The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-04-08

sss:: ss:a r.; sa..i cssai..ess;: Assembly Doc 49,
Where iii have been mistaken 1t is no dsersst = the
gentlemen DaAed cay what has become matter o. mr.,
ssssd.d On tSs strong conviction thai 4 was nearly
bausted far from the fact as il could we'll be- ana
that IT has been completely falsi6ed by results.
60 far from 49, coo being the " maximum Power Of
Sssbls i,sls,D single locks bstwssa Utica al Albasy
made 49, lochssss In wh.sn rs . %o ssy
tie points named the locks now double and are
ceu6tsss capable Of doing 60 900 Hostages not more
irsouer 1885, the ochages at Alexander lock were
Sll Ten years afterwards in 1s45 when they thought
Il probable the business "vou szeeed the capacity Of
single locks accommodated - 957.
In the succeeding year 1885, two Of the principal en-
gneers in the service Of the State reported estimate
Of the capacity Of the boat which might navigate a
canal Of different sizes. The following Is extract
In canal sI fact deep and sixty feet hide boa. may be
nsygstsS with 100 tons burhsp but in our opaio. such
boats than 10 80 TONS and will TO
date that elsss Of boats that may be most
s y Tsc afford
canal eight s: deep and eighty VIA. sSs.p
yenispt Iaygaton for boats q laO e o tons sp Of
canal 3. Assembly Doc 10 for 1885,
One Of the scedpg statements shows that ont Of 27l
boats built in the last to upon the present
na four feet deep and forty feet vide ninety boats were
Of 90 tons burhen Of % toms and thirty four
ment Of the remaining three or old locks the Ee
canal boats carry 40 TONS and estimate OF the
~ ate Engineer shows that by expenditure Of about
$500 600, to procure little more width and water boats
RAY carry $50 tons.
In the annual report OF the Canal Commissioners, dated
January 26 lS4l, Assembly Doc No. r. page 81 1t Is
stated that an OF 70 the down ton
ps re OF 1910 would be beyond the maximum capacity
Of the Erie canal The Commissioners add" The in
quiry then narrowed down single question at what
time proDa BILE that go 600 tons will be added to the
present descending tonnage OF tho Erie cana And they
iuI ther add - II has been shown above that there is
Hxe and absolute quantity to wit 225 600 TONS which,
added to the descendihg tonnage will exhaust the re
naming capacity Of the canal For these at
page ~ the Commissioners satisfied that the speedy
enlargement of the canal is called for, not only
Of fiscal and commercial expediency but Of immed
ate md vital necessity
TIE tonnage delivered at tide water last year from the
Erie canal by boats limited locks and canal Of the
The tonnage Of lS4O was 4o7,aio
Showing an excess In tons 1910 Of IL III 1884
nearly six times much as the Commits toner's
thought would exhaust the remaining capacity OF the
canal" And the average charge upon freight up and
d, was 140 per cent more IN 1870 than IN 1862.
II thus appears that the efforts Of those best qualified
BY their position and experience to calculate the capacity
Of the old Erie canal have been but succession Of fail
ures and that it has outsrped all conjsctwes and dis
AZ pointed all expectation, and has constantly given
proofs Of elastic power Of performance far beyond any
thing it has been called upon to do.
REDUCTION IN THE RATES OF TOLLS.
The Canal Board, in the winter of 1852, reduced the
ratef Of toll per 1000 pounds per mile, several agr
en- ,tural and other products as follows