New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-11
TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS.
THE RIVALRY BETWEEN THE ERIE AND
WELIaAND CANALS.

DIFFICULTY OF DfvERTTNG TRADE FROM EsTAB-
IIsHED NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF THE CARRYING
TRADE OF THE wELLAND CANAL-vIEws OF
CHICAGO JoURNAL-DIvERsIoN OF THE GRAIN
TRADE 10 NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. IMPORTS FROM
EUROPE BY THE ST. LAWRENCE 10 THE UPPER
LAKE PORTS.
The effects of the enlargement OF the
welland and st. Lawrence Canals, now In progress
have, OF course yet 20 show themselves; but IL VIII
assist to form Judgment OF what may be expected
when the enlargement completed we consider that
the Canadian route with its present great Imperfect
tons considerable natural advantages over tnat oy
the Erie Canal and Hudson River. From chicago Mil
waukee. Detroit Toledo TO the entrance OF the Ere
Canal at Buffalo and to the entrance OF the Weiianu
Canal at Port Coborue the distance about the same
OF the 500 miles Of water navigation from Buffalo to
NevYork the Erie Canal includes S45 miles or the Se
miles from Port Colborne to Montreal, but II miles
are canal navigation. The locks in use on the wei
land Canal feet long, 26t feet wide ana l rect
deep The Canal locks ITO feet long, IL rect
wide aud feet deep. The welaud Canal can De
nsvigated by vessels l42 feet long and % feet wide
drawing 81 feet Of water Such vessel VIII carry from
$50 TO 400 cargo The Erie Canal navgaoe Tor
boats 100 feet and I7i feet wde drawing feet
Of water Such will from 200 TO 22S tons OF
cargo
The average time taken by canalboat to 20 from
Rufalo 10 Albany was IL days. and 1s72t 10 days
each of the 1854 to 1862 The increase In the time
may accounted for at least in greater part by the III
crease In the load OF the boats.
THIS ENLARGED wRLLAND CANAL.
The locks OF the enlarged weland Canal will be 27e
feet long feet wde and IL feet deep. Most OF the
propelers upper lakes will then be able TO pass
through canal into Lake Ontario. At present not
half OF them can do So 1t is believed that the enlarge
ment will completed IN four years, when steamers
carrying from 900 to 200 TONS five times the load OF
en- Eric capalboat will pass down the Welland canal
Into Lake Ontario. The Canadian plan also embraces
the enghenug Of the locks the St. Lawrence canals
and the further improvement of the navigation OF that
river The ST. canal locks are now 200 feet An
length As feet wide, and feet deep. They are to be
made Of the same length as the new Weland locks IL
Is contended by many that the best method OF handing
grain will be to transfer II into bsrges at Kingston,
thence to by the st. Lawrence River and canals
to Montreal, for shipment to Europe. This s the plan
now generally followed. To complete the enumeration
of the advantages of the St. Lawrence route the dis
lance from Montreal to Liverpool is $40 miles less than
from New-York Duringthe last few years the st. Law
renee has made navigable from Montreal seward
for drawing % to % feet OF water whereas IL was
formerly adapted only for vessels drawing IL feet or
less The capacity Of the Welland Canal will de-
pend on the rapdity with which the locks can be
worked 1t takes from 20 to 80 minutes for vessels to
pass the present locks while the time required
to pass the locks Of the Erie Canal Is from
i've to ten minutes. The Erie Canal will soon have
double locks throughout its entire length, while the Wei
land has will have. only single ones. Both canals
are now worked probably to twcthrds OF their full
capacity and this capacity may estimated from the
number of tons going eastward The Welland Canal
has never moved eastward or downward more than
100000 TONS while the Erie Canal brought to Underwater
In 1874 20o00 TONS and in 1862 29TOOO In no otner
year. however the number OF tons brought to tide
water eQualed that of though it was In 1871
Hac I'M o. Tha
Canal for bringing freight eastward would appear to be
about q times that OF the Weand, by reason OF its
double locks of which the system is complete east Of
Syracuse and the greater rapdy with which its smaller
boats can be passed through the smaller locks
CAPACITY OF THE ENLARGED wELLAND CANAL
The plan adopted for the enlargement of the weand
Canal does not we are informed, provide for doubling
the locks 1t Is unreasonable 10 suppose that locks 2O
feet in length and feet in width be filed or
emptied quicker than those of $50 by 26t ee now In
use We therefore for putting the capacity
Of the enlarged weand for transportation eastward
at more than five million tons. This IS point upon
which we do not speak with any great pOsitveness,
seeing that there is disagreement among practical
men as to how the canals now worked to their
full capacity. 1t may be here mentioned that Mr.
Robert Taylor this has plan for considerably
lengthening the space utilized in the present Erie
Canal locks by Improvement in the lockgates with
out any additional masonry. Mr. Taylor has the
opinions IN favor Of his plan OF several men practically
acquainted with canal matters including some engineers
OF reputation The Legislature should provide for an
examination OF his invention by competent COM
mission, and IN ease they approved II PROVIDE TOT
practical test Of its merits.
DIVERSION oP TRADE FROM EsTABLIsHED CHANNELS
SLOW WORK.
We have seen that us things are. Montreal and
Quebec have some, by means inconsderable. advan
tages over Ne9York for the expectation OF grain And
yet the commerce OF New-York has not so far been
are that great commerce being already established at
Eew-York 1t and will be a slow and difficult work TO
divert IL. The difference In favor OF Montreal and
Quebec as grain markets for expectation was long
tralized by freights from New-York. The
navigation the st. Lawrence is closed for four five
months every year. New-York, too, has great adyan
tages over Montreal aud Quebec for the distribution of
imported goods She is the center OF dense manufac-
turing population which Is TO America what England Is
to the Old World The whole manufacturing region Of
Eew-Engand and the Middle States is naturally tribu
tary to New-Yof and not easily accessible from the
Canadian ports by land or The railway system OF
which NewYork 10 the focal point includes 10000 miles
OF road and represents an outlay of s6Oo0oOOoe Of
capital while that OF Canada is as little developed as
that OF California. 1t would seem that under
any circumstances the great bulk OF the i'm
ports 70 Eew-York. 1t Is impos-
sible TO deny that the aforementioned facts
furnish strong argument against the probability OF
considerable diversion OF commerce from EewYork In
the immediate future But the prize contended for
the trade OF the great and growing Western States II
Canada succeeds In exporting their grain, she will im
port at least portion of the goods for which II is
changed II Is satisfactory to deal with facts than
with theories and 1t will be shown that In spite Of
ell the obstacles have mentioned there has been
real diversion Of commerce, both Of exports and i'm
ports from NewYork Montreal aud Quebec II IL be
fact that with they Canada
gaining In the struggle, what may be expected when
Canada Is reinforced by the widening. deepening and
fof ho hr