American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1827-09-07

Comparative advantages OF Canals and fnu-
rays We find on this subject very neat article
in the Boston Daily Advertiser, the length OF which
alone prevents our inserting It entire. But the
following points of comparison between these re-
spectve modes Of conveyance, indicated in refer
ence to the Railway from Boston TO the Hudson
may not be embarrassing to our readers, all OF
whom arc Immediately or indirectly Interested III
the more extensive project on hand in our own quar-
ter Of the country.
The transportation Of heavy commodities, says
the editor. by means of canals, We have long been
familiar with otherwise the construction Of ca,
nal through an extensive country, would seem to
be an undertaking quite as supervising as that OF
a railway does now. The adoption OF the canal
was the more natural, as more resembling nayi-
gable river than railway resembles a common
road. Yet were we now to choose for the first
time, between digging an immense trench, to be
filled with water, and constructing hard, smooth
surface, on which carriages might move with slight
resistance, the latter would appear the most con-
venient the least costly, and the least liable to &C
ci,lents and failure. The canal must pass over q
surface perfectly level, Of width OF forty or tit.
ty feet, including two strong banks, one OF which
is path, and trench filled with water TO the
depth Of three or four feet. and wide enough to
rmit boats to pass each other. II must have
perpetual supply Of water, and i'll order tG pass
locks is necessary. in which there is grea, delay,
and great expense of water Besides TINT this
water is thus distracted from other valuable pur
poses, il is liable to fail from drought, and ~ be
rendered innavisable by frost.
The railroad on the o,,st hand, though il mu !.
likewise pass over surface nearly level, yet adj
mits slight departure from level which affords
great facility in making the road, and causes sa-
wing of expense The width Of the surface to be
~. 4
Gle pathway Of seven or eight feet, with occasional
passing places, where it is double. Thus there is
great saving both of land and water in leyslling
excavation and entertainments, and adds the writer
in the whole expense Of constructing locks. But
if we substitute inclined planes with stationary
engines for locks, the cost is still less the repairs
less frequent, the delay greatly diminished. And
It in the construction of railroads, there be one
important article of expenditure not required in
canals namely iron, il s obvious, at FIRST view,
that the cost is less than that of constructing, sup
plying. and repairing a canal Of the necessar,
magnitude; an impression verified both by cslcula
ton and experiment The railway is subject to
little comparative wear or disorder, is not inter
rupted by frost. nor obstructed by moderate fall
of snow; and from the latter it is much more east
Y cleared than a common road. The canal, on
the contrary, pust be closed during several months
Of the year.
1t is true that a heavy weight, floating on water,
may be moved BY the application OF less power. If
the motion be sow. than when placed in a carriage
on railroad. But if rapidity be sought, the case
is changed: the resistance Of the fluid increases
with the rapidity Of the motion, and, If the motion
be more rapid than 81 miles an hour, the greatest
weight can be moved with given power, on the
railroad. In this there exists, therefore, more
than an equivalent advania.e Nor must it be
forgotten that while railroad affords greater acil
ity for transporting merchandise, it is still more de
sirable for the conveyance Of persons, as by it
greater speed is practicable than either canal
common road
We will add, that while the actual difficulties
and cost Of a railway exceeding in length any
heretofore projected remain as yet necessarily un-
known, these general comparative views are high
" valuable for this obvious reason: Though no
railway exists Of like extent yet there are canals
OF equal or greater; and il in every point Of com
parison, the advantage seems, on calculation, to
remain with the former mode Of conveyance, it af-
fords means of approximating the trne cost ant
difficulty of the important enterprises which are
now on foot among u.s. Balt I'm.