The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-05-21
The ChampIail, Canal.
AN INDIGNANT PROTEST.

WHITEHALL, May lG, lSL3.-Editor Troy
Daily Times During a period of twenty
seven years the Champlain canal has been
opened in twenty-five of the years from
April LIST to May LIST, twice on April LIST and
twice on April 9TH and 9th. There is not
shadow of probability that boats can navi-
gate the canal the present year before the
LIST of June, if even then. Is this owing to
the imbecility and ignorance of the Canal
Superintendent or the Canal Board? or is
it to an indifference to the needs and con-
slant appeals of the people? Your paper of
last evening states that there are one thou
sand loaded canal boats awaiting to be
locked up into the canal at West Troy and
Waterford-that a break has occurred near
the three iot ks, which has washed away one
hundred feet of the embankment several
feet below the bed of the canal, and that
been repdired. ("Oh frailty, thy name is
shoddy.'D Two days ago the water was let
into the short level here, and before it
reached the height of twelve inches a new
culvert under the canal just completed gave
way and is being reconstructed. The new
tow path wall just built along the bank of
Wood creek here is already condemned by
every one except, perhaps, by the person
who is to pass upon the question of its ac-
ceptancc. And the moment the water is
let in to any depth the wall will be under
mined and will follow the way of the bank
which had been repaired at Waterford, and
which has been again washed away. The
truth is we are killed by shoddy work,
shoddy contracts, and shoddy everything.
The whole subject of the management of
the canals is mournful to contemplate. 1t
seems as though the agents of both the
State and ths United States governments
were conspiring to throw all TIE obstacles
possible in the way of the business interests
of the country. Fifteen hundred loaded
boats waiting in the Hudson and Lake
Champlain for entrance into the canal-for-
warders groaning, boatmen swearing, mer-
| chants waiting, the country suffering, ETC.,
etc. Mr. Barkley has given notice that he
l0W nat be hurried about the canals. 1t
| looks now as though he intended to fight it
out on that line. The country almost de-
| planning, but for tie present what else can
we do? OBSERVER
WHITEHALL, May 10Th, 1873.
Your correspondent from this place, cried
before he was out of the woods, when he
said in yours of the 9TH that our canal matters
were all right here. The case is sadly
changed since his writing, as will appear by
the correspondents letter of the Troy Times
of the 18th, which is correct, and which
please publish The culvcrt under the
canal spoken Of has been " fred," and at
tempts made at stopping the leaks under
the tow path wall by shoveling in bank of
earth some three feet high, and tamping it.
Yesterday morning the water was again let
into the canal to the depth of eighteen
inches, but the leaks under the wall con-
| tinued, as also did those in the culvert.
An agent of the State has appeared, and
considering the new work SO imperfect as to
be unsafe, has ordered to be built an entire
new and separate wall outside of the one
inst finished. Well may the correspondent
of the Times exclaim shOddy, The opening
of the canal as 1t now stands, is an open
question. CuAMrLAIN.