Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-09-09
Steam O n

The proprlety oil propeiling ooats on ooI
canals, With horses or mules, is about equal
to that Of placing q good old "Connestosa
tsam"-slow, but surs-in competition With
the "iron horse," Oh our railroads, and about
as ef9ctual. Oar boats and our canals, OF
course. must be built for the use of steam, as
our railroads are. A canal naVigated by
horse power. is about on a level With q team
way," built especially for the horse or the
mule, and the change which may be effected
by steam in favor OF canals, is equal to the
difference between a primitive team way"
( worked BY horses, and a modern railroad
worked by steam.
Canals even DOW worked by the horse, are
not behind railroads worked by steam; Tor 1t is
a Tact, which cannot be disputed, that canals,
under ordinary 6avigaiion, are the cheapest
avenues fer inIaDd freight, and next to rivers
add lakea; and We have advocated, even un-
der present facilities, The canal in preference
to the railroad. II, then, slack water pavl-
CATION, on river or canal, propelled by horse
power, is equal or superior for heavy trans
portation IT the chief articles OF cJmmerciai
intercourse, to railroad transportation Ia It's
cbcapcs: form, what mey we not ANTICIPATE
FROM our grcut water llucs under the lrfiu-
encc OF steam, particularly here, where coal
il plentiful, and where it can be, and Will 90
produced with the greatest economy! IGo
recent trials on the New York aud Erie Ca
nal, are not the first successful ones that have
been made on canals, though II appears they
are tie first TO convince people genefaily--lt
thew are yet c0nvIncet--that steam can be
used with economy. in The place OF horses or
mules, OF our iGiani navigation. Neither
can the test III New York be considered the
pos, favorable on the score OF economy, since
the cost Of coal there, is much greater than
i, woaId be on the Pennsylvania canals, on
the Che.apeako and OIIO, nr even on the
James River aud Kanawha Canal, when
completed. Yet this navigation III point OF
SIZE, has the advantage OF those lines. except
perhaps the SOhuyikI!i Observation-Disclosures
tbe coal mines Of Schuylkill county aud
Pniladelphia-Shich is Il large aud well
built llbe, and destined 20 become, under the
Influence OF steam, one Of the greatest ave-
unes 10 The world. |. lies parallel to one Of
The bcss built, and best equipped railroads in
this Cr any other country, with tue mJst Ia
vvrabie grades that any road could possibly
enjoy; AID yet, with all the facilities that
capital, experience, AID a tremendous trads
CAP Command, together with Il grade even
more favorable than IA dead !esei--.ho SchuYl-
kill navigation has competed successfully
with the Reading railroad, and is even nUw
leading il Ia ireights, and has forced down
Its rates 10 a IulnUus standard. lhIs mas
been done by horse power III compeIitiOn
with steam, aud that too, where tue water Is
!imited and where the navigation Is locked
up With Ice four months in the year. This
is the most favorable com parisOu that could
be made 90 the part OF railroads, since 1t is
seldom indeed that auy railroad can be favor
I'd with level grades, and much less wl,n
grades that are still more favorable to the
trade, than a dead le'el. ln Virginia, our
most favorable roads have to contend with
grades which range from twenty to sixty feet
u the mile, aud frequently against the trade,
whilst here, it Is pOssibIe to have au abuI-
dance ul water and an almost perpetual ndv-
lgatIun rs far a. ice Is concerned. Ii such
are the lact', and they are evident u every
observer, what a mighty change will yet be
effected IN our Transporting agencies, when
steam shall exert 90 canals, the power it now
exerts on our railroads. That thIs must fol-
low ia the course OF common events, no pr'c-
iicai man cau deny, however, bis interest
otherwise many incline bin to doubt.--Rtch.
EuI