The greatest independent water-supply for the Erie Canal is that for the western section. Fortunately an almost unlimited supply is avail able by tapping the Niagara River. From here it is necessary to carry a continuous supply easterly to the Seneca River. In order to pass i this water in requisite volume, the canal bottom on the long levels has been given a proper grade, which provides for carrying at least 1,237 cubic feet per second. It is estimated that this supply is adequate, not only for 10,000,000 tons seasonal traffic, for which the Barge Canal is designed, but also for the maximum traffic which the canal is capable of handling, namely, from 18,500,000 to 20,000,000 tons per season. To furnish the Rome summit level the existing sources of supply are retained and two new reservoirs, Delta and Hinckley, are built. The old Rome level was supplied by an extensive system of reservoirs and feeders, built largely in the Adirondack region. This entire system is retained, together with such portions of the old canal as are needed to bring the waters to the Barge Canal.
The Champlain Canal has a summit level be tween Lake Champlain and the Hudson River. The corresponding summit of the old canal was supplied by a feeder which took its water from the Hudson at Glens Falls. This same Glens Falls feeder, improved, supplies the needs of the northern portion of the new Champlain Canal, while the southern portion lies in the channel of the Hudson.
Seneca and Cayuga lakes, lying at the heads of their respective stretches of the Cayuga and Seneca Canal, form natural reservoirs to supply both this canal and the Erie branch between itsjunction with the Cayuga and Seneca Canal and Three River Point.
The Oswego Canal begins at Three River Point. Here Oneida and Seneca rivers unite, bringing their natural flow and also a part of the supplies from the Rome level reservoirs and Lake Erie. As the canal is chiefly in the Oswego River, its needs are amply met.
Electric equipment on the canal is of the newest design. In general a hydro-electric power station at each lock supplies the needed energy for lighting and operating. Some stations supply more than one lock, substations being provided where necessary. Gasoline electric stations are used at movable dams, where the head of water needed for developing power is destroyed by the act of raising the dam. The turbines and generators in each station are in duplicate. Also hand-operating devices are available in case both sets of electric in stallation are disabled.
The Barge Canal locks are built of concrete throughout, both side and cross walls and floor. At a few points, where favorable rock is en countered, the concrete floor has been dispensed with. The lifts range from 6 feet to 40%2 feet. Within each side wall runs a culvert for filling and emptying the lock. The culverts ate con nected with ports that open into the chamber at the bottom of the walls. These culverts vary in size, the dimensions being 5 by 7 feet for locks of 12 feet lift or less, 6 by 8 feet for lifts bctween 12 and 23 feet, and 7 by 9 feet when the lift is 23 feet or more. The lock gates are of the mitering, girder type, carrying the principal load as beams. They are built of steel, with single skin-plates, but have white oak quoin and toe-posts. The quoin-post swings on a cast-steel pivot, set in the concrete, and is held at the top by an adjustable anchorage. The bearing is against cast-iron quoin-plates set in the side walls. The locic-gates are each opened and closed by a steel spar equipped with a heavy coil spring to absorb shock and secured to the g:ate by a bronze pin. This gate spar is also equipped with a rack actuated by a seven horse-power motor acting through a train of gears designed to open or close the gates in about one minute. Movement of the gates is controlled from operating stands, located at each end of each side wall. The valves regulat ing the flow of water to the culverts are sus pended on two chains, which pass over chain wheels near the top of the valve wells to suitable cast-iron counterweights. The chain wheels are mounted on a shaft rotated by a motor operating through a train of gears. The movement of the valves is controlled in a manner similar to the movement of the gates. Electric capstans, one at each end of each lock, are provided to control the movement of boats along the approach walls and to tow them into and out of the lock chamber.
Reinforced concrete power stations, 20 by 30 feet in plan and about 20 feet high, are, in general, constructed adjacent to the various locks. The hydro-electric power stations, operated by the water in the canal, are each equipped with two vertical-shaft turbines, which in all but a few cases are directly connected to 50-kilowatt vertical-shaft generators, supplying direct current at 250 volts. The gasoline electric stations are each equipped with two generators directly connected to gasoline engines designed to operate at a speed of 600 revolutions per minute.