Correspondence relative to the Canal Communication in Canada. services, the Board coincide in the recommendation which has been submitted by the Inspector General of Fortifications, that they should be deferred until the Canal is completed, and until the general question of the works required for its defence can be considered and finally approved, with the exception of such only of the proposed bridges as, by the Rideau Act, Government is bound to construct; and that, therefore, the lock-masters' houses, and a small reservoir to feed the first eight locks, which is provided in the original Estimate, should be constructed. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant, G. Butler, No. 114. EXTRACT of a Letter from Colonel Durnford, Commanding -IT is but mere justice to Lieut. -Colonel By to observe, that in water-works of such magnitude and variety, the usual allowance for contingencies appears to be inadequate, and that casualties may yet be expected, over which he can have no control; one of which, sickness, has already been a serious obstruction, and consequent cause of increase of expense, having rendered it necessary to prosecute excavations to a great extent, both of earth and rock, during the winter; so that too much reliance should not be placed even on this present heavy Estimate, which may yet be expected to be exceeded by several thousand pounds; but, should this happen, General Mann may rely on it not being attributable either to Lieut.Colonel By, his officers or contractors, of whose unremitted assiduity and perseverance I cannot speak too highly; and, as I have before reported, the whole of the works appear to be executing in the most substantial manner. No. 115.-LETTER from R. W. Hay, Esq. to the Hon. J. K. Stewart, &c. &c. &c. SIR, Downing-street, 18th August 1830. WITH reference to my letter of the 14th June last, transmitting a despatch from Lieut.-General Sir James Kempt, on the subject of the Expense which it would be necessary to incur for the formation of the Canals upon the Ottawa, in completing the Grenville Canal, and for altering its dimensions, when necessary, to correspond with those of the Rideau and of the other Ottawa Canals; I am now directed by Secretary Sir George Murray to transmit to you the copy of despatch from Sir James Kempt, by which it appears that the plan of feeding the Carillon Canal from the North River has been ascertained, and that a saving will accrue from this alteration to the amount of £. 26,854. 3. 34. sterling; and I am to request that you will lay the same before the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, acquainting their Lordships, that, under the circumstances stated in the latter part of Sir James Kempt's despatch, Sir George Murray is of opinion that he has exercised a sound discretion in directing that the works of the Carillon Canal should be prosecuted with all possible vigor to the amount of £. 38,412. 14. 10. I am, &c. No. 116.-DESPATCH from Lieut.-General Sir James Kempt to the Castle of St. Lewis, Quebec, Correspondence relative to the Canal Communication in Canadá. SIR, WITH reference to the Letter (33) which I had the honour to address to you on the 1st April 1830, I have now the satisfaction to acquaint you, that the practicability of the scheme for feeding the Carillon Canal from the North River has been ascertained; and you will perceive by the enclosed Plan, Report and Estimate, that a Saving will accrue from this alteration, to the amount of £. 26,854. 3s. 3 d. sterling. 3 You are already aware that on the 31st December 1829 there was an unexpected Balance of the sum appropriated by Parliament for the Canals upon the Ottawa PLAN, No. 2 & 3. for the past year (£. 32,213. 6. 8.) amounting to £. 15,412. 14. 10.; and as it appears by a communication from the Inspector General of Fortifications to the commanding Royal Engineer in Canada, that the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury propose to submit to Parliament an appropriation of £. 23,000. towards the progress of those Canals for the current year, I have directed that it shall be prosecuted with all possible vigour, to the amount of the aggregate of those two sums (£.38,412. 14. 10.) No. 117.—LETTER from Colonel Durnford to Lieut.-Colonel Couper, SIR, &c. &c. &c. Royal Engineers' Office, Quebec, WITH reference to your Letter, No. 29, for the 19th March last, and the correspondence on the subject; I have now the honour to forward, for the information of His Excellency the Commander of the Forces, Lieut. Colonel Du Vernet's Plan, Report and Estimate of the Carillon Canal, as connected with the proposed Feeder from the North River; and as the project appears to me to be perfectly feasible, and will be attended with a considerable saving, I beg to recommend the prosecution of the work on the said plan; and have therefore to request His Excellency's instructions, whether Lieut. Colonel Du Vernet shall use his utmost endeavours, by every method he can devise, to complete the same by the end of the next or following season; and whether a supply of money correspondent with the progress of the work will be available. I think it my duty to request specific instructions on the above points, as there is at present a limitation to the expenditure of only £. 23,000. for the present year towards the prosecution of all the works on the Ottawa under the superintendence of the Royal Staff Corps. Correspondence relative to the Canal Communication in Canada. No. 118.-REPORT and ESTIMATE of the probable Expense of constructing a Canal to turn the Carillon Rapids, as connected with a Feeder from the North River, to be completed in two years from the commencement; amounting to £. 45,464. 0. 4. sterling. HAVING ascertained that the North River, which flows through the wild lands on the north side of the Ottawa, and falls into it below the village of St. Andrew's, was on a higher level, and approached so near in one situation as to be available PLAN, No. 2 & 3. as a Feeder for the proposed Carillon Canal; after a careful examination of the ground, it is considered the line laid down on the accompanying Plan is the nearest and best, the distance being only 1,150 yards, and without any cutting through high ground. By the construction of two Dams on the North River, in the situations marked, of nine feet in height, a depth of four feet in water, with the trifling excavation shown by the Section, may be obtained at all times, and may be used as a Canal for Batteaux, for the conveyance of produce from the Back Settlements, if required, as it is proposed making it 12 feet wide at the bottom, with slopes of 45 degrees; a Sluice being placed at the end near the Canal, the walls will serve as the piers for the bridge for the high road, which it will be necessary to make along the ridge. By constructing a Dam 10 feet high across the lower end of the valley, from the lowest part of the ridge to a projecting bank, in a diagonal direction, and cutting six feet and a half deep below what is considered the highest rise of the Ottawa at the upper entrance of the Canal, the same level may be continued throughout, and strong banks be formed by cutting through the bank, as expressed on the Plan, and forming the valley into a Bason. A lock will be necessary at the upper entrance, 21 feet high, to admit of boats entering it at the lowest water, and to be above the influence of the highest. At the lower end a double lock of 10 feet lifts the coping of the upper of an equal height with the first, and that of the lower 15 feet above what is considered low water at the foot of the rapid. Near the dam it is proposed making a Waste Weir over the rocky bank, to carry off the superfluous water into the Ottawa over the cliff. According to this project, the great expense of cutting through rock, which was necessary in the former Plan, will be saved, and a reduction made from £. 72,318. 3. 74. to £. 45,464. 0. 4. in the construction of the Canal, which will not only be wider, but will be capable of being navigated by boats drawing seven feet of water, if required, and may be completed a year sooner. No. 119.-LETTER from R. W. Hay, Esq. to the Hon. J. K. Stewart, SIR, &c. &c. &c. Downing-street, 13 Sept. 1830. I AM directed by Secretary Sir George Murray to transmit to you herewith, for the information of The Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, a copy of a Dispatch which has been received from Lieut.-General Sir James Kempt, enclosing an Abstract Report of the Expenditure on the Rideau Canal, up to the 30 June last. No. 120. DESPATCH from Lieut.-General Sir James Kempt, to the SIR, Castle of St. Lewis, Quebec, HAVING received from the commanding Royal Engineer in Canada the enclosed abridged Abstract Report of the Expenditure on the Rideau Canal to the 30th ult. amounting to £.441,183. 7. 8. I do myself the honour of herewith transmitting it to you, for your your information. I have the honour, &c. (signed) James Kempt. 20 July. |