Deposition of General George W. McNeil

              L. V. BIERCE.
77
finence of Judge King who was 'onr Senalor, an amendment was made
inserting the w~rds " or n~ar" after the words "at or a point on" the'
Portage Summit, so that it would read at or near the Portage Summit.
Immediately afterwards. the route of the canal was changed, through I
Cuyahoga Falls, and terminating at which is called Mill street in AkI'on ;
then they Jocketl up one lock to get into the Summit. basin and one lock
more to get on to the Portage Summit, so that instead of being a fceder to
the Ohio canal, every boat that passed drew one lock full of water from
the summit basin of the Ohio canal, and one from the summit level of the
canal into that basin. Thus the water coming from the north, and those
that were thus drawn from Ohio canal, came toge~her at the foot of Lock
1, Pennsylvania and Ohio canal, and were thence conducted to the Stone
. Mill, in a race, and carried down in a separate race from the canal to the
Brick Mill, then to what was called the White Factory, then to Chamber­lain'
8 Mill, then to the lEtna Mill, then to Cdscade Mill, then to the German
Mill, and thence to a point nearly opposite Lock 16, where it joined the
LiLtle Cuyahoga river. In connection with the Little Cuyahaga river, at
sOlUe distance below it heca·me a feeder of the Ohio canal The Ohio canal
.. thus loses a lock of water from the summit basin, every time a boat pas­ses,
which is not retunled to the. c\lnal again, until it gets below Lock 16, as
the great want of water of the Ohio canal is on the summit level. I think
the loss of water on the summit is more injury to the Ohio canal than the
benefit of having it as a feeder below Lock 16, for if canal boats ca.n pass
the summit and 16 locks, they can pass from there to Clevelanu on the
long levels, especially after Litt.le Cuyahoga comes into it. Besides thi8,
at Lock 4, by means of a dam erected· by 'Judge King, the waste water
of the canal is carried on the east side, to the race of the Pennsylvania
and Ohio canal running to the Stone Mill, inst-ead of running on the
west side where it would have returned to canal. below the lock. This
waste water is not returned to the canal until they get below Lock 16.
Whenever there is waste water it runs fr6m Lock No.4, at the present
time. It was constructed, in the year 1830, I think. From th~ forego­ing
facts I am of the opinion that the water drawn into the Pennsyl­vania
and Ohio canal from the sururnit basin, and not returned until
the canal reaches Lock 16, is more injurious to the Ohio canal than its
entering in connection with the Little Cuyahoga below Lock 16, is bene­ficial.
QUEl::lTION BY LESSEES.
Do you know what quantity of water' i~ required by the long levels
below Lock 16 to supply the leakage and evaporation on such levels.
I do not know the quantity required, nor the amount ot' evaporation
but suppose it is not greater in proportion than on the nine mile summit
level, from which the water is drawn.
·GEN. GEORGE W. McNEIL.
.Age. 59 years.
Residence. Akron.
Occupation.' Milling.