New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-03-25
STATE CANAL Mitigation.

Our readers will recollect that, several weeks
ago, we exposed piece of legislative jObbery
intended to give away a monopoly OF our
State canal navigation. correspondent calls
our attention to the fact that this snake Is
scotched, not killed. The monopoly is cut
down from 81 to z years. but otherwise it is
unchanged. It is still the Edward Backus
"method, rolling ut the bottom of the canal"
and when it goes into operation all other
methods of navigation must step out or pay
tribute. The bill is in nice place on the
table, all ready at the proper moment to be
called up and passed. And that's to be the
end of all this fuss about steam on canals.
An extraordinary interest i'll the problem of
the navigation of our State canals was elected
by the appointment of a Commission, in April,
1871 by act of the Legislature. to decide upon
making an award of 100000 for the practi-
"cable and profitable introduction upon the
canals of any other motor than animal
power. very general belief gained ground
that the chief object to be sought in the new
canal motor was a kind of propulsion which
would not injure the banks of the canal.
There was a current notion that the objection
to such steamboats, as had hitherto been used
was that they washed down the embankments.
The Commissioners fastened to disabuse the
public of this notion, declaring that there
was no such danger. But to this hour
inventors are racking their brains over
fantastic devices to avoid the swell
of waves following the boat. Screws that
revolyed in boxes; that dOvetailed into each
other; that operated at extraordinary angles;
machines that propelled by the direct back
ward pressure upon the water, of steam of
stream from pump, of plunger that ex-
banded like ducks foot; with the most be-
wildering intricacies Of bevel gearing, link
motion and pmppet valves, in model and in
drawing, came crOwding in upon the Com
missioners; and kept cOming-even to the
present hour. The Patent Office has not
more extraordinary collection of gimcracks.
All of these. contrived ingeniously to do that
which was unnecessary, were, of course, them
selves unnecessary. The main difficulty to be
overcome, say the commissioners, sis to es-
"tablish the economy of steam or other motor
Gas compared with animal power
The act essentially limited the consideration
of the Commissioners specifically stating that
it did not apply to the Belgian system nor to
any mode of propulsion upon either bank of
the canals whether the Backus rolling at the
bottom of the canal 10 excluded, we suppose
TO be a question for lawyers. AS was natural,
the Commissioners took precautions not to
consider anything they were not obliged to
it was but prudent to keep well within the
limit OF their powers. They took legal advice,
and the restrictions of their lawyer were added
TO those of the act. Ii resulted that the
ranks of the competitors for the award,
who had to construct boats and conduct
experiments at their own cost, were very
rapidly thinned. Only those who had
friends convinced Of the efficacy Of their in
yentions sufficiently to lend material aid,
could carry out their ideas. We have heard
that about half dozen boats were more or
less constructed and entered for trial; but
only two boats went through the canal as re-
auired, on three round trips from New York
and Buffalo, with 300 tons of cargo each way.
OF course this was not such competition as
the public expected and an award upon it,
IL made by the Commissioners, would occasion
an outcry of unfsirness. SO the Engineer of
tho Commission, Prof ID. NJ. Greene, vented
his feelings in a most elaborate Report;
Report 30 full Of facts and figures that they
erupted all oyer it and gave it a continent as
pect He himself tried to make an abstract of
Il, which he sent TO Troy paper; but nobody
understood it. The Commissioners referred to-
n as work of immense erudition, but do
oiined TO say what it meant 1t was finally
sent 70 the State printers at Albany whom 1t