Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-07-21
The Steam Canal Boat.

The steam canal Doat, EnterprlSe, which
left Cleveland for GAINESVILLE, on Saturday
the 18th inst, did not reach this place un-
til Monday evening. The reason why it
was not swifter in its passage, was owing
to its being impeded by grass in the canal,
which, being long, would tangle in the
wheels at times, and occasion delay. The
boat was provided with knives fixed upon
the bottom in such manner as to cut the
grass, but st:ll this does not remove the i'm
pediments. proceeding from this source
We should think this is the greatest obsta-
Gle in the way of steam upon canals, and
this is not so serious that it is not likely
to be partially or wholly obviated, or at
least sufficiently so as to render this mode
of canalllng of sufficient advantage over
the former to enable it to supercede it, at
some time if not Immediately.
Along the canal, this new species of
boat attracted no little attention, many col
lecting to see it, as news of its approach
preceded it by several days.
The day before reaching this place, they
went distance of some thirty miles, on
Monday, about sixteen, only from Roscoe
to this place. They always lay by at
night. They started on Tuesday morning
for GAINESVILLE and made very handsome
speed in the river, where they had no OBJ
structions, probably at the rate of five or
six miles an hour. She was loaded with
fifty tons of iron ore, to be delivered at
GAINESVILLE. The enterprise differs but little
in construction and size from common Ca
nal boats.-Dresden Intelligencer, June
30M.
The obstruction encountered will detract
from the success of the experimental steam
trip so far as speed is concerned. The re-
suit, however, will show that steam that
steam can be profitably used as a propell-
ing power on the Ohio Canal, and that
with the canal in good order greater av-
erage speed can be obtained than by horse
towing. A marked Saving of expense in
running boats by substituting steam is con-
fidently anticipated.
The Massillon Times states that there
is an improvement of the Canal now un-
der constellation by the canal authorities
of the state, which if adopted will be of
greet advantage. 1t consists of a new
Iock-gate constructed to work up and down
in grooves, by which the present locks
can be made to admit boats about one
fourth longer, and some wider.
Since the above was put in type, the
GAINESVILLE Courier has come to hand. 1t
does not give as favorable prospect of sue
cess for the steam enterprize as we could
hope. We quote:
The "ENTERPR1sE," the steam canal
boat, left for WalhondiDg yesterday for a
cargo of coal for the oil works of Messrs.
Brooks & Graves.
We judge the question as to her COM
plete success to be yet unsettled, from
what we hear 1t was found that the long
grass in the canal clogged her wheel to
such an extent as to render her progress
impossible until the obstruction was re-
moved. Knives were attached with the
hope that they would not answer her pur-
pose but in a measure clear the obstruc-
lion to navigation, but they did not work
as calculated. If her managers can invent
some plan to rid the wheel of the grass,
we presume there is no obstacle in her
way, but until it is done her canal trips
with hardly prove profitable except early
in the spring and late in the fall.