"Alas, Our Canals will Pass through Every Vale"

During its infancy, early America began to take physical shape in large part due to the ideas and dreams of four members of the Craft, namely Brothers De Witt Clinton, Robert Fulton, Robert R Livingston and George Washington. At the turn of the 18th century the infrastructure of the United States consisted of roadways that were miserable at best, poorly maintained, choked with dust and covered with an abundance of ruts, bumps and assorted obstructions. These conditions were not exactly conducive in promoting commerce and travel.

Recognizing that if our novice country was ever to overcome these obstacles and truly harness the potential of its natural resources, Brother George Washington believed that accessible routes and improved modes of transportation would need to be developed. With this thought in mind, Brother Washington began toying with the idea of internal navigation. Up until this time in history, the proliferation of trade and commerce was limited geographically to the port cities that sprouted along the protected harbors of North America’s coastline. Tall Sailing Ships were the primary movers of the day before the advent of the Railroad Industry.

Shortly after the conclusion of the War of Independence, Brother Washington set out to explore and survey the interior landscape of the United States. While attending an expedition across the northeastern region of the United States, Brother Washington linked up with the first Governor of New York State, Brother George Clinton. The Governor was the uncle of the future Governor and leader of the Craft in New York State, Brother De Witt Clinton. Brother George Clinton was a member and Past Master of Warren Lodge No. 17 and an honorary member of Courtland Lodge No. 34 in New York. Brother De Witt Clinton was a member and Past Master of Holland Lodge No. 16 (now No. 8) in New York. All three of these statesmen had similar beliefs when it came to tapping the potential of the country’s hinterland. They quickly realized that a growing nation needed a reliable, timely and economical way in which to transport its crops, produce, ore and minerals to market. A commercial means of conveyance was essential to the growth of this nation, and the development of inland waterways would provide that means at a low cost.

While traveling across New York State, Brother Washington and Brother George Clinton made an extensive study of the topography encompassing the shallow crossing between the Mohawk and Susquehanna Rivers, which could lend itself as a potential inland water-route between New York and Pennsylvania. Similarly, Brother Washington envisioned building a simple series of canals connecting the Potomac River near his home in Mount Vernon to the James and Ohio Rivers.

Although Brother Washington had a slight bias in favor of his home state of Virginia, Dorothie Bobbé writes in her book, De Witt Clinton, that Brother Washington charged his constituency saying that should “they not act, and quickly, New York and Pennsylvania would assuredly combine to acquire a monopoly of the western commerce, which it would be hard to wrest from them later”. Yet, always the statesman with the broader vision, Brother Washington’s foresight and scope of understanding is revealed when he wrote “I am not for discouraging the exertion of any State to draw the commerce of the Western country to its seaports. The more communication we open to it, the closer we bind that rising world… for indeed it may be so called… to our interests, and the greater strength we shall acquire by it. Those to whom nature affords the best communication will, if they are wise, enjoy the greatest share of the trade. All I would be understood to mean is that the gifts of providence may not be neglected.”

Regretfully, Brother Washington did not live long enough to see his vision come to fruition, as the building of the Potomac Canal Project did not actually commence as a full-scale operation until 1829. However, before the canal could be built, Brother Washington needed to establish a clear and navigable passageway from the headwaters of the Potomac River to its mouth.

To accomplish this immense task, Brother Washington engaged the engineering services of James Rumsey, the proprietor of the Liberty Pole and Flag Inn residing in Bath, Virginia. Today, the village of Bath is found in West Virginia. In Washington’s time, Bath had been the Mecca of the sophisticated gentry where they were inclined to vacation and convalesced and bathe in its famed healing waters. Brother Washington was known to have visited the area frequently when traveling to inspect his land-holdings in western Pennsylvania and Virginia.

James Rumsey amazed the scientific community of his day when he succeeded in building a series of locks that allowed a barge to avoid the Great Falls on the Potomac River by descending a distance of 76 feet in 1,250 yards. All of the undergrowth, weeds, earth, stone and rock had to be removed and cleared by hand using old fashioned plows, picks and shovels together with wheelbarrows and horse-drawn wagons.

The bottom two locks had to be cut out of solid rock. Blasting these rock formations using eighteenth century technologies required the use of handheld drills to bore powder-holes into the stone to be filled with explosives containing black powder. After each hole had been filled with black powder, the opening of the hole was capped or sealed with clay. A small pin-hole was placed into the center of each clay cap which was then primed with fine powder and attached to a fuse consisting of twisted strips of course wrapping paper soaked in saltpeter (i.e. Potassium Nitrate or Sodium Nitrate). As we can imagine, this project was as much dangerous as it was labor-intensive.

Alvin F. Harlow states in his book, Old Towpaths, that James Rumsey reportedly described to Brother Washington how two men working with black powder were lost, “One run off, the other blown up; we therefore was Obliged to have two new Hands put to Blowing (i.e. blasting) and there was much attention gave to them least Axedents [sic] should happen”.

The Potomac Canal Project, which was completed in 1850 and became known as the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, was strategically constructed over some 184 miles of terrain connecting Washington D.C. with Cumberland, Maryland. The canal consisted of 85 locks, which gradually raised its water table, a total of 613 feet from start to finish. A team of horses or a couple of mules would tow a series of canal boats or barges, which would walk along a pathway that, paralleled the bank of the canal.

Primarily, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was used to transport coal-laden barges to Washington, D.C. During the canal’s heyday, some 800 plus canal boats were engaged in this enterprise carrying approximately 120 tons of the “black gold” cargo apiece. Each canal boat was equipped with a small bunkhouse for the captain and his family and a stable for two mules. The mules worked alternating six-hour shifts, with one mule pulling the barge while the other rested in the stable.

Late in December 1796, an alleged member of the Craft, “Brother” Robert Fulton, dispatched a copy of his Treatise on the Improvement of Canal Navigation to Brother and President George Washington. The thrust of his canal treatise relies heavily on his theory of utilizing “inclined planes” rather than locks as an efficient means of connecting canals at different elevations. “Brother” Fulton had designed on paper the idea of linking several small canal boats together into a chain-like formation, which would be guided along a series of canals. When the chain of canal boats reached the end of one canal, they would be raised up on an inclined plane with the use of a heavy gauged rope and a water wheel. The water wheel would be set into motion by the force of water bearing down upon the water wheel’s paddles from the upper level canal. Sufficient torque would then be applied to the ropes using a system of assorted gears and pulleys. The whole process would almost resemble a floating railroad train.

One of the problems that “Brother” Fulton had to overcome was the excessive consumption of water that would undoubtedly occur on extremely steep inclines. To resolve this dilemma, “Brother” Fulton proposed installing coasters or small wheels on the bottom of each boat, thereby alleviating the drag caused by the boat’s bottom rubbing against the inclined plane and at the same time increasing the speed at which the canal boat would climb the ramp.

In “Brother” Fulton’s quest to find ways to improve upon the internal canal system, the genius of his inventive mind was very much apparent in his proposals to develop a steam engine driven power shovel, and the construction of a cast-iron aqueduct. He even designed a double inclined plane, which could be used to conveniently remove canal boats from the canal and convey them overland via rail in places where canal construction was prohibited. With so many novel innovations and revolutionary ideas being generated by “Brother” Fulton, it is a wonder why his most noted claim to fame is merely the development of the steamboat.

After reviewing “Brother” Fulton’s canal treatise, Brother Washington, as President forwarded the publication to Tobias Lear, his secretary at Mount Vernon. According to John C. Fitzpatrick in his book The Writings of George Washington, the following note accompanied the said publication, “If the Potomac Company can extract anything from it, I shall feel happy in having sent it to you”. A month after not having received any response thereto, Brother Washington inquired about Mr. Lear’s opinion of “Brother” Robert Fulton’s canal treatise. Unfortunately, no further records can be found pertaining to this discourse.

On the other hand, “Brother” Fulton’s treatise did not go entirely unheeded. Apparently a successful canal system incorporating the combined use of inclined planes and locks through the Appalachian Mountains connecting Philadelphia with Pittsburgh was built during the middle of the nineteenth century. Not too coincidentally, “Brother” Fulton states in his canal treatise that “I will suppose a canal from Philadelphia to Fort Pit or any other long line.” He also suggested that the government should regulate and control the use of such transportation systems, which in time fell under the State of Pennsylvania’s control and authority.

“Brother” Robert Fulton, the American inventor, has often been referred to as having held membership in the Masonic fraternity, but no actual Lodge record substantiating this claim has ever been found. However, it has been firmly established that “Brother” Robert Fulton maintained many notable Masons within his close circle of friends. Such famous Masons as Brothers De Witt Clinton and Chancellor Robert R Livingston who had befriended and entered into joint business ventures with the enterprising “Brother” Robert Fulton.

Brother Livingston praises “Brother” Robert Fulton in a letter addressed to his brother Edward as “a very estimable young man and very distinguished for his treatise on cannels [sic]. You will find him a man of science in every line particularly in mathematicks [sic] and the fine arts and what is much better a most estimable man in every view”. Similarly, Brother De Witt Clinton wrote in his diary that on November 30th, 1809, he dined with Captain Chauncey on board the Constitution in the [Brooklyn] Navy Yard together with the following group of men, “Commodore Rodgers, Robert Fulton, Judge Livingston, Captain Hall, Dr. Hosack and Dr. Mitchill”.

References to “Brother” Robert Fulton’s affiliation with the Craft can be found in the American Masonic Record periodical dated November 7, 1829; the first volume of The Craftsman, published on December 1, 1829; the September 1868 issue of The Kentucky Freemason publication; The History of Freemasonry in New York, written by McClenachan (vol. II, pg. 29); and the November 1971 issue of The Masonic Philatelist publication. McClenachan states in his book on Masonic history, that “Brother” Robert Fulton was a member of Hiram Lodge in New York City. Hiram Lodge No. 148 was warranted under the Phillips Grand Lodge of New York at the time of “Brother” Robert Fulton’s majority. The Lodge was granted a new warrant and assigned the number 449 on August 4, 1858 after the fraternal union of New York Grand Lodges was enacted. In recent times, Manahatta Lodge No. 489 consolidated with Hiram Lodge No. 449 and became known today as Manahatta Lodge No. 449 in the Fourth Manhattan District.

Brother De Witt Clinton’s life long obsession with building a successful canal system in New York State took root on October 27, 1807, when by happenstance he read a scientific essay on the subject of internal navigation featured in the Ontario Messenger written by Jesse Hawley under the penname Hercules. In his essay, Hawley theorized that a series of artificial canals could be dug from Lake Erie at Buffalo and head eastward towards Utica, where the water traffic would merge with the Mohawk River. The Mohawk River in turn could be “suitably improved” to bear water traffic to Schenectady, where it would be diverted through the old Mohawk-Wood Creek Canal into Albany and the Hudson River. Hawley, like “Brother” Fulton, were predisposed to using an incline plane system to overcome different elevations.

Writing also under a pseudonym, Brother De Witt Clinton published an essay by the penname Tacitus on the Canal Policy of the State of New York, where he joins with Hawley’s line of thinking and states that “To an intelligent and observing mind, the physiognomy of the country west of Rome to Lake Erie must present great facilities for artificial navigation. The abundant supply of water from the intermediate lakes, rivers, springs and creeks… the general and gradual ascent to the west… and the wide valleys through which canals might pass, are too obvious not to strike the observation of any traveler.”

At this point in his political career, Brother Clinton held the dual role of Mayor of the City of New York and State Senator. Eventually he would go on to become Lieutenant Governor of New York State and a viable Candidate for U.S. President from the Republican Party (not to be confused with today’s GOP). Brother Clinton lost the later election to James Madison due in part to a backlash generated by his opponents to the proposed canal project.

In spite of mounting odds, Brother Clinton together with the support of the party leadership was able to get legislation passed to establish a commission to study and survey the feasibility of building an artificial canal across the western part of New York State. This new commission known as the Board of Canal Commissioners included Gouverneur Morris, Stephen Van Rensselaer, Simeon De Witt, General William North, James Geddes, Thomas Eddy, Peter B. Porter and De Witt Clinton. As a member of the commission, Brother Clinton refused to accept any compensation for his services related to the canal survey. Thereby keeping his head high above the waters and rumors of improprieties, graft and ulterior motives.

Further, as stated in Dorothie Bobbé book, De Witt Clinton, the majority of commissioners soon came to realize that the system would be doomed to failure, if they used interconnected rivers and lakes. These rivers were “too dependent on the elements, rising and falling as they did with the rains and the draughts, to provide a reliable means of heavy trade communication”. The flow and level of the canals on the other hand could be regulated and controlled more easily. They eventually all agreed, except for Morris, that “the Hudson-Erie route would allow for an artificial canal to conduct the waters of the Lake by means of a minimum of lockage into the Hudson”.

Although, the commission was beginning to lean towards adopting Brother Clinton’s model and plan, back home a faction of pessimists was dubbing the Erie Canal project as “Clinton’s Ditch”. Regretfully, these faultfinders would never visualize the potentialities of the plan and as such, ran a negative campaign with the slogan “Don’t throw your money into Clinton’s Ditch”. They would never accept the fact that the small sparse villages and scanty settlements that dotted the projected construction area, would one-day become flourishing and booming townships and vital cities as a direct result of the new commerce brought in by the canals. Little did they know that communities like Schenectady, Utica and Buffalo would be dramatically and positively effected by their close proximity to the Erie Canal.

In April of 1811, Brother Clinton introduced another bill in the Senate, which would renew the Board of Canal Commissioners to a longer term on the board and would seek financial funding for the canal project from the Federal Government and participating States. The bill passed and on May 8th, Brother Clinton was able to recruit both Brother Robert R Livingston and “Brother” Robert Fulton to serve as members of the Board of Canal Commissioners. It was at this time that Brother De Witt Clinton cemented his friendship with Brothers Livingston and Fulton by using his influence in obtaining patents and raising funds for their Ohio Steamboat Company.

Brother Clinton’s close association with Brothers Livingston and Fulton was short-lived as the Great Architect had other plans. Brother Robert R Livingston was called from labor in the quarries in 1813 and “Brother” Fulton met his maker at half past nine on Thursday morning, February 23, 1815. Brother De Witt Clinton proclaimed in a eulogy given at the American Academy of Arts, “While he was mediating plans of mighty import for his future fame and his country’s good, he was cut down in the prime of his life and in the midst of his usefulness. Like the self-burning tree of Gambia, he was destroyed by the fire of his own genius and the never-ceasing activity of a vigorous mind”.

The Erie Canal Project seemed to be dead in the water. At every turn, Brother Clinton was met with another obstacle to procuring final approval of the project. Even his fellow Brother and future Grand Master, Governor Daniel D. Tompkins was “personally persistently cold toward the canal scheme”. Due to this treatment, Brother Clinton wrote in his diary that on the occasion of the reelection of Brother Tompkins for Governor, Brother Clinton “supported Tompkins, not as a positive good, but as a less evil”. In describing Brother Clinton’s character and political resilience, Dennis H. Doyle exclaimed, “Clinton was like an old brass kettle. The harder he is rubbed, the brighter he will shine!”

With the development of the inland waterways, America began to grow at a phenomenal rate. On average, a fully loaded canal boat was able to travel 30 miles a day whereas a wagon could travel only a distance of 20 miles a day. The average cost of conveying goods and supplies from New York City to Geneva by canal was only $20 per ton as compared to $50 per ton using the old methods and routes.

On a fine brisk October day in 1825, Brother & Governor Clinton in celebration of the completion of the Erie Canal boarded a small bunting clad canal boat accompanied by his wife, children, the surviving Canal Commissioners and other dignitaries. They traveled all along the entire canal route stopping at every community adjacent to the banks of the canal, where cannons were fired in salute and celebration. At Albany, Brother Clinton and his party traveled onboard the Seneca Chief, which was now in tow behind the flagship, Chancellor Livingston, for the remainder of the trip down the Hudson River accompanied by a flotilla of steamboats.

Upon the arrival of the Seneca Chief in New York harbor, Brother Clinton ceremoniously poured a barrel filled with freshwater collected from Lake Erie into the brackish New York harbor to the cheers of everyone. A group of dignitaries representing the City of New York who were sailing onboard the steamship Washington, began approaching Brother Clinton and the crew of the Seneca Chief, when a crewmember on the Washington hailed the Seneca Chief with the following familiar query, “Whence came you, and where are you bound?” To which the Governor responded, “From Lake Erie in the West and bound for Sandy Hook!”