Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1854-09-23
CONDITION or rnr CANAL.

Ihe miserable condition IN which the
Psnnsyi,ania canal from \ northumberland
10 the junction of the Junia,ta and Sosque-
hanna, has been all summer, is attracting
the attention Of persons other than those
who have depended upon II as means 10 I
get their produce to market. We are
heartily glad thai this is so. The more
general the complaint, the sooner will
proper remedy be applied by the Canal
Commissioners to obviate the difficulties
under which the business community labor |
The canal is now so completely clogged
with sand and other deposits that j, is
scarcely possible ior an empty boat, much
less one that happens 10 h. loaded, to pass
through without great detention in sticking
fast. Jams, !ha, frequently require daysto
tpt hoa,mrn on, OF, are the consequence of
his state OF things, and Tins is trade sns-
| pended, or rather ini-rirred with, to the.
greai injury Of parties transporting as well
as to the state at large. The water, in the
canal, it is true, has been reduced by the
drought, TO very low stage; but, We are
satisfied, that even the limited quantity on
hand, would b, Sufficient for all purposes.
were tbs canal IN the condition that it was
designed 10 be kept, and as individuals
would keep it were il out Of the arena Of
politics, or at least out OF The possession o.
the state.
No feeder, however great its capacity,
would be OF material service in the present
obsructed state OF the canal. II is clearly.
therefore, the duty Of the Canal Commits
sisners to remove the sand anG oiher de-
posts that have been accumulaiing for
years. 4 Railway officer might allow
broken rail 10 remain on the track, and
thereby occasion loss and detention, with as
much propririy, as those in authority post
pone the correction oi evils under their
control. The Ledger. in a sensible article
on this subject, "says that the removing of
4 diIt, sand and other deposits complained OF,
may br embraced very fairly wiihin ordi-
mlssioners have unqurstIouably the righ, to
apply the remedy. But apart from this, il
canno, be doubted that any moneys rSp"n-
d"d to repair a damage or inuiy To the
public works, such as by flood, long drought.
] nth mel h.. Il
by the Legislature. Were i, not 80. i, is
obvious that the interests Of The community
and the Golfers OF the state mus, suffer ior
want Of the application of The simplest
doctrines, based on manifest rcono nv, to
the management of our public works"
r In this vicinity, more particularly per-
haps, than elsewhere along the Susguphan-
ma Division OF the Pennsylvania Canal
have we great reason to find fault. The
. capacity of the openings in the Shanokiu
coal region, which has its western OUTFIT al
/. this place, is not much, il any less than one
million tons annually. This coal is neces-
sarly kept back for the reasons stated, or al
least but comparatively small quantity
shipped, notwithstanding The active De-
, mand throughout the Susquehanna valley
: and on the Chesapeake.
!, The Susquehanna Division Of the Penn
D sylvania canal can be made one Of the mss
= profitable improvements in the state, a
much so, as the Delaware Division, whicl
= is dependent mainly upon coal tonnage 70
: lis support, and which yields dividend
: beyond ,ha, of any other public work.
II should be, in fact, enlarged suthcrntl
10 accommodate as muCh coal tonnage q
> the Schuy kill canal. It will always
"" taxed TO IFS grratrst capacity. The CON
" pletion o The Susqurhanna Railway wi
no, lessen its usefulness. Both channel
lik the r aiing road and the canal rur
: ming parallel with it, will have as much
- they can get through with. Our Can;
'' Commissioners should bear mis- in min,
~ and at once go to uorkin removing the o
r structons alluded to, and otherwise in
us prove common carrier of 20 much impo
u tanc-.