New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-02-23
NEW MODE or PREVENTING CANALS From
FREEZING.

SUGGESTION FOR KEEPING TIRE CANALS orKN IN
The wINTER--sUPPLGING WARM WATER FROa
ARTEsIAN WELLS
To the RAZOR OF The Tribune
SIR: Mr.. Cheeseb0gOugh proposed to keep the
Erie Canal from freezing by the use OF arnhclal neat
Prof r. H. Thurston, Professor Of Engineering IN the
Stevens Institute Technology III an elaborate report
comedies the Feasibility Of the project. According 10
his estimates 10 keep canal, 20 feet wide open Tor
navigation in the latitude of central Now the hrst
cost of plant will be $3.50 and the cost OF maintaining
per mile per annum. $i,772; or for canal 20 feet
wide and $50 miles long, the first cost Of plant amounts
to S5412J0 and the maintenance per annum 10 Slto2
The present carrying capacity OF the Erie Canal may be
put down eOS 900 tons per season which by keeping
the canal open in winter may be Brought UP TO 9OOOVo
tons per year The expense of rhcially heating the
water in the canal by steam as proposed by MI Cheese
borough If the estimates correct woud therefore
amount in FOUND figures per ton. or Il cents
per bushel o. grain shipped by tic canal III ne WHICH
Canal navigation in Winter cgI he secured as am
going show. at much smaller cost OF pauJ ana an
nual III ainenance. The system should propose CON
templates % substituting steam for horses in propeng
the canal boats ~ using Gnstcad OF steam the warm
water OF artesan wells or natural gas wells "heIS ihese
are obtainable) for heating the water IN the canal
The steam canal boat carrying over 900 tons OF
freight, her last trial TRIP II is said consumer ~
pounds OF coal per mile, and propelled the boat az
expense II 4572 cents against % cents the usual
charge for horsetOwage The locks OF tue cdhal can
pass boats per hours. which for thelr PROPULSION
by steam will require 20 eco 1000 pounds ot e9a TOT
each plie H. therefore these boats are proVlueu WIN
surface in order ecouomlzc The heat OF the
escape Of the engines for the WARMING or the
water the canal ana To supply the. boilers WITH pure
water, twOhrds OF the heat required TO prevent the
freezing MP the canal amountns according TO PrOi
ThurstODs estimates 10 GOO pounds OF coal for hours
and per one mhel viii bo supplied without any add
OF the boats shall have to III ADDITION to this,
only the equivalent Of 1900 pounds Of coal to Keep ndv-
Piled by OF the water of artesian wells
The artcsian well at Grenee near Parsl cog Yards
"a
per hour To ascertain the temperature OF the eart
at different depths, thermometers were paced az az
yards 53o Fahr at $50 yards 100 fahr aud al SOP yards
Of Temperature equal $50 Fahr which yards
CT 2 feet for each degree OF that scale substituting
| therefore the warm water of artesian wells for the
steam obtained Dy the burning OF 1900 pounds OF coal
which is necessary prevent the freezing of the water
in the canal may obtain from be aIesldn Wels 2oOo
02D 100000 gallons OF water of 40 Falr for p hours or
1000 gallons for one hour assuming that one pound OF
| IOo Fahr) With the water OF the artesian well az
Grenee GOOcoo gallons OF So Fahr per hour we would
be able 10 keep canal 30 teet VIDE open lor naNSdoh
IN Winter for distance OF 100000 divided by 10000, nul
tpied by 1872 divided by TO- say 294 miles TIE same
object be realized by several arteslan Wts OF less
depths and consequently d!Fcbargng water Al lower
temperature. sinking an arteSan well 10 ~ wards dep'h
only the temperature of the water Will be $50 Fahr. and
ID Will require discharge or 1000 multiplied Dl lO0j,
divided by go 4G2 gallons OF water Of 530 tdhr per
one hour each mile Of the length Of the canal to Keep
II from freezing. The average cost of aresidn wells Oy
which may obtain the requisite supply OF warm
water for the Queer ia we" wiz lVoapiy 20 t0s ean
5000 per mile OF the length OF the canal but even
putting IL AT OO per iu!!e tht urst Cp,t ioi Pant 70
keep canal 20 feet vide and $50 miles long, open for
navigation in Winter, viii exceed sl,i0JOb sup
posing the cana boats 10 be propelled by stednpower
as suggested 81 100000 when the boats are propelled
by horses is done at the present time In the hr"t
case the total frscOst Of plant Will he less than the
amount annually required Tor maintaining navigation
Open by means OF steamheatng apparatus proposed
CheesebOrOugD Az arteslan wells require scarcely
any expenditure either for repairing attendance the
annual costs OF maintaining are almost altogether re-
duccd to the interest or the first cost OF plant.
The Erie Canal passing for considerable distance
through n section OF the state in which pTedOmnatcs
.It. rg4l
lessor Hall is the source OF the numerous natural
gas wells which have been found all the way IRON
Buffalo 70 Cleveland, the petroleum region, at West
Bloomfield (OntariO County, about 90 miles south OF
Rochester, and sections OF the state iansvCrsed
Dy the various connections Of the Erie Canal II IL
likely that in sinking artesian wells along the canal
wells may be met with, which IN this case could he
economically used for warming the water Ia the
canal in Winter.
Ner York, Jan. n, 1874 CHARLES PLAGGE