Contract 20 was the longest of all the contracts let for the construction of the Barge Canal, and it was divided into 4 parts, each identified with a A,B,C or D. The contracts ran between Schenectady west to Little Falls. It was purely a dredging contract to canalize the Mohawk River. Oddly, the construction photos doesn’t have any images from 20A.
So far I have found six dredges used by the two contractors, the S. Pearson and Son, and the American Pipe and Construction companies. We also find an unusual hydraulic dredge at work on this section. The Canajoharie was called a “hydraulic disposal boat,” or a “floating screening plant,” and it was featured in the January, 1911 issue of the Barge Canal Bulletin. The dipper dredges would work alongside the Canajoharie and dump their spoil into hoppers located on the bow of the boat. The spoil was then run through a series of screen that would separate out the stones by size. The stones were deposited in a scow and the lighter material was pumped to the shore by floating pipes. It was written that a second of these boats was in use on Contract 30, but I have not found a photo of it.
The material being excavated was certainly different from the mud, sand and muck that was being removed along the Seneca River. The material in the bed of the river was stony and not totally suited for hydraulic dredges. However, when the spoils were sorted and separated, the larger stones were useful as bank armoring.
Contract 20B- The Canajoharie, the Fort Plain, the St. Johnsonsville, the Midenville, the Mohawk and the Amsterdam.
The Canajoharie was a “hydraulic disposal boat,” built by Bucyrus. It did not have its own suction tube, instead it was fed by dipper dredges. The spoils were then mixed with water and screened, with larger stones being sent to a dump scow and the lighter materials being piped to the shore. We see the Canajoharie flanked by the dipper dredges Fort Plain and St. Johnsville. It is likely that both these were also built by Bucyrus. The one dredge is dumping into the large hopper where it would be mixed with jets of water. They are working just east of the movable dam and lock 15 at Ft. Plain. The dams have been set so that the dredges could work. The dipper Fort Plain at work near Midenville. Since the river was naturally wider then what was needed for the navigation channel, the dredges didn’t need to be too fussy about disposal. Here the dredge is creating a spoil bank that would be removed by a shore based shovel. We get a nice look at the dipper St. Johnsville. I have not been able to identify this dipper that is working below lock 11 in Amsterdam. Note that the movable dam is up so that the train can be run out along the dredged channel. If not needed as fill, the spoils were typically dumped behind the small islands that dot the river. Guy Park Manor can be seen in the top view. The “court of claims” stamp on these mean that they were introduced as evidence in a claim brought by the contractor against the state. We catch a view of the clam shell Mindenville on the left side of the photo. In the foreground is a crew quarters barge. This image gives us a idea of the amount of material that had to be removed from the river channel. I had to lift this photo of the hydraulic dredge Mohawk from the Engineering News. There were two hydraulic dredges at use on these contracts, the Mohawk and the Amsterdam. Oddly, the photo collection doesn’t show either. Both were built by the Morris Machine Works of Baldwinsville, NY.
The contracts for the construction of the Barge Canal were let as they were completed by the engineering forces of the state, so, as we see here, contract 15 was along the Champlain Canal in the Comstock area, and contract 19 was far out west along the Tonawanda Creek. It helps to have a map of the contracts.
Contract 15 – The Champlain
So far, I have only found one dredge working this contract. This was the hydraulic dredge Champlain, owned by the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific engineering firm. It was launched in 1907, which means this dredge is quite new when this photo was taken.
This gives us an idea of the type to material that the dredges were suited to.Note the canal and pulley. This was used to swing the dredge from side to side.
Contract 19 – The Niagara, Buffalo, Lawton, and Teddy
Great Lakes Construction was the contractor for contract 19, and they had four dredges at work; one hydraulic, one dipper and two clam shells.
The Niagara was a hydraulic dredge although the author of the caption called a suction dredge. It was launched in 1909. We get a look at the cutter head in this view. Below we see a close up of the head. The people are too far away to use as a scale, but you can see a couple guys standing on the boom in the above image. In these two views we see the bow and stern, along with the floating pontoons and a fuel (coal) barge alongside.With the smoke billowing out, it must have been quite the sight. The dipper dredge Buffalo with a scow and tug. Although there is no caption, I believe this to be the Buffalo and the clamshell dredge Teddy. This had to be a bad day at work. Notice the umbrella at the end of the boom. This is where the operator sat as he worked the controls for the dredge.The reports say that one of the timber A-frame supports gave out. It was repaired. As is typical, we don’t have many images of the smaller dredges. Here we see the Lawton, launched in 1907. Note the rear leg. It was very nice of the photographer to give us the name of this clam shell. Here we see the Teddy being used to place shore protection.
Contract 12 of the New York State Barge Canal (1905-1918) was for dredging the Oneida and Seneca rivers from Oneida Lake west to Montezuma. It was held by the Stewart-Kerbaugh-Shanley company and five dredges were built for the project.
Dredge 1- The Geyser
The Geyser was the only hydraulic dredge used on this contract. It was used to cut the short-cuts through the river oxbows. The dredge was built by Bucyrus. We get a look at the Geyser at work cutting a new channel. The line of pipes is carrying away the spoils and depositing them on shore. The Geyser in winter quarters along with Boat House No. 1. This gives us a nice look at the cutter-head. The length of the boom depended on the depth of the cut desired. The barge canal was designed to be 12 feet deep.
Dredge 2- The Tornado
The Tornado ladder dredge in winter quarters along with its floating conveyors. This and her sister, the Cyclone, were built by Bucyrus. The Tornado at work cutting a new channel. You can see how the path was prepped by removing the trees, stumps, and brush, leaving only the sand and gravel to be removed. The ladder and hydraulic dredges made the cut by sweeping the entire boat from side to side.We see the system of conveyors that is depositing the spoils some distance from the cut. The head unit of the Tornado. Each bucket weighs over 2000 pounds.
Dredge 3- The Cyclone
The Cyclone was a sister to the Tornado. It was used in the deeper water of Oneida Lake. The spoil was deposited in a dump scow and removed to shallow areas around the lake.
Dredge 4 – The Hurricane
The dipper dredge Hurricane is seen at work in the State Cut at Jack’s Reef. This area was solid rock and needed drill rigs and blasting teams to clear the rock. The manufacturer of the dredge is not known.
Dredge 5 – The Tornado
Oddly, this dredge shared the name Tornado with the ladder dredge. This was a Marion dredge. Note the difference in construction between the two dipper booms.This shot gives us a nice look at the blasted rock and what size the dipper could remove. Many times this larger rock was used in concrete pours with the idea that it could be used to save materials and serve as “keys” between lifts. The rock could also be crushed to use in concrete and other needs. Note the amount of wear on the boom.
All the photos used are from the New York State Archives, Barge Canal Construction, collection series 11833.
So far, I have identified nearly 40 dredges of various types that were used to build the NYS Barge Canal between 1905 – 1918. Most of these were given a name, but not all. So here is a roll call.
Contract 1 – The Peconic and the Pontiac dipper dredges.
There were two sister dredges built for Contract 1 on the Hudson River, dredge No. 1 and No. 2. They were also given the names Peconic and Pontiac, but so far I have not been able to say which was which.
The dredge loading a scow at Crockers Reef.This is the Pontiac. Note the rear leg that was used to anchor the dredge against movement as the dipper dug into the ground.Here is Dredge 2 looking all new and spiffy.
Contract 4 – The Oneida, Ontario, Owego and a grapple.
The Oneida and Ontario were steel-hulled hydraulic dredges designed by Lindon Wallace Bates, either the senior or junior. Both were well know Civil Engineers of the period. Lindon Bates Jr., was in charge of the engineering firm that held the contract.
The dredges were designed to fit through the Enlarged Erie Canal locks so they could move from place to place, however the dredges were found to be too tipsy, so side pontoons were added to help with the stability.
The dual cutter-heads were quite unique for the project and the photographer took a lot of images of them. The cutters proved not to be suitable for the work and the dredges were refitted in 1909.
Lindon Wallace Bates Jr., died in the sinking of the Lusitania.
The Ontario at work digging a new channel. Note the dual smokestacks for the duel pumps. The Oneida at work. We get a look at the dual cutters of the Ontario. These would later be replaced with a single cutter. A close up of the Lindon W. Bates designed cutters.A rare look at the controls of the Ontario.
The Owego was a smaller hydraulic dredge used for softer materials. This is the only image I have found so far.
This small “orange-peel” dredge is only seen in silhouette. The name orange-peel describes the bucket in use. These would be used for small tasks around docks and piers.
Note- I have found well over 120 photos showing the dredges used on the construction of the NYS Barge Canal. Addition posts with more photos will follow.
The 1900s New York State Barge Canal was one of a number of “modern day” canal projects that included the Hennepin (Illinois and Mississippi), the Chicago Sanitary, the Panama, and the New York State canals. The construction of the Panama placed it in “competition” with the Barge Canal, at least in the eyes of the engineering forces working on New York’s project. So over the course of construction from 1905 to 1918, we see a very active PR campaign on the part of New York as they try not to get lost in the excitement of the isthmus canal. Thus, we have a wealth of journal articles, reports and photographs to help us understand the construction and machinery used. The engineers were very keen on getting articles in the engineering journals for all to read, and these articles went into great details about the machinery, tools, techniques, and innovations being used and developed. New York even went as far to publish a monthly Barge Canal Bulletin that chronicles the project.
And the engineer’s pride was not too far off as this large project was noteworthy for many innovations. This passage in the February 1915 issue of The Contractor gives a bit of context; “Just as the excavation of the Chicago Drainage Canal caused a great improvement in steam shovel construction, so the New York Barge Canal, with its great variety of material encountered stimulated the builders of hydraulic dredges to develop a machine capable of digging material before considered beyond the ability of this type of dredge. As a result of the experience gained in this work a great advance has been made in cutter construction.“
This look at dredges is a continuation of a series that has been examining the machinery used to construct the New York State Barge Canal between 1906 and 1918. As this project built on the machines and technologies being developed in the other canal projects of the day, what we see here would have been used on those works.
The hydraulic dredge Champlain at work on the northern end of the Champlain Canal, contract 15.
The steam powered dredge was about 30 years old when it was put to use in the various construction contracts along the NYS Barge Canal. Human and animal powered dredges had been in use as early as 1718 in Europe, but it was the development of the small “portable” steam engine that really brought them into use in earth removal.
The construction of the Barge Canal was broken up and let out as many contracts that companies could bid on. The low bidder won the bid and then set about setting up his plant. The contract might be for dredging a river, lake, or cutting a completely new channel. The machines use reflected what the contractor thought they would be excavating.
The dredge had to be suited to the materials (spoils) to be removed. “Soft” homogeneous materials such as organic muck, marl, sand, ooze, quicksand, and so on, could be removed in a steady continuous manner. Thus we find the “continuous dredge” type being used. These fall into two types; the ladder/bucket/elevator dredge, and the suction/hydraulic dredge. These dredges could remove, transport and deposit the spoils fairly quickly, making them the preferred dredge to use whenever possible. Although these machines could handle small rocks, they were not suited to removing harder materials like rock, large stone, boulders, conglomerate soils. In many cases these materials had to be drilled and blasted so that they could be removed. If possible, it was better to use a track mounted steam shovel and carry out the removal in dry conditions. However, in many cases the rock was found under softer material in a watered channel. In these cases, the steam shovel was still used, except it was mounted to a barge. As the spoil was removed scoop by scoop, this type of dredge was called an intermittent dredge. The dipper dredge and the cable operated grapple dredge fall into this type.
We will begin with the continuous types.
The Ladder Dredge
The ladder dredge Mineola on Contract 66.
The oldest dredge type was the ladder/elevator/bucket dredge dating back to the 1700s. The name(s) comes from the design, where a long boom fitted with a endless chain of buckets. When the boom is lowered into the materials to be removed, the buckets scoop up the spoil and carry it to the top of the boom, dump it onto a system of belt conveyors, and the return as the chain revolves. The belt conveyor then carries dredging spoils to a dump scow or deposit them onto land. Since the material is removed in a continuous manner, it is considered to be a continuous dredge type.
The ladder dredge Tornado digging a new channel and using the spoils to build up the banks. Contract 12.
Ladder dredges were better suited for to a dryer environment as if the materials being removed is too loose, it could easily wash out of the bucket before it got to the conveyor. However, they are more robust in what they could handle. Ladder dredges were often seen in mining operations as they can work in dry material. By using a series of screens along the conveyor, the materials could be easily separated into various piles of different sizes. In the images we often see the ladder dredges being used to build up banks and dikes since they could pile the spoils.
This area along the canal has been prepared to receive spoils from the ladder dredge. The spoils will be used to build up the bank. Contract 66.
The working depth depended on the length of the boom and the size of the engines. In the machines we see used on the Barge Canal, each bucket weights over 2000 pounds and could scoop up 8.5-cubic-feet of materials.
Ladder dredges were extensively used on the construction of the Suez Canal, and it was what the French used in their attempt to dig the Panama Canal. When they left the project, they left behind nearly 20 of the large machines to rot in the jungle.
The Hydraulic Dredge
The first suction dredge was designed in 1867 in Europe and the first suction dredge in America followed shortly after in 1872. These machines used a large centrifugal pump to create a suction that basically vacuumed up the earth and rock. A long suction tube extended out from the bow of the dredge and was lowered into the work area. At the stern, hundreds, or even thousands, of feet of discharge pipes carried the spoil and water mix to a dump scow, landside containment area, or even dumped into non-navigation area in the river or lake. As with the ladder dredge, these are called continuous dredges.
The hydraulic dredge Niagara on contract 19. Notice the men standing near the cutter-head.
An improvement was made to the dredge in 1878 when a revolving cutter head was fitted to the suction tube. The cutter-head could loosen harder materials and cut through organic matter. It is like the beater head on a home vacuum. To differentiate between the two types, the dredge without the cutter-head was called a suction dredge, while the one with the cutter-head was called a hydraulic dredge. Most of the machines we see in use on canal projects were hydraulic dredges, although at least one suction dredge was used to mine a sand bank for a concrete plant.
The suction dredge Veronica at work mining a sand bank. Contract 41.
The hydraulic dredge was so important to the project that a 1913 article in the Engineering News begins with this synopsis. The excavation required for enlarging the new York State Canals to form the 12-foot Barge Canal across the state amounts to 110,000,000 cubic yards. A large amount of this material is being removed by hydraulic suction dredges, which have been specially designed for the work. The record of the performances of these dredges will be of interest to every contractor and engineer who deals with earth handling.
The hydraulic dredge was remarkably robust and the spoil piles show rather large stone being removed, although this caused quiet a bit of damage to the pumps. However in the rivers and lakes, these dredges were the only option to the contractors and they had to deal with the damage.
The spoils from the hydraulic dredge Clyde on contract 47.
The major difficulty in using the hydraulic dredge was the handling of the spoil and water. Low areas near the project site would be selected and perimeter dikes would be built. As the slurry was pumped into the disposal area, the water was allowed to escape and (hopefully) return to the river. But as the dikes were often hastily constructed, they could break and cause the surrounding area to be flooded with the muddy mess.
The Dipper and Grapple Dredge
Although the hydraulic dredge was the principle tool in the contractors toolbox, it was not suited to all materials. In places were rock ledge, hardpan, or conglomerate materials had to be removed, the dipper or grapple dredge was placed in service.
This dipper dredge is at work loaded a scow. Contract 19.
The dipper dredge was basically a steam shovel mounted on a barge and like its land bound cousin, it’s large bucket could lift large pieces of blasted rock, boulders, or scoop gravels. Since the spoil was removed one bucket at a time, these fall into the intermittent type. In the photos, these are often seen working along with drilling rigs and blasting teams. The spoils were placed into dump scows or landside dump trains, or simply cast aside if space allowed. The working depth was limited by the length of the boom and the stability of the boat.
The dipper dredge Hurricane at work on the State Ditch at Jack’s Reef. Note the drilling rig at work preparing the rock ledge for blasting. The dredge loads a dump train. Contract 12.
The grapple dredge was a cable crane mounted on a barge and outfitted with a clamshell or orange-peel bucket. (The orange-peel was a round bucket with 4 sections that was very good at sinking into soft materials.) This was the slowest of all the dredge types and was used in small projects. The clamshell was good for lifting large rock and stone, whereas the orange-peel was used to remove softer materials.
The grapple dredge Teddy fitted with a clam shell bucket. The dredge is being used to line the canal bank with rip-rap. Contract 19.
These dredges were large machines with steam engines, pumps, electrical generators, winches and so on. Unlike the steam shovel that could be moved to the work site by rail, the dredge was typically built on site, used, and then disassembled. Depending on the size of the work fleet, the contractor might have set up a drydock, such as what Stewart, Kerbaugh and Shenley constructed at Brewerton, west of Oneida Lake.(3) Many of the dredges were built by well known companies such as Bucyrus, Marion, Morris, American Locomotive, and sent to the project site as a pre-built kit. As each dredge was custom built, each has its own unique appearance. Some dredges were handsome boats while other had a more “rustic” look. The dredge was typically given a name that reflected the region of their work. Thus we see the Clyde near Clyde, Niagara in the west, Canajoharie in the Mohawk River, etc.
The Brewerton yard. Contract 12.The hull of the Fairport being constructed in the winter of 1911.By March 1911, the dredge was fairly complete.
Each dredge was staffed with a crew that could number up to 15 men per shift. These included a captain or foreman, assistant, operator, fireman for the steam engine, mechanics, line handlers, men to shift the pipes, and others. If the crew ran 24-hours, the total crew could easily number around 40. To feed and house all these men, a floating crew quarters was used.
The crew of the all-electric Fairport pose for the photographer. The dredge was powered by a land-side generating station. Contract 63.
None of the dredges were self-propelled and had to be moved by tug boat. At the work site, long spuds would be lowered to anchor the dredge in place and to help steady it as it worked. The boom of the ladder and hydraulic dredge could only be raised and lowered, so to move the boom through the earth, the entire boat would be “swept” from side to side. To do this, cables would be attached to anchor points, one spud would be raised, and by winching the cable in, the dredge could be moved to that side. Then the process was reversed for the other side. As the spuds were raised and lowered, the dredge would “walk” forward.
This is just an introduction to the topic of dredges and dredging. But the photos tell the real story.
References-
All the photos used here are from – Barge Canal Construction Photos, Series 11833, New York State Archives, Albany, NY.
Barge Canal Bulletin, New York State, 1908-1918.
Hydraulic Dredging on the New York Barge Canal, Engineering News, Vol 69, No 15. page 710.
Prelini, Charles. Dredges and Dredging. D.Van Nostrand Company, NY , 1911
Engineering News- July 29, 1909 The Excavating and Dredging Outfit on the Oneida River Section, Contract No. 12 of the New York State Barge Canal. Page 111
Lanyon, Richard. Building The Canal To Save Chicago, 2012
Gigantic Feats For Engineers. The Syracuse Herald, April 18, 1909.
Breaks World’s Record. Baldwinsville Gazette and Farmer, November 18, 1909.
Big Dredge Is Built. The Chicago Sunday Tribune, October 20, 1895.
Report of Organizer Whitcraft, Steam Shovel and Dredge, Chicago, Illinois, August, 1908. Page 581.
Allen, Jean M. The Hydraulic Dredge; Its Value as a Contractor’s Tool, The Contractor, Vol 21, No. 4, February 15, 1915, page 26.
