Old Erie Canal State Historic Park is a section of the first two versions of the canal that runs from Dewitt to Rome. Almost 17 miles of it is filled with water and is, therefore, navigable. There are three aqueducts on this section to traverse. This one is off Butternut Road at the western end of the park. When the canal was built, there were many streams that had to be crossed and the only way to do it, with the technology available then, was to build a bridge to carry the canal water over the stream—an aqueduct. What is left of aqueducts today is usually the supports that held the wooden "tub" that held the water of the canal. In the winters, these wooden structures would be removed and repaired. On the right in this photo is today's bit of an aqueduct; it is wide enough only for a kayak or a canoe, but it is an aqueduct, a bridge over running water.
No comments:
Post a Comment