The funds of the Company became absorbed by their heavy engagements, additional subscriptions were made to the Capital Stock until the amount exceeded one million of dollars, when they ceased, money was then borrowed. The first loan was made in the month of February 1823, by a single individual, Stephen Gi rard, Esq. the largest stockholder, it amounted to 230,850 dollars.
Unforeseen difficulties and occurrences followed the labours of the Company, several seasons of severe sick ness retarded their progress, and occasioned heavy pecuniary losses. One of the Canals near Reading passing through a limestone formation, containing nu merous sinks and caverns, was a cause of great vexa tion and delay. The bottom of it was finally planked, as the only effectual remedy within reach.
In the year 1825, the Navigation was to a consider able degree made complete from the Coal Mines at Mount Carbon to Philadelphia; from that time to the close of 1823, many valuable additions and improve ments have been made on the works, the navigation has been extended to Mill Creek, the channels of the river have been deepened and towing paths made along the pools of the Dams.
The Company after a series of years of toil and labor in this concern arc beginning to reap some fruit from their exertions, the trade and transportation which commenced in 1825 with a small amount, has increased at a steady and regular rate.
The navigation on the Schuylkill is of a mixed cha racter; it is in part in the river, and in part in the ca nals. It is a difficult matter to say, even after this experiment, which system of improvement is entitled to the preference. either as to cast or facility of trans port. It is a fact, that a horse towing a boat, will with greater ease go at the rate of four miles an hour in a pool, than three miles in a canal. On the other hand, the navigation of the river is frequently inter rupted by strong currents and high winds, so as to render it unsafe for boats to pass on it, when they can with safety use the canals.
The width of the river varies from one hundred to Eve hundred feet and upwards. In some places the darns are built upon the rocky foundation, in others, where there is no rock, they are erected upon sheet ings ol'logs running up and down stream. The height of
the dams is from 5 feet to 30 feet. The canals arc gene rally 34 feet wide at top water, having a depth of at least 3 feet; their length is from I of a mile to 22 miles. The longest level on a canal without interruption is 8 miles, and the greatest length of a pool about 52 miles. The locks are mostly 17 feet wide, and 80 feet long; the 5 upper locks are 13 feet 6 inches wide, which is found to be sufficient for convenient navigation. The boats used exclusively on the Schuylkill are from 11 feet to 13 feet wide, and 65 feet long, capable of carrying 32 tons. The Union Canal boats are 8 feet wide, 65 feet long, and 25 tons burden. They draw more water than the Schuylkill boats. It was calculated that the Schuylkill navigation should afford a depth of 3 feet of water throughout its whole extent; but as the boats from the Union Canal require more depth of water, it is designed to increase it to 3 feet 6 in ches from the junction of that canal to tide.
Beginning at the upper end, the fall in the Schuyl kill for 22 miles, is 250 feet; for the next distance of 22 miles, it is 180 feet, while for the remainder which is 64 miles, it is no more than 180 feet. A necessary consequence of this, is, that near the head, the dams and locks are very close one to another, the pools and canals are short, and the navigation tedious. The locks in some places are single, in others combined, 2, 3, 4, and 5, are joined together. There is a level towing path along the pools of the dams, stoned on the river side, and gravelled on the top; the boat chan nel is close along side of the path.
There are numerous farm and road bridges, cul verts, and aqueducts; some of wood and stone, others of stone altogether. Some of the locks are built of cut stone laid in cement; others are of dry wall plank ed. There is one tunnel 150 yards long, it is 17 feet wide, and 11 feet high.
The work has cost on an average about 20,000 dol lars per mile; the excavation of the canals in some places was done for S3,000 per mile; in others it rose to 15,000 and 20,000 dollars, and at one spot a single mile of excavation cost upwards of 60,000 dollars.