The claimants should receive by themselves, and not by attorney or order, to prevent a speculation on them, which has already commenced, by persons obtruding themselves on them, and trying to obtrude them on the government, to secure the payment of their claims on shares of onehalf or one-fourth. I shall continue, as opportunity offers, to complete the report from time to time, and will have a meeting in every town interested as soon as I am apprized the claimants are come in from hunting.

I have the honor to be, respectfully, dear sir, your obedient servant, BENJAMIN HAWKINS.

WILLIAM H. CRAWFORD,

Secretary of War.

1st Session.

No. 191.

IN SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES.

SEPTEMBER 5, 1850.

Submitted, and ordered to be printed, and that 2,000 additional copies be printed for the use of the Senate.

Mr. UNDERWOOD made the following

REPORT:

The Select Committee to whom was referred the memorial of Charles Ellet, jr., civil engineer, asking for an appropriation of funds to be applied to the improvement of the navigation of the Ohio river, by constructing reservoirs on its tributary streams, submit the following report:

The committee, fully appreciating the importance of the object which the memorialist proposes to accomplish, have examined the evidences of the practicability of the plans which he offers, and have given to his illustrations and statements a careful consideration. These evidences are highly imposing, and appear to the minds of the committee to be quite decisive of the question first presented for their investigation-the practicability of improving the navigation of rivers by the mode suggested. The plan proposed by Mr. Ellet for this object is exceedingly simple, and may be explained in a few words. He alleges, truly, that the navigation of the Ohio, and that of many other rivers flowing into the Mississippi, is always good when the channel is well supplied with water; and that it is often interrupted, and sometimes for very long periods, by a greater or less deficiency of the natural supply of water. He proposes, therefore, to correct the faults of the navigation simply by furnishing water to the river in times of drought; and this he maintains can be easily and cheaply accomplished, by constructing extensive reservoirs on the tributary streams, in which an ample store may be collected at times of flood, and from which it may be discharged by appropriate sluices and valves whenever it is needed to replenish the failing channel. The physical questions which arise in deciding on the practicability or propriety of adopting this plan,

are:

First, what is actually the quantity of water which it would be necessary to supply per hour, or per diem, to maintain the navigation at any given height during the ordinary droughts of summer? and,

Secondly, where can this water be collected and stored in sufficient volume to secure a full supply during the sixty or eighty days of low water which frequently occur in the summer months?

On the first of these points the testimony offered by the memorialist is, in the view of the committee, most ample and satisfactory. He submits, on this subject, a printed memoir of his own, recently published as a part of the transactions of the Smithsonian Institution, in which are exhibited the details of numerous observations and measurements made by himself

from actual survey, on the discharge of the Ohio river over the bar at Wheeling, in almost every navigable condition of the stream. The facts obtained from these measurements he has carefully applied to authentic records of the daily height of the water in the channel at Wheeling, so as to determine the number of cubic feet which flowed past that point, day by day, through a period of six consecutive years.

The results of this inquiry demonstrate that the volume of water which is annually discharged by the river would be sufficient, if it passed off uniformly, to maintain a constant depth of nine feet on the Wheeling bar. The fact is thus established that there is abundance of water sup plied by nature to secure a permanent navigation on this river, if it be in the power of man to control, or only partially to control, and regulate its discharge. But a depth of nine feet is not at all necessary for the present wants of the navigation. If a depth of only three feet can be perma nently secured by this process, it will, in the opinion of your committee. diffuse wider and greater benefits over a large portion of the west that any other work of public improvement which has ever been suggested. The attention of the committee was therefore earnestly directed to the point. A depth of three feet is sufficient for the movement of boats 100, or even 150 tons; and that depth, constantly maintained in the Ohi would effectually protect the country against exorbitant freights, and an serious obstruction of travel.

The committee learn, from the observations made by Mr. Ellet Wheeling, that when there is a depth of three feet on the bar at the place, the river discharges a daily volume of four hundred millions of cut: feet. But they also find, on the authority of the same measurements, th about one half of this quantity is actually supplied by the natural flow the river during the ordinary low water of summer, for it very rare happens that the depth falls below 22 inches at Wheeling; and whe there are 22 inches on the bar, there are, in round numbers, 200,000,0 of cubic feet flowing over the bar in every twenty-four hours.

The difference between the discharge of the river when the depth 22 inches and the discharge when it is 36 inches, is thus found, by ca ful gauging on the spot, to be 200,000,000 cubic feet per diem. This therefore, the volume which must be drawn from the artificial store order to maintain the navigation for one day so as to permit the pass. of boats of three feet draught; and to uphold this depth for one week, thes must be provided not less than 1,400,000,000 cubic feet.

But in this calculation no allowance is made for the loss attributable the evaporation from the surface which takes place during the summe months. This evaporation the memorialist states to be about 6 inch in depth per month; and he estimates the area of the surface of the O at low water, from its source to its mouth, at 5,000,000,000 square fe From this data we deduct for the evaporation which takes place in g week, from the whole surface of that river, 580,000,000 cubic feet. T would increase the supply that must be furnished by the reservoirs son 40 per cent. above the net calculation which has been already presented. But it is contended by the memorialist, and apparently with reason, th there is no propriety in making any such allowance, because this evap ration actually takes place in the ordinary state of the river. All the s from that cause is made up by the tributaries in the present condition things; and it is, therefore, only the increased loss due to the increase breadth of surface exposed to the sun and wind, when the depth is in

creased, that can properly enter into the computation. But an increase of one or two feet in the depth does not produce an appreciable increase of the width of the river; and, consequently, such increase of depth cannot produce an appreciable increase of evaporation.

It results that, to maintain a depth of three feet on the bar at Wheeling -which will be equivalent to the maintenance of full three feet on any part of the river below Wheeling, and very nearly that amount above Wheeling-we must be able to draw 1,400,000,000 cubic feet from the reservoirs every week. The problem, therefore, seems to be reduced to the simple determination of the dimensions of a reservoir capable of furnishing this quantity of water at the head of the Ohio, and the possibility of finding space in the upper valleys for the creation of such reservoirs. This is really the whole problem; for, if we can create a reservoir that will supply a draught of three feet for one week, we may, by multiplying such reservoirs, supply a volume sufficient to maintain the same depth for one or more months; and hence throughout the droughts of

summer.

But it is known that a reservoir only one mile square and 50 feet deep will hold nearly 1,400,000,000 cubic feet of water, and will be capable, therefore, of maintaining a depth of three feet in the Ohio during a period of seven days.

Now, the committee cannot doubt, from their own knowledge of the mountains and valleys of this country, that it is perfectly practicable to form reservoirs that will contain a volume equal to one mile square and fifty feet deep.

The descent of the Allegany river, along a considerable portion of its course, is about two feet per mile.

It is obvious, therefore, that a dam 50 feet high on that stream would create a pond or lake 25 miles long, of which the average depth would be 25 feet, and the average width certainly one-fourth of a mile. Such a reservoir will contain 4,000,000,000 cubic feet, or three times as much water as has been found to be necessary to support a navigation of three feet for a period of seven days. In fact, such a lake would suffice to keep up a depth of three feet during a space of three weeks together— allowing nothing for the contents of the lateral branches which the lake would form in this space of 25 miles.

But the committee find, on comparing Mr. Ellet's tables of the volumes of water flowing down the Ohio, corresponding with given depths, that there are artificial pools actually existing in this country, which have been created for other purposes, but which contain water enough to sustain this navigation for many consecutive days.

The first dam on Kentucky river is said to be 15 feet high, and to set the water back 27 miles, forming an artificial lake of that length, with several lateral branches. The average width of this pool is not known from actual survey; but assuming that it is one-sixth of a mile, or only 880 feet, and its average depth but 11 feet, this reservoir must contain just about 1,400,000,000 cubic feet, or the quantity which, discharged into the upper Ohio, will produce a depth of 3 feet, and maintain it for the space of one week.

Many other works might be adduced which would produce similar effects upon this navigation, if they were in position to be made available for that purpose; but the committee deem it unnecessary to multiply examples to establish a fact in itself so obvious. They are satisfied that the

tributaries of the upper Ohio will furnish many appropriate sites for the creation of reservoirs, where land possesses but little value, and private interests are not likely to be impaired by the erection of the dams.

It can scarcely be doubted, in face of the evidences and facts which the author of this plan has submitted, that a depth of three feet can be obtained by the formation of a few large reservoirs on the tributaries of the Ohio, and providing suitable apparatus for the discharge of the water as it is needed. And it is equally apparent, that if a depth of three feet can be obtained by this process, four feet can be also secured by an increase of the number or size of the reservoirs. But, on this head, the measurements of Mr. Ellet show, that to obtain a depth of four feet will require the provision of about twice as much water as would be needed. to secure a depth of three feet. The cost of providing for a draught of four feet will therefore be about double the cost of maintaining a draught of three feet. The tables before the committee further demonstrate, that to secure a draught of five feet will require somewhat more than three times the volume of water, and hence involve a cost more than thrice as great as would be needed to support a permanent navigation for boats drawing only three feet.

The committee deem it unnecessary to comment upon the practicability of constructing such dams as will be essential for the success of this plan, or to speculate upon their security or probable durability. The Lehigh Navigation Company alone have erected no less than 28 dams for the ac commodation of a portion of the anthracite coal trade of Pennsylvania, and many of these dams are over 30 feet, some over 40, and one 58 feet in height. High dams and long pools or great reservoirs are to be found also on the Schuylkill, the Susquehanna, Potomac, and James rivers, and many others on the rivers of Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana.

The plan proposed for feeding the Ohio does not necessarily involve the construction of any description of works which have not been already and often constructed in this country, nor contemplate the erection of dams more than half as high as some that have been a century in use in Eu rope. It is well known that the principal reservoir which feeds the canal of Languedoc, in France, is formed by an embankment of earth more than 100 feet high, and nearly half a mile in length. That embankment has accomplished the object for which it was erected, and retained all the water which supplies the greatest canal on the continent for a period of more than 160 years, without failure or accident. Another reservoir on the same summit is formed by a stone wall more than 60 feet high, and which has been in successful use through a period of 70 years.

If the foregoing views be correct, the committee are obliged to regard the western rivers as great canals, of which the fall is slight, and the motion of the water consequently sluggish. These rivers may therefore be fed just as canals are fed, by means of reservoirs. But as they are canals of larger dimensions than artificial canals, they demand reservoirs of larger dimensions to supply them with water. And as they give passage to a greater commerce and float larger boats, and affect larger interests than are accommodated by any existing canals, so they justify the expenditure of greater sums, and the creation of larger works, to supply them with water and perfect their channels.

To accommodate the commerce of central New York and the lakes, about $40,000,000 will have been expended in the construction and enlargement of a single canal. The Ohio river, nearly three times as long,