Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1872-11-30


STEAM on THE CANALs.-The Buffalo
Commercial says 1.-The success that some
of the competitors for the States prize of
100000 are meeting with on their trial
trips is on the whole, probably as much as
could be expected. The steamers are sub
iect to many delays now that would be I'M
known if all the vessels on the canal were
noved 10y steam. The horse-boats are not
disposed to be ovcr-accommodating to their
new rivals, and as result the steamers, to
avoid a collision or running aground, are
sometimes obliged to follow after q snail
paced horseboat for considerable dis
tancc. More or less difficulty is also eXpe-
rienced on account of tow-lincs. But If it
shall be demonstrated that steam can be
employed to advantage, these embarrass-
ments will all disappear in Il short time.
"The steamer William Baxter started
October II on her second down-trip. She
has already made two westward voyages.
On the last she brought up ll3t tons Of
freight consuming five tons of coal. Her
time from Troy to Buffalo was 1l0 hours,
or less than five days. This is great i'm
provement on the first trip, and it is also
considerably less than the average time
made by horse-boats. On the first east
ward voyage the Baxter had 20l3 tons on
board, and made the through trip TO New
York in nine days, consuming five tons OF
coal. In going down the Hudson River
from Troy she beat the steam tow barges
twelve hours into New York. The ex-
pense per mile for fuel, engineer and fire.
man, was 12s cents. The regular towing
rates this season are 35 cents per mile. In
addition, therefore, to the saving OF five
days time on the passage, it cost 22s cents
less per mile to propel this steamer than
it does to tow the boats now in use.
1t is anticipated that the Baxter will
make better speed this trip down than she
did on the last, if the water is not lower.
The machinery is working smoothly at
present, and the men are learning to man
age the vessel better than they did at first
She is loaded this trip with POI tons of
wheat, and draws 8 feet 8 inches of water.
There is nothing really new about the BaX-
ter's model or machinery. She is propell-
ed by two common screw wheels in the
stern, At feet in diameter with feet pitch.
She has plenty of power, being supplied
with two engines II by II inches low pres
sure. The boiler is one of BaXter's patent,
and is live feet high by four feet in dams
ter. But the bows are shaped somewhat
differently from those of the common boats.
The stem-pOst, instead Of rounding of as
it approaches the keel, goes straight down
to the bottom of the boat. The object Of
this is to keep the vessel oD an even keel,
no matter whether she is gong fast or
slow. \ boat built after the ordinary mo-
del, when forced through tue water at a
high rate of speed, has a tendency TO slide
on top of the water forward, being shaped
in the lower part something like sleigh
runner. But with the straight stem-post
the bows are necessarily wedge-shaped, and
it is claimed that in passing through the
water The boat forces all the water TO the
right and left, instead of sending part Of it
underneath the bottom. If the steamer
can be kept on an even keel, it will be an
important point gained.
"Mr. Baxter, the owner of this steamer,
is so sanguine of success that he purposes
building twenty more boats the coming
winter after the plan of the Baxter. From
this it will be seen that the States prize is
not the great consideration with him. If
he can devise a steam canal-boat that will
make the round trip in about half the time
now taken and at much less expense, as he
expects to, he may be very well satisfied,
as it will be mine of wealth to any man.