continued from part 2. "John Brown, with characteristic enterprise, began in 1796 to make the first plans for a canal from Providence to Worcester. He had the enthusiastic support of many influential citizens in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts, but, due to some legislative difficulties with the latter state, his plans never matured. Twenty-six years passed before the subject was brought up again -- this time with success. Citizens in both Worcester and Providence held meetings, discussed the need for a canal, and ended by forming commissions and engaging engineers to investigate every detail which such an enterprise would involve. Benjamin Wright, the chief engineer of the middle section of the Erie Canal, headed the party of surveyors and assayers who laid out the proposed route. The results of the survey were very encouraging. The soil was found easy to excavate. There were large ponds all along the route from which a supply of water could be obtained. The difference in elevation between tide water in Providence and Thomas Street in Worcester was found to be 451 1/2 feet, not a great difference considering that the canal was to be 45 miles in length. After the favorable report of the engineers, promoters of the enterprise went to work to stimulate the enthusiasm of the people with a view to raising the necessary money for the project. The estimated expense was $323,319, and the sum set to be raised was $400,000. Here a first great mistake was made. So successfully did the promoters present the canal proposition that they could have raised $1,000,000 as easily as the $400,000 they asked for. Later on, when the actual cost of the canal proved to be $750,000 and they needed more money, the public had lost its faith in the enterprise and was unresponsive. It was a marked contrast to the mad scrambling for stock when the Blackstone Canal Company was first formed. Then, people in Providence bought all that was offered and hurried to Worcester to buy up any more shares that might have been left over." continued in part 4.