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West Chester, Penn Sept 2 1829
Sir, Your favor of the 7th ult. was received a few days since. I should be happy to exchange minerals for your fresh water shells, if I thought I could furnish an equivalent in good specimens: but as I have passed more attention to plants, than minerals, I am in doubt whether I could safely promise such a collection as would be an acceptable return for your polite offer, we have established a Society here, for the purpose of promoting a knowledge of Natural Science, generally; and have made some progress in all the various branches: but have been most succesfull in the Botanical department. Some of our members however, are more devoted to mineralogy, than I have been - tho' their other engagments prevent them from making much progress in collecting specimens. Should we be enabled to make up a small box of minerals for you, I will take upon myself to have it forwarded to Pittsburgh, to the care of Mr. Benjamin Darlington, of that place; from whence I presume it can be sent to you by water. If such a box should reach you, and be deemed worthy of an exchange, you may in return, forward a box of shells for us, to Pittsburgh, to the care of the same gentleman. I know not whether you are fond of the study of plants: but if you, or any other gentleman of your acquaintance, in that region, should wish to exchange botanical specimens, agreeably to the project on the preceeding page, it would give me pleasure to engage in a commerce of that description.
I am very respectfully, sir, your obedt Servt. Wm. Darlington
Mr. Increase A. Lapham Shippingport, Ky.
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Answers to Questions by Daniel Carrol.
1st Question - Were you attached to the Engineer Department on the Louisville & Portland Canal? Answer. I was employed on the Louisville & Portland Canal, in the capacity of Rodman, or Assistant Engineer. 2d - At what period did you commence, & how long did you continue? Ans. I was employed in the beginning of the year 1827, and continued until October 14th, 1829. 3d - Was the building of the masonry commenced when you went there? Ans. No. 4th Was there any plan of the locks in existence when you commenced upon the canal? Was no the first plan you were made from the annexed specifications given by Judge Bates; and was not the plan made from these specifications the one by which the work was commenced by Peter Carne & the same that was used when Benjamin Sayre came to the canal as overseer on part of the directors? Did you ever see any other plan or know of any other plan for the construction of the locks at Shippingport than the one referred to above? Was not the original plan in the Engineer's Office the one from which you made all the drawings that were made of it and was it not from that plan you furnished Carney Sayre & co the one to which you have certified as being a copy of the original plan at the time Carney Sayre & Co. made their contract of Aug 20th 1828? Do you know of any new plan being adopted at the time of making that contract? Ans. No plan, to my knowledge, had been furnished to the contractors when I commenced. The annexed specifications were made by Judge Bates soon afterwords, and it was from these specifications that I made my drawings of the lock. I had not seen a plan of the locks until I made one myself from these specifications. It was soon altered so as to make the top of the mitre sills of the lift locks even with the bottom of the post above; by substituting "culverts" through the wall for "paddle gates" through the lock gate & an additional buttress opposite each culvert was added. The large circular wing at the termination of the lower lift lock, which was represented on some of my drawings was proposed by Mr. Henry and adopted...
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...by the board of directors without the knowledge of Judge Bates. It never formed a part of his original plan. It was this plan that was used by Peter Carney when he commenced building the locks & by Mr. Sayre when he was acting as agent for the directors. I have only seen one plan of the locks which was not made by myself. It was one drawn by Judge Bates from the specifications herein referred to and agreed in every essential particular with those which I made. It is probably now in the Engineer's Office. The plan marked (B) which I have certified to was drawn for Mr. Carrol, one of the firm of Carney Sayre & co, in April 1828 (except the end view which I have now added.) It is a correct representation of the original plan with the modifications above mentioned which at that time had been adapted. I do not recollect of any alterations being made after this plan was drawn and before the 20th of Aug. 1828 nor have I any knowledge of a new plan being adopted at that time. 5th - Were you not in the daily practice of observing the building of the locks and frequently measuring them; and have you not measured them since their completion? Answer - My duties as Assistant Engineer required me to see them almost daily and I have frequently measured them during their progress. It was part of my duty to help Mr. Henry measure them weekly - I have also taken some measurements of their length & height since their completion. 6th - Have you examined the annexed data now exhibited to you and marked (C) of the guard lock, lift locks, face stone, and the excavation of the rock in the lock pits? Do you think these data are correct? Ans. I have & find that many of them are correct. I have no means hereof ascertaining whether the others are correct or not, but from recollection suppose that they are nearly so. 7th - Have you made the calculations based upon that data and what is the amount of masonry, casing rock and face stone which they give? Ans - I have made these calculations except of the face stone & find that they give 23.105,24 perches of masonry in the guard lock; 13.051,84 perches of masonry in the lift locks; 13.442,76 square or superficial feet of coping & 13.479,16 "cubic yards" of rock excavation in the lock pits. I have also examined the calculations of the face stone and as near as I can ascertain they are correct. They give 75.059,13 ft. 8th - Did you make the profile annexed, marked (D) as to the cutting of the rock in the Lock pits to be excavated by Carney Sayre & Co.
