The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-08-20

70 the city OF New York, is nov ticking place 90 |
the Erie canal; ecd though s.tsD pa have been
,ec@ptiy made TO give the circumstance pol'
cal t~ fs, to advance the Interests of Governor |
King AID the Seward Regency At Albany, We |
believe tha. progress, Improvement, railroads
anc cansls are not the property o. any clique. |
however they may seek to make thea 80. Toe
psope.liog force at present best applicable 60 |
such persOus 10 the pstriotio boot Of the peo. |
pie, 70 which thes are pretty veil accustomed. |
TIE idea Of rsvigatiug cur cansls ny steam |
is not pew one. Twenty years ago pair o'
light canGi boats were built IN Albany by &C !
engineer of that city, in which he placed two |
smsn ssesm ecgires Of his osn construction
They did not succeed, either al tow or passage
boats, and after few experiments permitted By
the Board Of Canal Commissioners, were hope
lessly withdraw. They had little spe-d snc
small power, ard .ven then the waves from tse
stern wheels were found Injurious 70 the banks
OF the canal Several other attempts we're sub
sequensIy made by ether parsies. bat taes were
also failures, AID tbe idea Itself seems to
have died GU. until very recently, when the
enlargement of the oaaal and Its increased
depth Of water have removed the chief diff sui
! ties In the way OF the first experiments A
depth OF six feet has been found ample enough
to allow the full action Of the blades Of
propeller.
Indeed, 1t was time that some new mode of
| transportation sbousd be adopted to keep our
| canal policy alive. The active competition OF
the rail~sys has leseened the amount Of freight
in an alarming degree; the passenger b,ats,
once 20 comfortable and such vast improve
| ment upon the old mail coach over slmost
| impyacticable roads have long since rotted In
the basins; their propriesors have bscome ex-
pressmen or railroad managers; and what vas
once the glory and tie property of the Empire
State, was becoming mere ditchwater and
much squeezed sponge. But we are changing
all this. Steam has been successfully applied
10 the navigation Of the canals. The traospor-
tation companies are already engaged in get
ting up new lines Of steam freight boats,
end In the course OF another year ii is
believed the system of towing, as now
practised, will be entirely discontinued
Freight of two hundred tons will be moved
from Buffalo to Albany in ooe half the time
now taken for the voyage, and at one half, or
nearly onc-haf, the present expense. The ex
perimepts have not yet been made with suff-
cient scientific accuracy to enable Us to decide
positively as to the precise quantity of fuel
peceesary on the average Of the trips, nor as TO
TIE best form of engine, or the greatest ecoro-
mical employment Of speed; but it IA fixed
fact that steam Is to drive the horses from the
tow path, and oil the heavy freight of tho North
west and the Western lakes and tho interior of
our own State, Will hereafter be forwarded to us
by canal steamboats, u the new construction. We
know the fact that an eminent engineer In this
city, whose pkill and ingenuity are constantly
! tasked In our commercial and naval marine, has
been at work for some months in getting up for
heavy capitalists models Of boats aud engines
beet adapted for canal service, and, of course
Rochester and Buffalo.
The result will be that In another year or
two s.eAm tugs will take the place CT the ordi-
nary canal boat, even Of that clasz which Is now
built at m expense Of twenty-five hundred dol
lsrs each. with capacity equal to irst class Al
baIy sloop. Whole trains o! boats will be taken
| N tow at q time, and the expense Of traction
viii be reduced to figure which will put at def
arce all railway competition In freishting heavy
gooda II Is also probable that large number
Of these boats Will hove Independent. power OF
their own, 10 as 10 navigate the small lakes OF
| the interior on their own account. Ga Cayuga
Lake there are no less than three fine steam
tugs constantly and prohtsbly employed in tow.
Ing canal boats between Ithaca and the lake
porte 10 the foot Of the lake. One hundred aud
fifty thousand tons Of coal are now annually
brought down that lake, and the charge for tow
fog through II is abou. thirty cents per ton.
The Seneca, Chemurg and Oneida lakes will all
have their business changed In this particular.
On the Hudson river we must expect to zee the
canal steamers generally working their way up
and down con their own hook" The saving In
expense win draw OF from the Central,
Erie and the Pennsylvania roads the bes.
part Of their present freight business, and New
York viii again DO the chief market Of the great
West, which she was In some danger of csasinz
10 be In consequence of the increase snd CON-
petition Of rival routes The freight which has
for come years aonc across from Albany 10 Bos-
ton by the Western Railway to the damage Of
the river and coasting trade, vii come back h
It's old cbannelA
In this view Of the subject which We believe
10 be ajust one, the Introduction Of steam upo1
our canals Is worthy Of public nosice, and Is
subject for general eongra.ulaiion- We are
very properly rejoicing OF the completion OF the
electric bond Of uLion which connects Europe
With America, but may VIC not slso rejoice ct
the strengthening Of the commercial bonds
which are 10 bind ourselves In stIii closer ties
Of commerce and friendsh,pi The construction
Of several thousand new boats and engines. TIE
new impulse TO the use Of iron and construction
| of machinery the Reduction OF freirhts and The