Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-02-14
CANALS.

The people of Virginia, in waking up after
long sleep, to perception OF the benefits OF inter-
nal improvements are in danger of not properly |
proftipg by the lessons of experience. Too ma
nv hastily conclude that because railroads trans
port passengers with greater speed and comfort
than canals, therefore they are preferable; for
getting that the cheap transportation Of freight is
really the greatest object of such works to the |
agricultural and commercial community, and that |
the mode of improvement which is capable of
sustaining the lowest charges, must therefore be |
the most desirable. Other States, whose progress,
as exhibited by the census, may put Virginia 10
the blush, take care while they encourage rail- |
roads literally, TO avail themselves of the superior
advantages of canals. Thus New York, whose
government is probably less expensive to the peo
pie than any other on the globe, wisely chershes |
her canals as the most valuable resource of her |
Treasury The result is. that, on ore hand her
revenues are so abundant as almost 10 remove
the necessity for taxation, and on the other, the
agricultural products of the State are sent to mar
ket at less cost than is paid by the producers of
any other country. As the general resources oil
the country increase, the aggregate tolls upon
these canals constantly increase, whist the
rates of charge are correspondingly lowered
Thus, we find in the money article of the New
York Tribune of Tuesday last the foil owing i'm
portant item
CANAL ToI1s RrpucED.--The Board Of Managers
of the ew ork Canal has agreed 10 reduce the tolls
,eheat and -four three mills, and on railway iron
to two and hall mills.
The freight, as distinguished from tolls, has
generally amounted on the Erie canal TO three or
four mills per ton per mile; SO that the whole
charge for transporting flour is row six or seven
mills This is less than third of the charge
on any of the best railroads in the North 1t is
the vast amount of the trade from the Lakes,
which has SO reduced the cost of transporta-
ton on the New York canals. Who can doubt
that if theVirginia canal were completed to the
Ohio its tonnage would also be sufficient to reduce
the tolls to something like the same standard?
In further exemplifcaton of the capacity of
canals to transport at low rates, we may state
that the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, recently
opened to Cumberland, is transporting Goa from
that place to Alexandria at toll of 81 Ia cents
to which is to be added a boat duty of about 7
cents.
To such as are disposed TO adopt the notion
that canals are s'behnd the age" we would COM
mend the following account of a great Western
canal, which is now rapidly advancing to its COM
pletion under the auspices of the infant giant of
the States, Indiana:
The Cincinnati Gazette gives the annexed abstract
ofthe annual report oilhe Trustees of the Wabash and
Erie Canal: This great work OF internal Water Com
muneaion, Is now completed between Toledo, Ohio,
and Point Commerce, lndana-giving a continuous
line OF Canal of 1852 mes-26S miles IN the State OF In
diana, and "a miles III Ohio. The continuation of the
line from Point Commerce to Evansville on the Ohio
River, distance OF III miles, all under contract
an effective force OF 900 has been employed upon
it the past and its final completion in the fall of
1852 placed beyond doubt
This great work, to be completed will he
1851 miles in epgh-he largest work of The kind ever
undertaken by any State OF the American Union-the
largest continuous artificial channel of Communication
on the European or American continents 1t passes
through country of unrvaled productiveness in The
substantial articles human food and capable fsupply-
ing dense and active population.
From the annual Report of the Trustees TO the Gen
eral Assembly of the State of Indiana for 1880 we
learn officially, that the canal opened between the
State line and La Fayette on the 18th of March last,
and South of that point the first of April 1t was
closed the 9Th OF December, having been open for
navigation Pei days. From the State line to Coal Creek
distance OF lo9 miles, navigation suspended dur
ing the season, less than ,o0 days, and the breach
which occasloned was repaired expense of about
Two hundred dollars Several large breaches occurred
on other DIVISIONS OF the canal, but taking the average
cost per e OF the repairs given, during The last three
years. II IL less than similar canal in the country
Merchandise, purchased in New ork was transported
the past season, to Terre Haute in twenty-five days.
The revenue OF the canal within the limits of Indiana
the past year. amounted to Sl57 1853 80, being an in
crease oil S22499 IS over the previous year.
The work upon the unfinished portion OF the line was
quite suspended tor time the last season, by the pre-
valencs OF the cholera and $50 aborers fell victims TO it,
The liabilities OF the Trustees for canal work when the
unfinished divisions shall be completed will amount to
S111, lS3 20. The final cost of tine 100 miles under |
construction, stated by L. Williams the Chief En-
gineer, viii be S20l2 0s5 IT, while The estimated cost
Sl9l0,37l.
We said the repair service on this canal was less than
on any similar work From the Engineers statement
il appears that the OF repairs per mie for
the past three years this canal has been lS9-on the
Ohio canal the average annual cost of Is wears was
1894 per mie--on the Miami and Erie canal and
Branches the yearly Tor Is years has been S36l
per mile and taxing the entire system of canal navga
ton In New YORK for 81 years, the average annual cost
per mile has beon s645
The Trustees have sold during the past year Canal
lands az follows: In the Vncennes District IS 46s %
acres Tor $50 1888 76 at the Land Office at Logans-
port 50 $751; 81 sold, for which S2l CTS Is
was received 10 cash and the balance on credit And
there @aH received for lands sold of Tppecanoe
fhe past year, the OF S3l 800 II.
The value OF the Canal lands unsoId and the amount
249, O30 So
The Report of the Chief Engineer contains large
amount OF valuable agricultural and commercial nfor-
NATION and statistics connected with the region OF couu-
Try through which this great canal lies.
The New York papers are much given to ap-
propriating each others articles. The Express,
Il Il Il