The New York herald., 1872-09-14
THE ERIE CANAL TO BE TURNED INTO 4
FREIGHT RAILROAD.

The Great Grain Trade, Constantly In
creasfng, Requires Larger Facilities %
Transportation.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
The very able and interesting article contained
In your last weeks issue on the "Grain Trade"
causes me to throw out these suggestions The
difficulty under which the country iabOrs Is to get
the products from the West to the Atlantic Without
having the whole receipts absorbed In railroad
charges. Mr. Seymour, In an able article In tho
Atlantic Monthly for the present month very clearly
SHOWS That the western products are literally con-
suined by railroad charges, and advocates canal
transportation as the only mode by which these
great and constantly increasing products can DO
Drought to the scaboard. think that the day has
gone by when the usefulness OF the slow translsi
canal can be entertained.
Several hundred thousand dollars has bcen cx.
pended on connecting link OF q canal from the
Erie Canal. below Bnghamton, In Broome county.
In this State; and late as three years ago thar
work was vigorously progressing. But railroad.
ing been completed, in direct communication with
the coal mines OF Pennsylvania, the extension OF
the canal which was progressing In the same direc
tion was suspended; and the last Legislature Of
our State authorized the citizens OF Binghamton to
Oil up that canal within the limits OF that city; Its
usefulness had been superseded by the immensely
greater advantages which railroad afforded.
The necessity for q more rapid transit for freight
passing over the great route OF the Erie Canal was
nual financial report OF the Auditor OF
aa SSasry s7 rsnds 10 'as a
that the Legislature Of 1871 passed an act entitled.
IAN act to foster and develop the internal COM
merce OF the state, by inviting and rewardng tho
practical and profitable introduction upon the canals
OF steam, caloric, electricity or any motor other
and appropriated 100000 to tho owners OF the
successful plan, &c. On page nineteen Of the same
sage Of this act steam had repeatedly been en- intro %
duced, by way of experiment, on the Erie and Os-
hour with cargoes Of 200 TONS but 1t was only ac.
compIshed at such cost as to preclude its profitable
speed for the passage Of freight appears to have
been unobjectiOnabe to the legislators who en-
acted S tnat law lor they the payment os
made by such boat shall not be less than average
OF three miles per hour, without injury to the
Now, propose to abandon altogether the use OF
canal transportation of freight on the route or tho
present Erie Canal, TO take the water entirely out
OF the bed Of present canal and substitute several
pairs OF rails solely for the transportation Of freight
thereon, at a speed Of not over ten miles per hour.
night and day, throughout the whole year. Winter
and Summer
We now own the whole level way on which to
place the rails qOr the present locks could be very
easily surmounted by gradual ascents), not In any
way obstructed by cross roads, convenient to VII
iages stores &C.. and suitable basins for turnouts
&C.. and possessing indeed all the facilities for o
Now, in order to avoid the great expenses in
Cured by wear and tear, &C., present reight
transportation (Which is very greatly owing to the
to be carried, rapid rates from station to station,
then lying over on turnouts for passenger trains 70
locomotive engines not adapted to q motion OF
much exceeding ten miles per hour, at which latter
carry freight all the year round at rate or speed
OF ten miles per hour instead Of carrying freight.
ess than e me per hour %
The Information would be Of much interest II we
could obtain the statistics showing the whole out
lay each year, resulting from the Erie Canal, for
the last twenty-five ycars-vz. -COmmtsslOnera'
salaries, repairs to canal, damages to individuals,
permanent for use OF water, thereby impeding pri-
vate works, temporary for Overh0ws arising from
breaks, &c At the approaching annual election
proposition to allow the issue OF bonds by the Comp
troller for 100000 arising for cost OF canal ex
penses unproyded or which amount II added 70
OF the Erie Canal for the last twenty -1vo years,
would % show the Alarming amount which that pet
us-vastly more than the best stocked freight road
could cost us per annum. Artificial water struc-
preserve; witness the Mississippi levees. breaks
In our canals during the height OF the business sea-
son, requiring thousands OF men, &C., at high
rates, night and day, TO remedy the defect.
When, therefore we take into view the great
boats, and consequent resistance to be @ overcome
by the moving powers In narrow artificial canalsi
the unavoidable increased resistance and also
damage by wash as the speed is increased; the
damages una v0idable and constantly occurring to
artificial structures holding water-its subtle
character undermining where VIC least expect 1t,
&c.-I cannot but think that verdict will be rem.
dered In favor Of q great dug way freight railroad
being constructed in the bed OF the present Erie
Canal and, consequently, OF excluding the water
therefrOm.
No canal bed should ever be filed up las Is pro.
posed to be done at Binghamton, noted In the
former part OF this communication, but should be
utilized otherwise. 1t Is great advantage that
we have in the Erie Canal route this great dug.
way. We have therein tw0-siXty milo levels with
out locks and when locks occur they can be easily
graded over. Moreover, by the mode proposed an
Immense amount OF transshIpment from Western
railroads TO canal boats (as at present at BufalOj
would be avoided Lumber IL now brought by rail
all the way from Michigan to New York city (even az
the present nigh charges for freight caused by too
rapid transit OF freight carried over passenger
roads,, because they avoid the expense or handling
In q transshpment at Buffalo and gain time over
the slow transit OF three miles per hour by canal.
Will not your widespread journal aid In accOmp.
fishing this great refOrmy
WM COVENTRY II. WADDELL.
VALHALLA, Sept, 1872.