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1903. ] THE TRENT VALLEY WATERWAY. By R. B. Rogers C. E., Chief Engineer, Trent Canal. The term “Trent canal” is applied to a projected waterway for barges through central Ontario, to connect Georgian bay, on Lake Huron, with Lake Ontario, at Trenton, the head of the Bay of Quinte. ‘The distance between these two lakes by the pro- posed route is about 200 miles. Where canaling is necessary the prism has a width of 50 ft. on the bottom, with side slopes of 2 to 1 in earth, and 4% to r in rock. The locks are 134 ft. in length by 33 ft. in width. ‘The depth of water at present over the sills is 6 ft., but all the works are being constructed so that a draught of 8 ft. can be obtained at very little extra expense. ‘The. capacity of barges drawing 8 ft. will be about 800 tons. The water supply is obtained from an immense system of lakes to the north, most us which have regulating dams at their outlets. It is a mis- nomer to call it a canal, as out of the whole distance of 200 miles not more than 15 or 20 miles will be actual canal—in the remain- ing part the beautiful lake and river stretches are utilized for the navigable channel. The general line of this canal was that chosen by the imperial government for the purpose of opening up a transportation route between the great lakes as far back as the year 1825. Large sums of money were spent by the imperial government in opening up this route—in fact the imperial govern- ment actually voted a sufficient sum to complete the route as far as Balsam lake, but immediately after they had done so the Mc- Kenzie rebellion broke out, and the money thus voted was appro- priated to quell the rebellion. Every advantage was taken of the natural features of the river, and the land lying along the route, in order to reach a navigable channel, either by canalizing the river or making flooded reaches. The river with its high rocky banks, from its entrance into the Bay of Quinte at Trenton as far as Frankford, it was proposed to canalize by a system of dams and locks, af which there will be seven, by which means a beautiful, wide and deep navigable channel will be obtained. The route then passes through the river for about 4 miles to Chisholms Rapid lock. This lock is of masonry, and was built about seventy years ago, but is still in good condition. The route still passes through the river to a point known as Hoard’s creek. From Frankford to Hoard’s is at present navigable. From this point it is proposed to strike across the country for a distance of 10 miles to Crow bay. A greater part of this section will be flooded reaches. From its entrance into Crow bay the route crosses Crow bay to the river below Heeley’s falls. It is proposed to canalize part of this river as far as the falls, and to surmount the falls with an hydraulic lift for a height of 53 ft. This brings us into a naviga- ble reach of about 54 miles, at the north end of which is the town of Peterborough. ‘This stretch includes 14 miles of river - Navigation as far as Hastings, where there is a masonry lock and dam built by the imperial government.. The route still follows the river for about 6 miles, and then about 12 miles through the beautiful Rice lake, and then about 22 miles of as fine river navi- gation as can be found in any part of Canada to the town of Peterborough, where there is another masonry lock which was built by the imperial government. From this point the route stretches across the country to Nassau, on the river Otonabee, a distance of about 4 miles. ‘The difference in level between these two points is 78 ft. which is overcome by means of an hy- draulic lock, of 65 ft.; and an ordinary lock of 13 ft. About two- thirds of this section is a flooded reach. From Nassau to Lake- field—a distance of about 5%4 miles—the river is canalized by means of five locks and dams. ‘The section from Peterborough to Lakefield is all completed with the exception of the steel superstructure of the hydraulic lock, which is, however, under construction, and it is expected will be completed about the mid- dle of the coming summer. From Lakefield the route passes through a succession of beautiful lakes to the entrance of the canal at Balsam lake, a distance of about 65 miles. ‘The lakes passed through are Katch- awannoe, Clear, Stony, Lovesick, Deer, Buckhorn, Pigeon, Stur- | geon, Cameron and Balsam. The difference in level between Lakefield and Balsam lake is about 85 ft. which is overcome by nine locks which are generally placed between the different lakes. From Balsam lake the route strikes across the country for about 5 miles on a level stretch, when it drops 50 ft. into the valley of the Talbot river by means of an hydraulic lock. From this point the route follows the valley of the Talbot river—-- which is raised some 21 ft.—to about the boundary between the townships of Eldon and Thorah. At this point a succession of five locks are met with, which brings us to the level of Lake Simcoe, at a point about 3 miles north of Beaverton. ‘The sec- tions between Balsam lake and Lake Simcoe are under contract, and will be completed next year. The route then passes through Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching, which are of course navi- gable, and it will either pass across the country to Matchedash bay or Georgian bay, a distance of 13 miles, or follow the river Severn to its entrance into Georgian bay. All the structures recently constructed are built of concrete. No more suitable material for the construction of locks:and dams could be wished for. The locks are of the ordinary type, with the exception of the hydraulic locks. The valves for filling and emptying the locks are placed in the gates. The apparatus for opening and closing the gates consists of a stiff steel beam fast- MARINE REVIEW AND MARINE RECORD. ened to the top of the gate. To either end of this beam is fast- ened the ends of a wire cable which passes around the corrugated drum of a capstan which is let into a void below the coping of the lock. ‘Tile drains, encased in stone, are placed below the floor and at different levels at the back of the lock walls, in order to relieve the floors and walls of any hydraulic pressure that might arise. The hollow quoins are lined with cast-iron in order to make a smooth surface against which the gates may work. ‘The gates are of the solid timber pattern. Owing to the great amount of lockage to be overcome hydraulic locks were introduced in order to save time. The smaller streams are carried below the prism of the canal where necessary by means of pipe culverts, and the larger streams by concrete culverts. Where at all possible the highways and railways are carried across the canal on high level bridges, which it is proposed in future to construct wholly of concrete. The head room allowed below the bridge to the sur- face of the water is 25 ft. Where it is not convenient to use high level bridges the highways are carried across the canal on steel swing bridges—the abutments and piers of which are of concrete. The first dams constructed were of timber with a wall or “cut off” of concrete on the upper side. Stop log openings are left in the dam in order to be able to regulate the spring freshets, ~ which sometimes rise to ten times the ordinary flow. A timber slide is left in each dam for the passage of sawlogs and timber All dams at the present time are built wholly of concrete. A short description of the hydraulic lock at Peterborough may be interesting. There are two watertight steel boxes, or chambers, 33 ft. in width by 140 ft. in length, with 8 ft. of water in the clear, and closed at the ends by means of gates hung on the lower edge. Similar gates also close the ends of the reaches. These chambers are carried by means of heavy trusses supported on top of two rams 7 ft. 6 in. in diameter, which work in two steel watertight presses, one under each chamber. The presses are connected with each other by a pipe 12 in. in diameter, in the center of which a valve is placed for the purpose of regulating the motion of the chambers. For the purpose of making up for the small quantity of water lost in the working of the main press an accumulator is installed in one of the side towers. This accumu- lator has a ram 20 in. in diameter, with a stroke of 30 ft. 6 in, working at a pressure slightly greater than that of the main presses. Its pressure is also utilized to operate the gates, cap- stans and small pumps. ‘The junction between the ends of the movable superstructure and the ends of the reaches is made water- tight by means of a continuous rubber hose, placed on the outer side of the ends and bottom of the gate of the reach. This hose is inflated with compressed air from a Taylor air compressor in- stalled in the main wall. The mode of operating the lock is as follows: Supposing both chambers are at a standstill, one up and the other down, both gates towards the reach open ready for the vessel to enter. When the chambers are thus, the bottom of the upper chamber will be about 10 in. lower than the bottom of the canal above, and has say 8 ft. 10 in. of water on the sill. The bottom of the lower chamber will be just level with the bottom of the canal below, and will have 8 ft. of water on the sill. Thus the upper chamber has 10 in. more water in it than the lower chamber, and consequently is so much heavier than the lower one (approxi- mately 100 tons.) The valve in the connecting pipe between the two presses is closed. When it is desired to operate the lock gates at the end of each chamber, and the gates at the ends of the reaches are closed, the air is allowed to escape from the air hose—making the watertight seal between the lock and the end of the reach— and the operator, who stands in his cabin on the top of the central tower, opens the valve in the connecting pipe between the presses. ‘The upper chamber then commences to descend and the lower chamber to ascend till both chambers reach their new positions, the upper chamber being now level with the lower reach, and the former lower chamber being opposite the upper reach. ‘The operator now closes the main valve in the con- necting pipe, and inflates the air hose forming the watertight seal at the end of the lock. When the chambers are in their new pos- itions, the surface of the water in the lower chamber is 10 in. above the surface of the water in the reach below, and the surface of the water in the upper chamber 10 in. below the surface of the water in the reach above. Communication between the water in the chambers and the reaches is now made by opening the valves in the gates nearest the reaches, and the water in each chamber is allowed to find its own level. The gates are then opened. When this is done the chambers are then in the condition they were on starting. Vessels are hauled in and out of the chambers by means of hydraulic capstans. The time allowed to lock and pass one or two vessels in and out of the lock will be from twelve to fifteen minutes. The time required to raise or lower the lock chambers will be about three minutes. On the up stream side of the lock a guard gate will be placed which will be operated by hydraulic power, and will be closed when the vessel enters the lock. The substructure of the hydraulic lock is built of concrete. The natural surface of the limestone is at such an elevation that very little expense is necessary for the finishing of the floors at the lower reach level. The main retaining wall, 126 ft. long by 40 ft. thick, rests upon the limestone formation. Its height will be about 83 ft. The sides are carried up plumb for their whole height, the bearing pressure upon the rock being only about 6 tons per square foot é 27