SCHUYLKILL NAVIGATION.—Among theim provements in the state of Pennsylvania, the works constructed for the purposes of Inland Navigation, on the Schuylkill, are entitled to a conspicuous place.
This River which the Commonwealth may truly call her own, having its origin in her Mountains and its termination in the Delaware within her limits, has claimed the care and attention of the Legislature from early times. Several acts have been passed relating to the improvement of its navigation, money has been raised for the purpose, and Commissioners appointed to expend it. Companies were incorporated to connect the Schuylkill with the Delaware and the Susquehan nab, and although at the time they commenced their operations the public mind was not sufficiently ripe to carry them through to a successful result, yet enough was done to show, that thus early, the subject was viewed as a very important one. The coolness and in difference which succeeded the abandonment of the labours of the Company to connect the Schuylkill with the Delaware, retarded for many years, any fresh at tempt to improve the navigation of this River. Serious apprehensions of a scarcity of fuel from its accustomed sources began to be entertained, and new channels of supply to be looked for: the certain know ledge that Anthracite Coal abounded on the head waters of the Schuylkill, connected with other causes, at length stirred up individuals tc attempt to improve its navigation from tide water to the coal region.
Application was made to the Legislature for the necessary powers, and in March 1815, an Act of As sembly was passed authorising the incorporation of a Company with full privileges. Subscription books were opened at several places and about 100,000 dol lars was subscribed. On the 2d of September, the Governor issued Letters Patent incorporating the sub scribers, and in a short time afterwards they were or ganized into the Schuylkill Navigation Company. The President and Managers had a difficult and arduous task before them; they were about to commence a novel undertaking, without the aid of skilful persons to execute the work, and with a very small capital.
With such assistance as could be obtained, they began the work in the spring of 1816, and steadily continued their operations, until by the close of the year 1820, they had nearly completed, in the upper section of the river, 15 dams, 14 canals, and 46 locks, and in the lower section, 8 dams, 4 canals, and 21 locks. The capital had been increased to 500,000 dollars. of which 50,000 dollars was subscribed by the Commonwealth. They had received 433,44'2 dollars, of which 390,889 dollars had been applied to the construction of the works, and 34,791 dollars to purchase Real Estate ne cessary to secure a supply of timber and avoid the payment of damages. The works thus in part accom plished were productive of but little advantage, for in conformity to the Act of Assembly they were con structed in different sections of the River and were unconnected.
In the original plan for effecting this improvement, it was contemplated that in many places it would be sufficient to make sluices in the Rh er. The experi ence of two dry seasons convinced the Managers that in the low state of the water, a more extensive work was necessary, and induced them to change the mode to one more permanent and substantial in its charac ter, consisting of Dams, and Locks, and Canals, throughout.
The Company engaged the services of Thomas Oakes, for their Engineer, a faithful man, and skilful millwright, who had acquired considerable knowledge of the art of Canaling in England, the place of his na tivity; he laid out nearly all the works from the mouth of Perkiomen Creek to the town of Hamburg; almost the whole distance between these two points was de signed for Canals, which he preferred to river naviga tion by Dams and Locks. He superintended the exe cution of them until his death, which occurred in Au gust 1823, when the Company were deprived of the aid of a most efficient and able officer.