, 1866-01-05

Had VIC the money lost In stock destroyed
BY those great and sudden changes of sold
! during the last ten years, we could plant
some thousands Of acres to shelter belts
We all know that stock sheltered from the
wind, require much less Of hay or Grain, and
keep in better order than those exposed
This, If nothing else, should induce us to
plant trees nhont our barn-rards and about
We have no more such New Year greetings
ns those of 1864. RURAL.
A SHIF CANAL AROUND NJ
AGARA.
Vessels from Chicago for Europe
Without Breaking Bulk. .
Remarks of Horace II. Day. Esq. be-
fore the Nostou hoard Of Trade.
From the Boston Courier, Dec sol
At meeting Of the Transportation Com
mittee OF, the Boston Bonrd Of Trade, Dec. u,
1865, after the transaction Of other business,
the chairman. james " Converse, stated that
he had received letter from friend inviting
the attention Of the Committee to very I'M
portant project. He was happy to announce
New York. was present, and would lay the
matter before the Committee.
Dir. Horace Il. Day then addressed ths con-
vention as follows:
In attempting to present a subject OF such
vast importance to M intelligent board Of
gentlemen, such as now address, I lee1 q
strong sense Of embarrassment, not being ac-
customed to o.public speaking. But feel bur
dened with the thought that have d practi-
cal, Gnsiness1fke, comm0n-sense project to
present, by which the cost OF bringing tho
great food products from the West to the sea-
board can be reduced more thah one-half, with
corresponding reduction IN the trAnsporta-
tIon of our manufactured articles to tho West.
In looking ut the exports Of this country In
the years past, cotton has been tho main
staple, and the southern country has had
great natural advantages In bringing 1t to the
ecaboard. whence VIC have competed success
fully with the maritime interests Of the world
in carrying 1t to foreign markets. Thus wo
have been favored by great natural adyan-
tnEes in regard to the Southern products
But not 90 with the products Of the great
| Western country The West is now tram
staples to tie seaboard- For large part OF
the way they are drnwn by horses on cnnays
at the slow rate Of two miles an hour, md the
bonts In which they-are transported return
agricultural products with such heavy trans-
Eortaticn toll that they find comparatively
little market abroad
Now, I have to present to You System By
which these great products can be sent to the
seaboaId in vessels Of ! LOO tons, by steam,
and the same vessels may return laden with
dry goods, groceries md manufactured arti.
| cies. That system consists Of canals Of lesi
rable depth, connecting the narigah1c lakcs
md rivers, substituting for the ordinary locks
inclined planes, passing the ships up and dow
these pIaccs while floating Ia iron caissons OF
/ movable locks. These locks are to be closed
ut each end and mounted On ten tracks over
4Fnt~ I,yr. 4
clined piano. Aronnd Niasara Falls, wherf
there ore SO feet ofelevntion to overcome, nnI
where the 1ockage necessarily requires great
t deal Of time, Ibis system o. Inclined plane:
cen be used to great advantage. For as ont
vessel ts drawn up another Ia let down BY
| means Of q atrong wtra cable connecting the
two movable locks like two buckets IA well,
50 that the vessels never leave tho water.
The amount OF power to be eIerted by this
| method IS just enough to overcome the fric-
| lion, because the two movable locks would.
when equally filed, exactly balance each
| other.
And by this system there is no difficulty IN
making canal OF any desirable size, because
the only waste Of water Is substantially from,
evaporation, md enough, therefore, can be
found In almost any region OF country to sup
ply that waste.
Win such euna1 around niagara Falls,
pna ponr 9M sh3ns af as. to The Hudson river
, H.
20 to the seaboard without tlanster Of cargo.
The advantage Of this must be apparcnt.
Some two or three years ago the Government
Ct Washington called upon the State OF New
York, to know what depth Of water the
Eric canal could be made to furnish for tho
PWpoeo. Of passing around vessels to the
lakes, and the State engineer reported
from six to seven feet. That depth, We may
infer, was al that Was practicable to be OBJ
TONED By the then e1l.tlng art Of making
canals In that locality. It Ii very we'll know1
that hundreds Of thousands of acres Of land
arc submerged IN that State as reservoirs tor
canal navigation, and TINT tens Of millions Of
dollars arc Invested in feeders for the same
purpose. And Jet with all this only from
six to ecyen feet OF wnter c1n DO obtained.
The idea OF canal OF fourteen feet In depth
to foat vessels propelled by steam, WIS Ger
time that Iport was made. OF they won1d
have aEaflcd themselves OF the suggestion.
Their report Wos based upon what knowledge
they Ind Of the advance in the arts as applied
to the subject Of canal transportation.
In In E R5eseqPt;ing new; simple Re- aad economical
shall be examined and discussed, aud If found
possible and desirable, that such action be
taken upon 1t as shall contribute to promote
the great interests Of the country.
NJ. SpooneE-Do you propose to move ships
Of ! go tons by this means over an elevation
Of go feet ?
Mir. Day-Yes, sir. have exhibited the
plum TO some Of the best engineers In the coun-
Try, and have their Endorsement Of Its prac-
ticability.
Mr.. sPooner-Where there are many miles
Of dcclivity how do you arrange your attach
ns doxof of,s asoaESd Eodns Rp az a s other
Mr. DAY. propose to Bring the canal from
Lake Erie, beginning 4bont three miles above
the Falls By almost I straight line to the
brow Of the bil1 at Lewiston, and there build
and a hull, Win an inclination Of about 15o
feet to the mile. The locks are made Of iron
and wood, and arc passed up the Inclined
plane upon rollers fixed upon the plaQe. Upon
the bottom Of the locks rails asa tas.ened, SO
that no friction or arrangement shall occur
on the bearingR- There are two inclined
planes side by side, and at the upper end Il
large drum, around which wire cable passes,
being attached to the two movable locks.
As one starts down the plane, the other starts
up, and they meet half Way in passing. In
practical use the descending lock will require
only little more water than the ascending
one IN order to overcome the friction aad
draw It up: Two ships can thus be passed,
one up and the other down, overcoming an
elevation Of :te3O feet, whereas, now It is we'll
known that It takes twenty hours each way,
and about sixty hours the round trip, to pass
vessels through the Wellnnd Canal.
Mr.. spooner. But in those 20 hours num-
Der Of ships can be moving, while you move
but one 1T q time.
NJ. Day. The saving il. day and
bali on the rou4d trip. Now, II YOU figure 1t
Up, you find that By my plan you eau pass
loo,Wo tons IN "a hours, which, I appfchend,
Is sufficient capacity tor At least soma time 10
come. Now, the saving OF time Is 4 very im-
poTtant element. The cost of u charter Of q
steam vessel Of 200 tons is say 800 day;
the saving OF day and q halfw bc 1900. \
corresponding saving in the aggregate would
amount to some se0, 200 or seo, 900 day over
the present SLOW process OF canal locking:
and In single season ii would amount to be-
tween fye and eight millions Of dollars; ".
Now If engineers of u1questicned lnte!u-
gence and ability declare that there Is no pfac-
t!eal difficulty IN this scheme, IN sure tnat
The business intelligence Of this nation = uos
going to leave unimproved the opportunity .,
working such revolution In the consnae18 u
this country. r.~
D But the benefit that will accrue to Ne"
England is an important consideration 10 VII,
The transportation Of grain to the seaooha hn.,-
ships at the 1atc Of ID or T. miles a. n9 ~
must reduce materially the price o. !Uo1 ~, -,
your Consumers. Hence you SEQ .La A.
have a great interest IN this qncst.tu .a.,or+s
present the vessels that are Used lot Ia1i lt ~ ~
alton at the close of the season, ar laae A W ~
the docks to rot. By my syssem s1a5 ~ 1r ~5r.sr
used all alorg the seabosFd a45~6 s10 s,ste1,
season. And The effect o. 2. ,a.ss, ~ ~ M Wsst
!. eieo ~, ~ h cnnsidered- Il those great COM
h;na at;ona tcn5 10 enhance the prices Of the |
western pradncts, ID It not high time that OBJ |
strurtlons to the freedom Of commerce should |
10 rsmnrnd. Do not the interests Of the na-
ttcD demand 1t? We have an Immense u.s.