In several of the previous photographs, it can be seen that Highway PA 248 is adjacent to the remains of lock #13. Guardlock #2 lies buried beneath this highway. This section of the canal has suffered as a result of progress and the needs of our modern society. Guardlock #2 was the first lock of Section 2 which consisted of the guardlock and locks 15 through 20. The remains of lock 18, 19 and 20 are all that remain of Section 2.
This photograph, which is a part of the Pennsylvania Canal Society Collection of canal photographs, shows lock #15 at Bowmanstown during a period when the lock was in full operation. In this view, the photographer was looking upstream. Please pay particular attention to the interior walls showing the wood lining and, also take note of the raised upper lock gate.
|
Lock #15 is buried below route PA 248. Only the lower end of the lock wall is visible alongside the highway fill.
Lock #16 is buried below route PA 248. Lift for lock #16 was 8.2 feet.
Lock #17 was destroyed by floods. Lift for lock #17 was 7.5 feet.
View of lock #18 from upper end looking through the lock. Lock #18 is of composite wood and stone construction. The center portion of the towpath wall has collapsed. Lift for this lock was 7.5 feet.
| 
|
Lock #18 from the canal bed at lower end looking back upstream. With the upstream locks having been destroyed, none of the remaining locks in this section are watered.
|
The next photograph was taken from the canal bed just above Aquashicola Creek looking south across the creek. The Aquashicola Creek Aqueduct spanned this creek.
 |
For a different view of the creek, place the cusor over the above image (mouseover). Click on this image to view larger image. |
| |
| Wasn't that neat!
|
| |
| The Aquashicola Creek Aqueduct was of wooden construction with four spans. The aqeduct connected directly to lock #19 which was just on the other side of the creek. In the image showing the creek clearly, one of the piers is visible in the foreground (the clump with the trees growing from it).
|
This is a view of the canal at Aquashicola Creek looking back up stream. The one remaining pier that supported the first span is more clearly visible in this view.
|
(Click to enlarge)
Archival photograph showing the Lehigh Gap and the Aquashicola Creek Acqueduct and lock 19. The four piers that supported the acqueduct can be seen clearly in this photograph. The towpath crosses the creek using a wooden platform bridge attached to the aqueduct. The small house that houses the gate mechanism delineates the point where the aqueduct connects to lock 19. The gate is up and the lock was not watered when this photograph was taken. A little further down the canal is the outlet lock (lock 20) for section 2. The locktender's house is to the left of the lock.
The railroad tracks in the foreground belong to the Central of New Jersey. The Lehigh Valley Railroad trackage can be seen on the far side of the river. The bridge belonged to the Lehigh and New England Railroad. The Lehigh and New England Railroad bridge no longer exits although the bridge abutments are still visible. The bridge abutments beyound the railroad bridge were abutments for the "toll" chain bridge that once operated at that location.
|
View of lock #19 from upper end looking through the lock. The upper gate frame is in the lock bed. Lift for this lock was 4.5 feet.
| 
|
A closer view of the berm wall of lock #19 from the upper end.
|
View of the lower end of lock #19 looking back upstream through the lock. There is water in the canal below lock #19 but it is waste water that gathers in a depression. Note the the lower portion of the towpath wall has collapsed.
| 
|
A period photograph of a canal boat as it approaches lock #19 going upriver.
|
 Lock #20 was the outlet lock for Section 2. After leaving lock #20 the canal boats proceeded through the Lehigh Gap through the slack water pool created by Dam 3, further downstream. Timber from upper gate and walls are visible in this photograph. Lift for this lock was 9.1 feet.
|
View of the lower end of lock #20 looking back upstream through the lock. The water in the canal is backwater from the river. A portion of the lower gate and hinge is hanging from the towpath wall. Other parts of the lower gates are in the lock bed under water.
|
|
Another view of the lower end of lock #20.  The towpath crossed the lower end of the lock on a footbridge. The raised footbridge abutments can be seen in this photograph.
The towpath then followed the the bank of the river through the Lehigh Gap.
Between this point and guardlock 3 the canal left Carbon County and crossed into Northampton County.
|
This period photograph was taken in the Palmerton, Lehigh Gap area just above outlet lock #20. The locktender's house for lock #20 can be seen in the background. The Lehigh and New England Railroad bridge that can also be seen in the background no longer exists.
|
 | Period photograph of a Central of New Jersey Railroad (CNJ) steam engine pulling a long, south bound train of coal cars through the Lehigh Gap near outlet lock #20. As noted above, lock #20 was the last lock in section 2. In this photograph the lock tender's house can be seen on the right. The bridge across the lower portion of the lock can also be seen; this bridge allowed the mules and the mule tender to cross over the lock to the river bank. From this point, canal boats followed the river bank to guardlock #3 which began the third section. Take note of the canal boats that are anchored in the river along side lock #20. Photo courtesy of James Benetzky. |
Archival photograph of lock #20, the outlet lock for section 2. The photograph, which was taken in 1960, shows the lock in better condition than is currently the case. The upper gate can be seen in the foreground, lying on the canal floor. The visible wall still has some of the wood cribbing intact. The floor of the lock is filled with silt, the lower gates are missing except for one piece that is held partially upright by the silt. The bridge across the lock at the lower end no longer exists. Likewise, as mentioned earlier, the railroad bridge belonging to the Lehigh New England Railroad, that can be seen in this photograph, no longer exists. This photograph provided by James Benetzky. |
Between this point and guardlock #3 the canal left Carbon County and crossed into Northampton County.
 Continued
|
