b o o k to e o n f i f t o f t h r e e lo c k s , , b y w h i c h v e f le ls . w e r e to b e le t d o w n
* V|1' ^ f a l l o f 5 6 7 fe e t .
At the diftance o f 29120 feet, a third cut was made clofe
to Flateberg’s fall,terminating in the lluice o f Elvius, the laft
o f this projetted plan. The length o f the cut is 28 feet.;
the breadth 18 ; and the depth or height o f the fall 34-.
In order to form fome idea in what manner the navigation
was to be continued from the iluice o f Polheim to that of
Elvius, it will be neceflary to give a ihort delineation o f the
intervening fpace.
A little below the iluice o f Polheim the river daihes through
a narrow pafs, called Stampftrsemfrom thence it gradually
widens into a kind o f bay, named Hoyon’s W arp p it is again
cramped into a narrow channel by the nearer approach of
the rocks on each fide, and forms a cataradt, called Helvert’s
f a l l ; at the extremity o f which it expands- itfelf into a fmall
bafon, called Oli-Halla and their again precipitates itfelf
at Flateberg’s fall j from whence it becomes navigable.
Inftead o f continuing any works through the cataradts, or by
the fide o f the river, the communication between the flukes
o f Polheim and Elvius was attempted in the following manner.
A dyke o f ftone was conftrudted acrofs the river juft
below Flateberg’s fall and the iluice o f Elvius, with a view of
railing the water 34 feet and turning its courfe through
the iluice o f Elvius, and forming a level with the bottom of
that o f Polheim. This chimerical projedt, which feems rather
too ridiculous to have been ferioufly entertained, was
however attempted. The king himfelf vifited the work, and
all Sweden was in eager expedtation, that their favourite national
hopes would at length be realized. The dyke was
bu ilt; the river had rifen 12 feet o f the 3 4 ; when, in an
inftant, the weight o f waters burft the barrier too feeble to
, reftrain
reftrain them, and fwept away, in one moment, the labours c^ p-
and expence o f feveral years Large fubfidies had been1— .— 1
annually raifed for the profecution o f the w o rk ; and the national
bank had readily advanced ftill greater loans; the fum
total whereof has never been divulged. The failure o f the
projedt, after fuch immenfe labour and enormous expence,
occafioned great difcontents amortg the people; many o f
whom to this day believe, though there feems no foundation
for the fuppofition, that the projedtors, bribed by the Danes,
pürpofely proceeded upon a plan which they knew could not
fucceed. But thus much is evident, that, throughout the
whole undertaking, the works, ftupendous in themfelves,
were condudted without reafonable care and attention; for
after all, the cuts, which had been excavated with fuch difficulty,
being only 18 feet in breadth, would have been too
narrow to have admitted veflels o f fuch fize and burthen as
ufually navigate the Wenner. In a word, feveral ill-judged
meafures feem to have been taken; otherwife, although there
were many natural obftrudtions to the fuccefs o f the énter-
prize, yet greater obftacles have been furmounted. But Polheim
was not a Brindley.
In confequence of this failure, all the works and fluices
hitherto raifed were negledted as totally ufelefs, and a new
plan for the canal o f Trolhsetta has been projedted ; according
to which, inftead of being carried, as before, along the
channel of the river, it is to be cut through the folid rock
that forms its banks. The plan o f this laft projedt is laid
down in the annexed engraving. The length is to be 4700
feet, the breadth 36, and the depth in fome parts above 50. It
is to eonfift of nine fluices; and when we refledt that the whole
* T h e imménfity ó f the expénce w ill be cu ts w e re made th rou gh the. folid g ran ite ,
ba(t co n c e iv ed ; by c cnÉ d e r in g that all th e -the haxdeil o f all Hones. •
R r r 2 of