Box 1, Folder 6: Diaries 1828-1830

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...to a cloase [sic] soon - the board thot [sic] it most proper to adopt this route - Carry Sayre & co commenced laying stone in the arches of the Bridge. May 15th Fryday The above route was adopted by the Board and a resolution passed to have it commenced upon as soon as possible. In the forenoon I assisted in making the estimates, reports &c. & copied them - In the afternoon I went to Rock Island in search of shells found sevral but now new ones - There came up a shower of rain towards evening accompanied by thunder & lightning.

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May 16th Worked on the canal nearly all the time today. In the afternoon I helped set some stakes for the embankment at the upper end of the canal and then went to Louisville for Mr. Henry. In the morning before breakfast I went down to the wharf and saw on board the steamboat Amazon which arrived in the night from New Orleans, a large marine plant. It was attached to a hard substance about 18 inches across & consisted of one large leaf without a petiole, The leaf was formed of threads 1/8 of an inch in diameter connected together like network.

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It was drawn from the bottom of the sea attached to an anker [sic]. Sunday May 17th 1829 This morning after breakfast Mr. Henry, Mr. Tailor & myself took a walk in the woods south of this place making a long circuit to Louisville. We found that there was no service at the Presbyterian Church & therefor resolved to go to the Episcopal Church which we accordingly did. The day as well as yesterday was quite warm As we were coming down we met Capt. Smyth and Lieut Swift of the U.S. Engineers - the latter gentleman is going to the Muscle Shoals canal to examine...

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...the routes and take charge of its construction. The former is now on his way to examine the Cumberland Road between Janesville & Columbus Ohio, from whence he will go to the mouth of Elk River in Pa. to re-examine that side for an armory. After which he will return to this place and examine our canal, also the location of the Bridge over the Ohio River at this place. May 18 I worked on the canal in the forenoon. The Board of Directors received a remittance of $160.000 from the U.S. Government and met this afternoon to pay arears on estimates. They also passed a resolution to authorize...

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...Mr. Berthoud to put under contract the lock gates and a swing bridge across the guard lock on Mr. Henry's new plan - Mr. Henry went to Louisville and I went up the canal. In the evening there came a thunderstorm with heavy rain the day had been war. Tuedsay May 19 The rain continued during a greater part of the afternoon - When I copied a letter to Mr. White - In the afternoon I drew two maps of the upper end of the canal showing Mr. Henry's late proposed alteration - After this I went up the canal.

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May 20th I was on the canal all the time today - Our attention to the canal at present is not in general work or labor but rather we spend our time on the work to see that it's done properly. May 21st Worked on the canal this forenoon setting stakes for the top bank for Sutherland & Adams who have the job of excavating the earth at 27 cent per cubic yard. When we went up to the Bridge...

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...we found that Mr. Peter Carney one of the contractors for the masonry in the canal had fallen from a platform built for the use of the crains [sic] attached to the bridge, about 10 ft in height and fell on his head among the rocks - Hew as not killed but very badly injured - After doing this work I drew a plan of the moving bridge over the guard lock for Mr. Tanner the contractor who is to build it for $850 - In the afternoon I went up to the Bridge and just had got there another accident had...

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...occurred. A man working to come down from the post of a craine and seeing a rope hanging before him thought he would climb down on that, accordingly he jumped from the post and caught the rope, which as it happened was not fastened at the top, and he fell down a distance of about 10 feet but was not seriosly injuredI stayed at the bridge an hour or so and witnessed even another accident, though of less importance. A mason in turning a large stone got one of his fingers caught...

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...between it and another large stone and injured it considerably. After this I came down to Shippingport and was told that Jeremiah Fipps [possibly spelled Phipps / Phips] (who was lately tryed for shooting a negro and sentenced to state prison one year, and afterwards got a new trial and was cleared) had killed another man! I went up to the place where the man was; he was not dead but had been struck on the forehead with the but of a gun when nearly drunk; which had so stunned him as to make him appear dead. Fipps was...

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...arrested and taken to jail but I think will not be punished. Fryday May 22 1829 This morning before breakfast there was three 'fights' - single combat between men in our street of which I was witness to one. No notice is taken of such occurances by the civil authorities. Fipps was released this morning. When I went to the bridge I was told that last evening after I left there a man fell from the top of the middle centre which is about 50 feet above a small pool of water below, but happily had presence of mind sufficient to catch hold of one of the braces near...