, New York, USA
1825 - October 26 - Erie Canal completed

The work completed. - This is the day, and 10 o'clock the hour, when the first boat from Lake Erie enters the Grand Canal and proceeded to the city of New York; a distance of 500 miles. - All doubts, the New-York Advocate confesses, are at an end. "The great work, (says he,) has been accomplished by the freemen of this state, by their own hands, and with their own means and in the 50th year of American independence. Those who, in the incipient progress of the work, pronounced it wild and visionary, ruinous and extravagant, (and we were the first among the number,) now heartily join in exchanging congratulations, and participating in the celebration of its completion. No cold or reluctant admission of error - no withering concessions - no fretful or impatient surrender of opinions are wrung from the former opponents of the project; it is at once, open, frank, and manly, giving honor and credit to whom honor and credit are due, and burying hostility in oblivion by the magnanimity of recantation."

The following is the conclusion of the same article: -

"In 1808 a resolution was first submitted to the Legislature by Joshua Forman, Esq., of Onondago, on the subject of the Erie Canal. Mr. James Geddes surveyed the whole route in 1809. In 1810, the first commissioners were appointed, and in 1811 they submitted a favourable report to the Legislature. The Legislature of 1812 appropriated a sum not exceeding $15,000 to commence the work of internal improvements.

In 1817, commissioners were appointed to commence the work, and the ground was first broke at Rome, on the 4th day July of that year. As late as the session of 1819, and after many thousand dollars had been expended, a strong effort was made to arrest the work, and a large minority of the House of Assembly actually voted against making any further appropriations!

In 1820 the great loan was authorized, with much unanimity, and every obstruction gave way to hardy enterprize and active industry - the forests were levelled - marshes were drained - ledges of gigantic rock were hurled from their base - the channels of rivers were turned, and on THIS DAY the boats entering the Canal from Silver Lake, freighted with the products of the District and proceeding to New York, prove beyond a doubt, that THE WORK IS FINISHED."

A gun was fired at the Battery, N.Y. and at Governor's Island agreeably to arrangement, at 19 minutes past 11 o'clock. But why it was fired at that precise time remains to be ascertained, for in the Albany Argus it is stated, that the gun will be fired at precisely 11 o'clock, whether any report is heard from above or not. How this arrangement is to ascertain the velocity of sound, we are at loss to conjecture. Besides we have not heard that any difference for thee was calculated upon between Buffalo and New-York, whereas there ought to be 20 minutes.

The Evening Post
New York, New York
October 26, 1825

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