The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-09-28
WATER VERSUS STEAM.


BUFFALO. Sept. 49, 1879.
10 THs EDITOR or rae HERALD:-
The gfst Of the argument advanced by your 70.
spected correspondent Mr. WaddeIl, IN favor q
turning the Erie Canal into q railroad, is that ~
by water carriage via the st. Lawrence, and lsn1
carriage by the Canadian and other railroads. .
considerable portion OF the trade chat would have
| come TO New YORK. II the canal had remained che
only way OF bringing grain from the West to tho
northern Atlantic coast, 10 sent TO other Cities
| OUT waterway shall DO dried up and made
into a railroad, and we shall rely thenceforttl
solely on railroads, leaving the Canadians to con-
tend with us not only by their railroads. but ssOr
| by retaining and improving their canals, as they
| have lately begun to do, by enormous expendi-
lures, thus giving them double means OF competing
with us. This would be cutting or the branch bv
which the internal commerce OF the city and State
of New York Is mainly supported
The canal, by continuing water communal
cation from the Hudson to the great lakes,
not only brings to the city OF New York far more
freight than Is brought by any other channel but N
the great regulator and cheapener OF freight the
chief necessary articles OF life from the West to the
metropolis. II 1t had led to Boston or Philadelpha
one OF those places would have been the CONNER
cial metropolis OF the Union. What 1t was in tho
beginning It yet continues to great extent to bal
Other cities have railroads, as we have. A few
companies control these roads; none but these few
companies can run car or carry o bushel Of grain
on them, but the canal Is freely open to oil c0merS
anu the resulting competition Is Of the grestess
possible value to the Western producer and the
people In this state and elsewhere as Ia clearly
seen by many facts, one OF which, itself sudiOient
proof for the wise Is the invartabe increase In the
rate OF freight every season soon the canal -
closed. Let US not lose ourselves by SUPERFICIAL
consideration Of isolated details. The great i'm
portance Of the subject demands views at one.
| accurate and comprehensive.
| The Central Railroad already runs az nearly
practicable along the line OF the canal and Mr.. Wa
delps proposed road. Where 1t deyiates from tht~
course the change IL made only fer tn
sake OF well-consdered advantages. Mr.. waddcii
may reply that 1t carries passengers rs well As
freight, and that he means the canal to be change
into railroad used exclusively for freight, and
which freight shall BIO the paramount object. Be-
this answer avails nothing, for the owners Of IN,
Central are already engaged In making two other
tracks to be used exclusively for freight his pro-
posed road would be Besides the Central VIC have
already the Erie Road, the Midland the New York,
West Shore and Chicago and the Buffalo, New YORK.
and Philadelphia now or soon to DO Completed
from the great lakes to New York, thus giving VI
no less an ,n roads competing for western
termin Of the proposed dug-out. No proposal
would be hailed more gladly by the owners Of thesa
roads than that of drying up this cheap ana chief
competitor II it were only possible that the people
OF the state could be induced to support the scheme.
Mr.. Waddell takes for granted that the bed OF tho
canal would be an excellent location for railroad.
he thinks so oil the more because 1t would be 2
|
an open cut, made on purpose TO hold water might,
to considerable extent, be obyiated by drainage.
scarcely be more efiectuai arrangement for i'm
peding railway traffic about half the year by catch
heretofore with some Of the best known and most
informed engineers OF the State, find tnat they
s sGt as s to tao
The instance brought forward by Mr.. Waddell o.
canal near Binghamton which could not com.
pete with railroad for the carriage OF coal from
Pennsylvania is entirely destitute OF force with re-
gard TO tho Erie Canal. moments reflection WALL
show any candid man that the nature OF ha surface
TO be travelled over must be considered II q fair
conclusion is 10 be reached. / should not RECON-
mend running canal over the Rocky Mountains.
| Wherever lock Is necessary every half mile OK
other short distance railroad with series Ofeasy
grades will beat canal but in level country like
Holland or that of the natural gaps through which
| the Erie Canal passes very different adaptation
exists and different conclusion is correct.
My reply TO his argument on this point IL nOe
| merely theoretical. His Blnghamton canal failed,
he says through competition with a railroad bui
the Erie Canal has always more than held its OWE
| in competition with several railroads ever since
they we've made. Taking periods of five wears, tho
amount OF freight carried ON 1t has not diminished
| but increased. The report made by the State Au.
ditor IN 1871 the latest i havc-shows that In the
five years then ended the tonnage of the canal was
much greater than In any other similar period rom
the beginning until tho war, when, by the stoppaga
tOnal condition existed.
The average cost ofcarrying ton for mile on the
Central Road in 1870 was 81 49, while nj on the cana!
| and 92c or tlh .ana.. a1C 3 't AII--
|
| Mr.. Wa b nettJ tot 0ror.loA
kamton aea 10 .4 opaoH
ton VII tcl0 lerf. gHuH 81 .i
money mon T. as1ie ~ siH asao
all taat 1t cost besides increasing state revenue .
directly by multiplying literally more than hum
dred fold the value OF the taxable property IN the
| will readily admit. Anayzc canal finances; dis
tinguish between such canals as Mr.. waddelt
| meanS-w0rks which require large annual ex-
canals which are yearly becoming less and less
productive, and VIII continue to do SO, as dairy
forest, for which cheap though not rapid transit
Is the most profitable. AS long ago as 1858 the
Erie canal had not only paid for itself, but had .
balance to It's credit Of $4 43e 400 o. Yet an ord
$4,000, 600 or $1,000 900 Tor this canal.
neratIve water thoronghiares to the lakes ' and
those canals which never paid and never will pay
roads for the worst of these lateral canals or any
other process the people along their lines can be
their special benefit very great public service viii
be rendered and do not regard that task hope
less perhaps IL may be worked out by some varia-
The policy which win best enable the city ana
state OF New York 70 retain in their possession
the great prize OF Western trade is to reduce
tolls as far and as fast as the finances,
skilfuly and economically administered, will
permit; to create additional facilities for lock-
age by means Of "turnable gates" as has already
been recommended by high official authority, and
to improve the rate OF transit either by cable tom
mage or some other application OF steam power.
Already on some parts the canal for great dis
lance boats can be drawn by cable at the rate Of
three miles an hour, or double the usual speed.
1t is absolutely essential for the OF all other
plans OF impr" vement that the canal throughout
It's whole length shall be OF not less than the legally
required depth Of seven feet III the centre and at
the sides. In many places IL Is less than six feet
and q hail. and .! course boats can only take tho
quantity they can carry over the shallowest places
Let the state attend to these points carefully
an individual In his own business would do. and the
trip to New York from Lake Erie can be reduced
from twelve TO seven days, and the cost OF freight
diminished to an extent now little appreciated.
hope that Mr.. Waddell win on reflection modify
his opinions, the expression OF which tends to
fghten capital and divert II from the proper point
at critical period IN the affairs OF State Yours
respectfully, ROBERT HADFIELD.