Commerce Overcomes Nature’s Obstacles

Canal Commissioners of Ohio Contract (c. 1820s)

The 1820s was a “canal era” in America’s economic development. The Erie Canal was completed in 1825, connecting New York’s Hudson River to the Great Lakes. Its success inspired other efforts, including Ohio’s canal network. These internal improvements had obvious economic benefits, but they were also marvels of engineering and labor. As the canal commissioners who superintended the planning and construction of these canals well understood, the projects pitted man’s ingenuity and effort against the obstacles of geography imposed by nature. The commissioners’ articles of agreement with contractors reveal their confidence in man’s ability to triumph over nature.

ARTICLES OF AN AGREEMENT, made and concluded this —— day of —— in the year —— between —— of the one part, and the canal commissioners of the State of Ohio, for and on behalf of the said State, of the other part, whereby it is covenanted and agreed as follows, to-wit: the said part —— of the first part contract and agree to construct, in a good, substantial, and workmanlike manner, all that part of the line of the Ohio canal, which is included in section —— reference being herein had to the location and map of the said line made by —— engineer agreeably to the following plan, that is to say: First, in all places where the natural surface of the earth is above the bottom of the canal and where the line requires excavation, all the trees, saplings, bushes, stumps, and roots shall be grubbed and dug up at least sixty feet wide; that is, thirty-three on the towing path side of the center, and twenty-seven feet on the opposite side of the centre of the canal, and together with all logs, brush, and wood of every description, shall be removed at least fifteen feet beyond the outward line of the said grubbing on each side; and on said space of fifteen feet on each side of said grubbing, all trees, saplings, bushes, and stumps shall be cut down close to the ground, so that no part of any of them shall be left more than one foot in height above the natural surface of the earth, and shall also, together with all logs, brush, and wood of every kind, be removed entirely from said space. And the trees, saplings, and bushes shall also be cut down twenty feet wide on each side of said space, so as to be cleared, and also all trees which in falling would be liable to break or injure the banks of the canal. And no part of the trees, saplings, brush, stumps, wood or rubbish of any kind shall be felled, laid, or deposited on either of the sections adjoining this contract. Second: The canal and banks shall be so constructed and formed, by excavation or embankment, as either or both may be necessary, in order to bring the same to the proper level, as designated by the engineers or either of them in the employ of said commissioners, so that the water may in all places be at least forty feet wide in the canal at the surface, twenty-six feet wide at the bottom, and four feet deep; each of the banks shall be at least two feet, perpendicular measurement, above the top water line; and such a slope shall be preserved on the inner side of the banks, both above and below the top water line, that every foot perpendicular rise in said banks shall give a horizontal base of one foot nine inches; the towing path, which shall be made on such side of the canal as said commissioners or either of them, or any engineer in their employ may direct, shall be at least ten feet wide at its surface, and not more than five feet in any place above the top water line.… All loose and porous materials, and those which are perishable or permeable to water shall occupy the outer extremities of the bank, and for the distance of at least ten feet, measured outwardly from extremity of the top water line on each side, the banks shall be composed, both above and below the top water line, of the most pure, solid, compact and water tight earth which the adjoining excavation can supply: and no vegetable mould, leaves, roots, grass, weeds, herbage, logs, sticks, brush, or any other substance of a porous or perishable nature, shall be left, laid or in any way admitted into the said space of ten feet last described. Third: In all cases of embankment, and where the bottom line of canal is above the natural surface of the earth, all the trees, bushes, saplings and stumps, on the space to be occupied by the canal and its banks, shall be cut close to the ground, and together with all logs, brush and wood of every description, shall be removed from a space of at least forty-five feet wide on each side of the centre of the canal.…

The lock shall be so constructed that the chamber will be 90 feet in length and 15 in breadth in the clear. The walls of the lock shall be of solid masonry laid in water cement, and well grouted with water cement as frequently as once in every two feet, as the walls progress in height from the bottom. The walls shall be five feet in thickness at the bottom of the lock, and four feet at the top water line of the upper canal, with buttresses firmly united and connected with the main wall, and rising from the bottom of the lock to the top water line, four feet in length each and extending back from the main wall four feet. These buttresses shall be 12 feet apart (measuring from centre to centre). Buttresses shall be so built that 20 feet in length of the walls opposite the upper gates, and 17 feet in length opposite the lower lock gates shall be 9 feet thick at bottom and 8 feet at the top water line. The face of the walls shall be laid in courses; the stone forming each course to be of uniform thickness throughout the course, well bedded and the joints well cut so as to make tight joints at least six inches back from the face of the wall. The face of the stones shall be rough cut or hammer dressed, except at the hollow quoins, which shall be cut smooth and true, agreeably to a pattern to be furnished by the engineer. When the face stone are of coarse sandstone or freestone, each course shall be at least one foot in thickness, and in all other cases not less than 10 inches. No face stone shall have in any place less than one foot bed, and in no case less bed than face. Binders or headers shall be placed in each course, extending from the face back through the main wall, so as not to leave more than ten feet in any one place between headers. The headers in each successive course shall be placed over the space between the headers in the next course beneath; and the face stones shall not be more than half an inch thinner on the back than on the face; culverts, to be formed with stone cut to the proper pattern, shall be constructed in the walls to pass the water from the upper canal into the chamber of the lock, with proper gates, all to be of such form and dimensions as the engineer having charge of the work may direct. The walls shall be covered with a copeing of firm, solid stone, of not less than three feet in width, well cut, jointed and bedded, and those next the gates securely cramped together with iron cramps.… The foundation of the lock unless a smooth and firm rock foundation can be obtained, shall be composed of solid white oak timber, hewed square, and one foot in thickness, to be laid horizontally across the foundation, level and even as near together as such engineer may direct, and well puddled between the timbers and covered with three inch white oak or pine plank free from knots, rots or shakes, well jointed and firmly tunneled or spiked to the timber beneath; a flooring composed of two inch white oak pine plank, free from rots, knots or shakes, well jointed and securely spiked with spikes ten inches in length, shall be laid throughout the whole chamber of the lock.…

And the said part —— of the first part further covenant and agree to erect and build, in a good, substantial and workmanlike manner, a culvert or culverts in such place or places, and of such form, dimensions and plan, as the Commissioners or either of them, the Resident Engineer, or any other engineer in the employ of said Commissioners, may direct, which shall in all cases be built of good substantial stone, laid in water cement, and made true and smooth, on the outer as well as in the inner side. And the said part —— of the first part further agree to construct a mole or pier of such breadth and height as said Commissioners or the engineer having superintendence of the work under them may direct, along the wash or slate banks on said section. Said mole shall be formed of good, solid, durable timber, of which that forming the sides of the mole shall be well hewed, and shall be at least twelve inches square and at least 25 feet in length; the sides shall be laid perpendicularly and securely connected together with ties not less than 10 inches in diameter, clear of bark, which shall be let into the side timbers with a dove tail and square shoulder at each end well fitted to said timbers so as to prevent their moving or sliding upon each other. Each tie shall be let into the timbers, on which it rests, half the thickness of the dove tail at the end, and the other half shall be let into the side timber next above, so that the side timbers will meet and form a tight joint, and the ends of the ties shall be cut off smooth and even with the outside of the mole. The cribs so formed shall be filled with slate, soap stone, or other stone or gravel, and a bank shall be formed on the inner side, next the canal, of the usual slope, of good solid earth as in other cases. The moles so formed shall at each end be securely united with the bank of the canal. All of which shall be done agreeably to the directions of the engineer having charge of the work.…

And it is further agreed, that whenever this contract, in the opinion of the inspector aforesaid, shall have been completely performed, in every respect, on the part of the said part —— of the first part, the said inspector shall certify the same in writing under his hand, together with his estimate of the amount of the various kinds of work herein specified … for the grubbing —— for clearing and removing the vegetable substances, agreeably to the terms of this contract, —— , for earth excavation, estimated all earth necessarily excavated between and under the banks, including loose pieces of rock, or stones, of less than one-fourth of a cubic yard each, (which are to be estimated as earth excavation,) —— cents per cubic yard: for the excavation of all solid rock which may occur in this contract, —— cents per cubic yard: for excavation of loose or detached pieces of rock or stones, (those only to be estimated under this item which are over one-fourth of a cubic yard each,) at the rate of —— cents per cubic yard: for each cubic yard of embankment necessarily made, (to be measured in the bank) —— cents: provided, that where any embankment is or can be formed in whole or in part from earth necessarily excavated in the construction of the adjoining parts of the canal, nothing shall be allowed for such embankment, or such part thereof as is, or can be, so formed, unless the earth to form the same shall be necessarily removed over one hundred feet: for each perch of mason work (of 16½ cubic feet) laid into the lock, agreeably to the plan furnished, or the direction of the Commissioners or either of them, the Resident Engineer, or other engineer in the employ of said Commissioners, to be measured in the wall, the sum of —— which price is understood to include the expense of the foundation, lock gates, timber and iron work connected with the lock, sheet piling, puddling and securing the head, sides, and foundation of the lock, from the passage of the water around or under the lock.…

It is further understood that all payments made by the commissioners, under this contract, are to be by draft or check on —— or other bank or agent of the Commissioners of the canal fund, where, or with whom, deposits of money may from time to time be made for the construction of the canal.

Concerning the Ohio Canals, Which Are to Connect Lake Erie with the Ohio River, Comprising a Complete Official History of These Great Works of Internal Improvement (Columbus, OH: John Kilbourn, 1828), 212–216.

READING AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS