Table of Contents
Why were locks required when building the Erie Canal?
The Erie required 83 locks, each made of stone, to move boats up and down the natural elevations. The locks were designed so that each needed only one person for its operation. The canal also required the construction of 18 aqueducts to carry the canal over bodies of water.
Who were the workers on the Erie Canal?
Some laborers were Irish immigrants, but most were U.S.-born. For eight years of wet, heat, and cold, they felled trees and excavated, mostly by hand and animal power, mile after mile. They devised equipment to uproot trees and pull stumps and developed hydraulic cement that hardened under water.
What are locks and how did they work on the Erie Canal?
Erie Canal locks consist of two sets of Miter-V gates to form the chamber and contain the water , underground tunnels for the water to flow in or out and tunnel valves (they resemble guillotines) to open or shut the water flow through the tunnels.
Did the Erie Canal use locks?
Locks on the Erie Canal. The present Erie Canal rises 566 feet from the Hudson River to Lake Erie through 35 locks. The original “Clinton’s Ditch” Erie Canal had 83 locks. The Enlarged Erie Canal, built between 1835 and 1862, saw this number reduced to 72 locks.
Where is Lock 13 on Erie Canal?
Quick Description: Lock 13 has always been visible from Interstate 90, with the pump house situated just nort of the eastbound lanes.
Did the Erie Canal pay for itself?
The Erie Canal Enlargement program was completed in 1862. The toll charges not only paid for the construction of the canal but brought in a surplus which covered a substanial portion of the New York State budget. In 1882 the toll charges for the Erie Canal were eliminated.
Is the Erie Canal open now?
August 9, 2021 The New York State Canal System is open for the 2021 navigation season and there are no tolls or fees for recreational use. The hours of operation for the 2021 season are as follows: Standard hours of operation until navigation season closing date on October 13, 2021, are: 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
How many locks are there on the Erie Canal?
The Enlarged Erie Canal, built between 1835 and 1862, saw this number reduced to 72 locks. Today, there are 35 numbered locks — although Lock No. 1 is usually called the Federal Lock — plus the Federal Black Rock Lock.
Why did people work on the Erie Canal?
With stops along many parts of New York State, trade and travel grew and the state prospered. A large number of laborers, many of whom were immigrants, worked to construct the Erie Canal.
Who was the Governor of New York during the Erie Canal?
A fleet of boats, led by Governor Dewitt Clinton aboard the Seneca Chief sailed from Buffalo to New York City in record time—just ten days. The canal transformed New York City into the commercial capital it remains today.
Why did the C & O Canal need labor?
The C&O Canal Company relied on the wage labor force to construct the canal at a low cost to investors. In this equation, the laborers were an expense to be minimized; the less they were paid, the more the investors made. Skilled tradesmen, carpenters, and stonemasons were needed for the locks, aqueducts, and culverts.