 00 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 do 
 
 12,033 35 
 
 5,006 00 
 
 17,044 35 
 
 
 11,472 35 
 
 5,006 00 
 
 
 $566 00 
 
 
 
 
 Eastern division, 
 
 6,415 23 
 
 636 69 
 
 7,C51 92 
 
 
 
 636 09 
 
 
 2,143 00 
 
 Aqueduct and Locks. 
 
 
 J. C. M’Allister, 
 
 do 
 
 29,009 17 
 
 3,079 55 
 
 32,088 72 
 
 
 8,809 17 
 
 3,079 55 
 
 
 200 00 
 
 14,000 00 
 
 
 Thomas O’Brien, 
 
 Juniata division, 
 
 1,672 26 
 
 257 89 
 
 1,930 15 
 
 
 1,414 37 
 
 257 89 
 
 
 
 
 
 James Langton, 
 
 do 
 
 1,985 80 
 
 
 1,885 80 
 
 
 1,985 80 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 David Woods, 
 
 do 
 
 12,531 69 
 
 639 70 
 
 3,171 39 
 
 
 1,226 09 
 
 1,535 70 
 
 $410 00 
 
 
 
 
 William Price, 
 
 do 
 
 10,065 99 
 
 
 10,065 99 
 
 
 10,065 99 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Joseph Riter, 
 
 do 
 
 2,580 56 
 
 11,815 27 
 
 10,395 83 
 
 
 2,404 §6 
 
 
 176 00 
 
 
 
 
 A. Morris, 
 
 Western division, 
 
 847 64 
 
 441 58 
 
 1,289 22 
 
 
 
 1,031 52 
 
 258 00 
 
 
 
 
 David Watson, 
 
 do 
 
 4,825 00 
 
 2,143 00 
 
 6,968 00 
 
 
 4,825 00 
 
 2,143 00 
 
 
 
 
 
 James Horrell, 
 
 do 
 
 5,261 59 
 
 
 5,261 59 i 
 
 
 4,925 59 
 
 
 336 00 
 
 
 
 
 David Connor, 
 
 Delaware division. 
 
 2,746 86 
 
 
 2,746 80 
 
 
 1,969 42 
 
 
 
 
 
 $777 44 
 
 J. B. Calvin, 
 
 do 
 
 12,346 53 
 
 391 20 
 
 12,737 73 
 
 
 10,424 98 
 
 391 20 
 
 
 
 
 1,921 55 
 
 D. Y. Harman, 
 
 do 
 
 6,864 97 
 
 6,783 63 
 
 13,648 63 
 
 
 6,588 97 
 
 
 276 00 
 
 
 
 
 John Snyder, 
 
 Susquehanna, 
 
 401 03 
 
 
 461 03 
 
 
 90 85 
 
 
 
 370 18 
 
 
 
 John Shriner, 
 
 North Branch, 
 
 1,530 92 
 
 1,381 71 
 
 2,912 63 
 
 
 1,320 92 
 
 
 210 00 
 
 
 
 
 D. X. Kronnover, 
 
 do 
 
 1 125 00 
 
 
 1,125 (0 
 
 
 125 00 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Henry Reeder, 
 
 Yvest Branch, 
 
 1,309 00 
 
 
 1,509 00 
 
 
 1,000 00 
 
 
 124 00 
 
 185 00 
 
 
 
 Thomas Maxwell, 
 
 do 
 
 263 50 
 
 5,063 41 
 
 5,320 91 
 
 
 4,203 41 
 
 
 123 50 
 
 
 
 
 George Crane, 
 
 do 
 
 453 00 
 
 3,367 69 
 
 3,820 69 
 
 
 3,390 69 
 
 
 430 00 
 
 
 
 
 James Adams, 
 
 Franklin, 
 
 105 00 
 
 4,077 19 
 
 4,182 19 
 
 
 4,077 19 
 
 
 105 00 
 
 
 
 
 Hngh Brawley, 
 
 French Creek, 
 
 802 81 
 
 
 862 81 
 
 
 862 81 
 
 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 $179,459 55 
 
 $131,135 09 
 
 $310,594 64 
 
 | $39,682 75 
 
 $91,671 58 
 
 $45,234 46 
 
 1 $2,448 50 
 
 $3,464 18 
 
 130,322 81 
 
 $2,698 99 
 
29 
 
 The committee have understood that some of the former supervi¬ 
 sors have accounts that are yet unsettled, nor can they be settled, in 
 consequence of the Treasurer refusing to pay the amount due to them, 
 alleging that the appropriation is inadequate to pay those old claims 
 and the current expenses of the present supervisors. 
 
 The committee were informally made acquainted with several in¬ 
 stances where supervisors had taken receipts, or vouchers, without 
 paying the amount due, and but in one instance was it alleged that it 
 still remained unpaid. This being an isolated case, and one where 
 the supervisor had been removed by the former board, being but a 
 small amount, too, the committee did not deem it of sufficient impor¬ 
 tance to institute an inquiry, but content themselves with bringing 
 those circumstances to the notice of the Senate; it is but justice, how¬ 
 ever, to the supervisor alluded to, to state that he expressed a desire 
 that the matter might be fully investigated, and asserted that the 
 charges made against him were false. In the other cases alluded to, 
 and there were but three or four, the committee were informed that 
 the money had all been paid. 
 
 The committee have thus endeavored to lay before the Senate a 
 fair and candid statement of the present condition of our public im¬ 
 provements, with their estimate of the amount required for repairs, 
 and their opinions of the various matters referred to them. 
 
 All of which is respectfully submitted. 
 

 
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