Lock 5 South on the Miami & Erie Canal - Lockington, Ohio - Waterway Locks, Planes and Lifts on Waymarking.com

Lock 5 has been reinforced with timber struts to prevent the walls from falling in. The M&E locks were constructed on a foundation composed of timber mattresses. As long as the lock is in water, the timber will last indefinitely. Since these locks are dry, the timber foundation has rotted away and the walls are moving. While a timber mattress may sound lame, it is a reasonable foundation; for example, the massive stone towers of the Roebling Suspension Bridge crossing the Ohio River in Cincinnati and built in 1866 are supported on timber mattress foundations, and this bridge is still standing and performing well.

The Miami & Erie Canal was in full operation roughly from 1845 to 1913. Details about the Miami & Erie Canal can be found at the web sites of the Canal Society of Ohio and the American Canal Society (also listed below). Wikipedia contains a good summary of the canal's history, and a number of interesting links, including plat maps of the canal arranged by county.

Waterway Name: The Miami & Erie Canal Connected Points: Connected Lake Erie to the Ohio River, from Toledo to Cincinnati, Ohio; for a distance of 200 miles Type: Lock Date Opened: 07/01/1845 Date Closed (if applicable): 07/01/1906 Elevation Difference (meters): 3.00 Site Status: Inactive Web Site: [Web Link]

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