also as much a work of supererogation as for the United States to exercise the like authority and employ the like agencies in a foreign country in order to appropriate individual property therein for the benefit of the government of such foreign country, which, as a sovereignty, had powers of its own fully adequate to the purpose."

The difficulty which confronted the Engineer officers was that there

was no State or United States statute under which lands could be condemned. The Federal power of eminent domain had lain dormant from the beginning of the Government. The Michigan Court held that that circumstance was of no importance, that the power existed, and in this opinion it was afterwards confirmed by the highest tribunal in the land.1 General Poe, learning of the lack of power of the State, suggested the enactment of a law by Congress confirming the right and power to seize and condemn the lands needed.

1Kohl United States, 91 U. S., 367 (1876).

But General Humphreys, Chief of Engineers, directed otherwise, and the District Attorney of the United States for the Eastern District of Michigan was authorized to negotiate for the purchase of the required lands. In September, 1872, Henry H. Swan, then Assistant United States District Attorney,1 visited Sault Ste. Marie, and was successful in procuring the necessary deeds to the water front of certain private land claims. lying east of the proposed improvement. The State Board of Control finally purchased the required portion of claim No. 68, and the Governor of the State of Michigan was in 1875 authorized to convey Private Land claims 68 and 76 to the United States for the improvement of the canal.2 General Poe was in charge of the work of enlargement until May 1, 1873, when he was relieved by General Godfrey Weitzel.

The first contract for the improvement of the canal had been let October 20, 1870, and the first stone of the lock was laid July 25th, 1876. Public exercises were held when the laying of the first stone took place. The meeting was presided over by Hon. Peter B. Barbeau and several vicepresidents. Among others Louis P. Trempe, Guy H. Carleton, Thomas Ryan, Dr. Oren B. Lyon. Remarks were made by General Weitzel, Harlow P. Davock, C. E. Assistant Engineer, George W. Brown and Henry W. Seymour. General Weitzel said in substance:

"We have assembled here today to celebrate in a quiet and informal manner an event which all of us who are responsible for this work, and I am sure all of those who are interested in it, have looked forward to with anxiety and impatience. No one regrets more than I do that we could not have celebrated this event a year ago. The delay was not caused by any fault of myself or of my assistants. It was caused by the laws, which we as members of the executive branch of the government are bound to obey to the letter. We are here to witness the setting of the first stone. of the new locks. The beautiful custom of celebrating the setting of the first stone of buildings which are designed merely for society and local uses obtains throughout the civilized world, and where, however, this event happens on a work of such great importance as this it is the custom in other countries, and in our own, where it is located near the more populous district to celebrate the occasion with great pomp and pageantry, and in the presence of the highest dignitaries of the land; but here in this remote and sparsely settled portion of the country this was impossible. But by our presence here today we show to those who would have been here if they could, and to all those interested, that we fully and deeply appreciate the magnitude of the occasion, although we can only show it in a modest and informal manner. I said this is a great work; it is truly so;

'Now District Judge of the Eastern District of Michigan. 2Public Acts of 1875, p. 20.

THE LITTLE DOCK ENGINE WAS INSTALLED ON THE NYPANO DOCK IN CLEVELAND, 1867. THIS METHOD OF UNLOADING ORE CONTINUED UNTIL 1880.

it is more than a local, a state, or even a national work; it is international in its character. The facilities for bringing out of the vast Superior region its varied valuable and immense riches and scattering them in one form and another not only in our own country, but in many other parts of the earth, will be increased and the cost diminished. In this way it affects not only the people of our own country, but the people of other nations. Let us, then, cheerfully devote a few minutes of our time today to do honor to this occasion, and let us all hope that we may soon celebrate the next and greatest event, that is, the day on which the first vessel or tow shall be locked through these magnificent locks."1

After the close of navigation on November 15th, 1880, a coffer dam 1,700 feet long was completed across the head of the canal, and the canal was drained and the old curved pier on the south side removed, and what is known as the new south pier was extended across the entire front of Private Land Claim No. 3, but not on the fast land, and the canal was widened and deepened to an uniform depth of sixteen feet of water, and in the spring of 1881 that part of the dam between the canal piers was dredged

out.

The chamber of the Weitzel lock is 515 feet long between hollow quoins, 80 feet wide, narrowed to 60 feet at the gates; the depth is 391⁄2 feet; its capacity is 1,500,000 cubic feet. The lift of the lock is eighteen feet; the depth of the miter sills is seventeen feet.

The cut stone of the walls of the lock was obtained from Marblehead, Ohio, and Kelley's Island; the backing from Drummond's Island, which is in St. Mary's river, near Lake Huron, in Michigan. Messrs. Boyle & Roach, of Cincinnati, Ohio, were the principal contractors in the construction of this lock. Their names appear on the tablet built in the masonry, and these are the only names carved in these great works.

The lock was opened to navigation September 1, 1881, and the first lockage took place on September 4th, when the steamer City of Cleveland passed through.3

Approximately the cost of the lock and improvements was as follows:*

Movable dam foundation and pier swing bridge and wickets.

95,500.00

32,000.00

150,000.00

. $2,150,000.00

Purchase of land, grading and sloping

Engineering, office expenses, superintendence

Total cost of new lock and canal

'Scrapbook of Hon. H. P. Davock.

Report of Chief of Engineers, 1882, Appendix J. J., and report of Alfred Noble, Assistant Engineer.

Historical Sketch. First Lieutenant Harry F. Hodges, Corps of Engineers. Ann. Report of Chief of Engineers, for 1886, Appendix J. J.

This lock was named in honor of General Godfrey Weitzel, of the Engineer Corps, U. S. A., who during its construction from May 1, 1873, was the officer in charge.

He was absent several months in 1878, during which time Capt. Alexander Mackenzie was placed in charge. Alfred Noble, Assistant Engineer, had the local and immediate supervision of the work from its beginning to its completion, and resigned September 1, 1882. He was afterwards member of the first Nicaragua Canal Commission and of the United States Deep Water Ways Commission, and still later of the Isthmian Canal Com. mission.

'Report of Chief of Engineers for 1882, Appendix J. J. Report of General Weitzel.