The New York herald., 1872-10-19
NEW FORK HERALD, SATURDAY,
THE ERIE CABAz QUESTION.

To The SEr-oR OF THE HERALD:-
Iop- correspondent-Mr Hadfeid, or BuGal0-in
hiscourteous letter OF the 26th OF September does
Injustice tunintentlonally) TO my statements in
reference to the advisability OF converting the
present Erie Canal into freight railroad, limited
to speed throughout OF mot over ten miles per
hour. did not intend to Aisparsge the great ben
ehts that the Erie Canal per have conferred upon
this city and the State large to deny that had
not from the receipt Of tolls, paid Its rst cost or
that its financial record did not appear to be sound
that the canal (even at presently Ia the 'great
regulator and cheapener OF freight on the cheap
necessaries Of life from the West to the metropo-
s,n "that II it had led to Boston or Philadelphia
that one of those places would have been the
metropolis OF the Union.n IS 0
j have lived long enough to witness all its
benefits 80 far; participated in the celebration Of
the marriage as 1t was then termed) OF the waters
OF the Atlantic with those OF the Great Lakes, and
the commingling OF their waters through that art-
fetal navigation, and entirely accord with all the
encomiums bestowed on that gigantic enterprise
with Mr.. Hadheld; but think that progress de-
mands that we should perceive that we now live
in quite another era from that which contented
itself with carrying freight one two or three miles
per hour The lightning Is now harneSsed TO our
pens; the express trains carry our bodies with i'm
Inense ceerfty, and we must conceive OF some
Comparatively some motion. TWO, three and
four miles per hour Is too slows we might
hour believe hat the great cost Of con-
veying freight on our railroads, as at present
organizes s owing to the ngn rate o. speed
(the time occupied between distant points is long
enough, often too long,, thus occasioning great
which must be compensated by high tarifr OF
prices. The plan proposed by me for the manage,
Of hase s Erie Tie ssocfsS Ws
engines Of powerful structure, but not fitted for q
much higher rate Of speed than ten miles per hour
during the whole year, instead Of ct the rate OF
three miles per hour during six months OF the year
Mr. Radneid SAYS % that 1.-THE canal brings to the
city Of New York far more freight than is brought
BY any other channel.n Admitted. But propose
that more shall be brought by this proposed heavy
freight road at ten miles per hour during twelve
months than the canal ever brought during any one
pared to railroads as now organized in carrying
freight at little II any, over canal cost OF trans
Mr.. Hadfsld says, 'what the canal was in the
beginning 1t yet continues to great extent to
be-. differ with him greatly here; for fifty years
| people. We think that we cannot afford to waste
as much time as we used to do. Time ID money.
| Freight must come along faster.
Mr.. Hadfeld says that 1--WE have no less than five
roads competing for western trade through this
State between the proposed termni Of the pro-
hailed more gladly by the owners OF these roads
than that Of drying up this cheap and chief com;
petitor" OF course do not propose to "dry up''
this 'cheap and chief competitor" but by greatly
increasing its capacity propose to make 1t more
powerful even fl that aspect. The old adage still
remains true, that competition Is the life OF busi-
ness, /" and would, by law, prevent any director
| or manager OF one of these competing lines from
having direction In another, and II the State should
choose to relinqush the direct management Of the
great enterprise now under consideration and
impose its burthens on any OF It's citizens they
should be equally restricted from having any voice
In any other competing line.
Mr. Had6eld thinks that the railroads proposed
to be laid the bottom Of the present canal would
be impedcd sshalf the year by catching the 6nOw0
think that the meliorated climate OF our State
viSiby increasing as time rolls ON, will speedily
remove that obstacle. fr Ngr
Mr.. Hadfeld informs US that 'ln many places the
canal Is less than SIX feet and half In depth, and
that, of course, boats can only take the quantity
they can carry over the shallOwest places and that
the legal depth is seven feet.n quote this last
remark OF Mr.. Hadfeld as giving greater force to
my former article, where refer to the "great dis
placement Of water and consequent resistance
compared to the comparatively easy draught at
ten mi es per hour against the maximum three
miles per hour by canals) which an unobstructed
railroad can accomplish. / would renew TO Mr.
Hadfeld my acknowledgements for his courteous
criticisms OF my project, and at the same time
assure him that l cannot see how this discussion
can possibly brighten capital and divert 1t from
the proper point at critical period In the affairs
OF our State" as he aff1rms 1t will.
ApOlogiZing for the space which ask In your
columns. am yours respectfully
WIN. COVENTRY II. WADDELL. Z
VALHALLA, Sept, 1872