The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-03-23
STEAM ON THE CANALS.
Ara umsnt Of Henry Hill Before the New York
Produce Exchange.

A special meeting of the New York Pro-
duce Exchange was recently held in res
ponse to request Of members to hear Mr..
Henry Hill, of Newark, N. j., on the sub
ject of steam on the canals Mr.. Hill said ::
Mr.. PRESIDENT, AND GENTLEMEN OF
THE New YORK PRODUCE EXCHANGE -
Although / am no longer one of your men,
bers, nor resident of your city, have
not lost the interest which connection of
many years with a particular branch of
business must necessarily inspire. / am
still on the sunny side Of As, yet l remem-
Der well the time when this association did
not exist, and buyer and seller met in each
other stores, or under Parker awning on
the corner of Broad and South-sts Many
of you were there, as distinctly recollect,
looking about as young as you do now, for
it was not many years ago.
1t is useless and puerile to complain of
the growth Of other places. 1t is the legal
and moral right of Philadelphia and Balti-
more and Boston, and even Montreal, to
grow, and to take away our business by any
legitimate means in their power. There is
but one countermove, and that is to ex-
tend superior facilities and offer superior
inducements. Your trade can be retained
in no other way. And this brings Inc to
the remedy that l would suggest, namely,
that you at once, individually and collec-
lively, turn your attention to the great
question of transportation facilities between
your city and the Great West, informing
yourself fully and accurately as to the re-
lativs economy of the various methods,
and studying the problem as thorough
ly and deeply as do the merchants
of other cities and other nations. In the
hope OF contributing something to this end
am here to-day While l do not for a
moment suppose that every man here is
uniformed upon the subject, / know that
many are not aware Of the actual result of
the experiments which have been made
during the past three years, respecting
the practicability of substituting steam
for animal power on that great public
thoroughfare, that great water course
which not only has immortalized its pro-
jector, but more than any one influence
has built up the Empire State and the
Empire City,-the Erie Canal. 1t is start
ling to think that, fascinated by the roar
and speed OF the railroad train. there are
thousands OF men, not lacking in iritelli-
gence, who sincerely believe that the day
Of canals is past, and that the freighting
OF the country must be done by rail-
To such desire to say that by the solu-
ton of steam on the canals, already ac-
complished, and duly recognized by the
Commissioners appointed by the Legisla-
ture, canals are proven TO be as favorable
forthe use of that motor as natural waters,
as even the lakes or the ocean. In other
words, that freedom from the tides or
storms, headwinds and perils of the sea,
fully offsets the disadvantages of a cramp-
ed and shallow channel. Under the appli-
cation OF correct engineering principles, it
Is found that the old fear of washing the
banks was entirely fallacious, and, In
short, that with proper machinery. the
speed OF every boat upon the canal can
be more than doubled, and the EXPENSE Of
each trip be reduced at least &c per cent
with the canal in its present wretched con.
dition and when the few remaining double
locks shall be completed, the canal cleaned
out TO the depth required by law, and the
bench-walls where they exist, removed, the
saving in expense as compared with ami.
mai power, will be increased to fully sc
per cent. These are not my figures. They
are the othcial record, and one of the Com.
missioners was your own experienced, So
gacious, conservative ex-President, David
BOWS, man whose judgment in business
matters it. is always safe to accept and fol.
low; with him also acted such men as
eT-Canal Commissioner Wright, and the
non. George Geddes, men whose names
are known throughout the State, and
s whose lives having been past in counec.
.lon with the canal, are as familiar with ali
this floor. Ae DaSlness o.
a little reflection should show .nv nm.