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civic and military ceremonies throughout the State, and espe¬
cially in New York City, on the 4th of Nov. 1825. As the first
boat, with Governor Clinton on board, entered the canal, at
Buffalo, at 10 o’clock, (Oct. 26,) a line of cannon, previously ar¬
ranged a few miles apart, passed a signal along to Albany, and
down the Hudson to Sandy Hook, from whence it was returned
in like manner. The signal was heard at New York, at 11.20.
Tho flotilla with the Governor was everywhere greeted with en¬
thusiastic rejoicing. Upon reaching New York it passed down
to Sandy Hook, and the waters of the lake were.mingled with
those of the ocean with imposing ceremonies.
The Canal Commissioners under whom the Erie and Cham¬
plain Canals were constructed were Stephen Van Rensselaer, De
Witt Clinton, Joseph Ellicott, Samuel Young, and Myron |
Holley. Henry Seymour was appointed in place of Ellicott ia
March, 1819, and William C. Bouck was added to the number in
March, 1821. The chief engineers were Janies Geddes, of Onon¬
daga co., and Benjamin Wright, of Rome, neither of whom had
ever seen a canal, or enjoyed means of acquiring a practical
knowledge of engineering other than that obtained from survey¬
ing land. The precision with which their canal surveys were
executed, under the circumstances, may be regarded as truly
wonderful. Among the assistant engineers were Peacock,
David Thomas, Nathan S. Roberts, David S. Bates, Canvass
AVhite, Davis Ilurd, Noah Dennis, Charles T. Whippo, William
Jerome, Henry G. Sargent, Frederick C. Mills, Isaac .J. Thomas,
Henry Farnam, Alfred Barrett. John Bates, William II. Price,
John Hopkins, and Seymour Skiff. |
