American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-09-17
Nliscellalleoms.
STEAM ON CANALS.

INC proprlety OF using boats on our
canals, with horses or mules, is about
equal to that of placing a good old
Conestoga team" slow but sure-in
competition with the iron horse, on our
railroads, and about as effcctual. Our
boats and our canals, of course, must
be built fo,' the use Of steam, as our
railroads arc. a canal navigatcd by
horse power, is about on level with
4" team way" built especially for the
horse or the mule, and the change
which may be effected by steam in IA
vor OF canals, is equal to the difference
between primitive " team way" work
cd by horses, and a modern rail road
worked by steam.
Canals even now worked by the
horse, arc not behind railroads work.
cd by steam for it is a fact that can
not DC disputed, that canals under or
dlnary navigation, are the cheapest
avenues for inland freight, and next
to rivers and lakes ; and we have adj
vocatcd, even under present facilities,
the canal in preference to the rail road.
If, then, slack navigation, on river or
canal, propelled by horse power, is
equal or superior for heavy transporta-
ton or the chief articles Of commercial
intercourse to rail road transportation
in its cheapest form, what may we not
anticipate from our great water lines
under the Influence of steam, particular
| ly here, where coal is plentiful, and
where it can be, and will be produced
with the greatest economy The re-
cent trials ON the New York and Erie
Canal, arc not the first successful ones
that have been made canals, though it
appears they arc the first to convince
people gencrally-if they are yet con-
vinccd-that steam can be used with
oconomy,in the place of horses or mules,
on our mlaad navigation. Neither can
the test in New York be considered
the most favorable on the score of
economy, since the cost of coal there,
IS much greater that would be on the
Pennsylvania canals, on the Chesapeake
and Ohio or even on the James River
and Kanawha Canal, when completed.
~ , sn's n"Visa''on IN point OF size,
perhaps the Schuylkill navigation
between the coal mines of Schuylkill
county and Philadclphia-which is a
80 80 Eooo,,a S ama wei wei Duii' me ana destined
ono o, ns tho unuoi an",. 'no innuence OF steam
III G.I;oa ~ W. S.I.S AVENUES IN ,he world
IA AZ Iopt pt'",'vi ~ one oi 'he pest 6ul!t,
th;s % ~ onI I1,ppoa annn. n"'' :uil ROADS IN
fvoroh,e @ % 9ro GJ""tiy' Jos n.y. WIN the most
nos0;L1,, orD,' ~oos 'i"1 any ROAD could
fon;I;t;o, 2I Ky "ao ye'' WIN all the
tron,onJnn, I pa'a'' :" Perieiice ana
toaathnr VII, Sna1 "u1 o'ii cohnaho'
ob7s Than dsag 'auo So, e0els ~ morsJa1or, @
NAVIGATION hos con,no.o1 w Soius M 81,
ni+b tho Poa IL d;n so -, '.eu successfully
now loo5;nc, - 80, "''o 20 orc''
forcod Jown ;+a ua.o anu mas
This has boen dono hw w ha.so ss".uaru.-- @ ::
connection w;tb ston,, o ~ po"eI III III
wbnre tbo watom :, , In, a 5'u ','a1 700
tho nov;o,t;on ;s ,naLoJ """ ""cio
four mon7bs ~ 10 lUo%e' 800 Tp n, WIN ICE
most favorable con,nor;son .ha. @ 70 '.11 .,1
be made on tLo nart of ro;l III, LII e?u,u a
He IS seldom indeed tbat anu ~o;Inmoa no;'nno !,
can be favored viii ln~"l @ nroda" o"(' ,
mnch ,ess With nrodos % g.. "'os, @ anu .n,
more favorable to tho trado ' ~" 49, o'',' y
1eadmrpl Tn virr;n;a on, - 80. 'c"n e',.. "
nblo roads have 70 eontouJ vi, "TSs ia. ,",Ir,
Which rnnco from, tynu,n Wv" .auos
TO tho milo and frocnnn;,,, " o,sa; o,n1 ~ ~
trade whilst hcro ! 70 ~ tn wv viz
an abundance If wotor r ronJ ~ a,,mos, m", =
perpetual navig,t;on 90 CO f,r ." -. ";'"o?' -" :,
concerned IfsncL ,ro ,bn fan,s 'Vo 10 .
thcy are cv;,6nt e. $500 49,. 'aIsS' aisn,.,,, al"
what n mightv chance IN ~, 81 i'ot oe
fcctcd our Transporting agencies when