National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-12-22
WATER and RAIL.

In a recent article we referred to the in
PRODUCTION of steam canal-boats on the Erie
canal. An impression prevails to a consid-
cradle extent that canals are behind the
times and while it is admitted that the
Eric canal has in the past accomplished
great results as a channel of communion
ton between the West and the East, the
idea has gotten abroad that it has at last
been in great measure superseded by the
great railroads which traverse the State of
New York, and that in a few years more it
will be superseded altogether. Facts are
given to sustain this conclusion, and the
statistics and figures Of the past fifteen
years are paraded to show that this great
water way no longer completes in the trans
pOrtation of freights with the Erie railway
and the New York Central. The figures
Offered in corToboration of this view are
the following: We are told that from 1854
TO 1872 the tonnage carried on the Erie
canal increased from 2,1O7,678 tons to
1865, $50 tons only; but that during the
same period the freights on the New York
Central increased from 776, 122 tons to
4, 1893, 9G5 tons, and those on the
Erie road from 943, 215 tons to 1861, PA
tons. 1t is, therefore, very speciously
argued that the railroads are grad
ually absorbing the business, and that it is
only question Of time as to the drying up
of the Erie canal. Build more railroads
build double-track railways exclusively for
freight-is, therefore, the cry. And very
unwarranted cry it is.
In the first place, the rates of the Erie
canal are very high-eleven mills per ton
per mile-one- of the amount being
eXacted for tolls, and these exorbitant tolls
had turned over to the State of New York,
at the close of the fiscal year for 1866, the
enormous sum of $181, 1928. 6O4, or Sal, 397,
651 over and above all expenditures for
the construction of the work, maintainence
and repairs, Cincluding interesk) 1t ought
not to be a very difficult matter for the
great through rail lines between the East
and the West TO compete with a rate of
eleven mills per ton per mile.
In the second place, it seems to have
been overlooked by the friends of railroad
transportation that the Erie railroad and
the New York Central, since 1856, haUe
greatly increased the length Of tier lines.
Thus the New York Central, since 1861, has
acquired the Hudson river railroad, (15O
miles, while the Erie road has added in
the same tina, from 1861, 395 miles to its
main trunk. In 1861 the length of the
Erie road was $50 miles; in 1872 it was 954
miles. 1t is not surprising that there has
been a vast accession of business. But
this is not all. In this interim the Erie
road has tapped the Pennsylvania coal
mines, and the bulk of its freight business
now consists in the transportation of this
article. According to the report of the
State engineer of New York, for 1873
the freight over the Erie road for that
year amounted to 6,312, 7O2 tons, and of
this 3,911, 942 tons was coal.
Thirdly. Another very efficient cause for
the increase of the business of the New
York railroads may be found in the state
ment of the Senate Select Committee on
Transportation Routes 10 the Seaboard, viz:
that " the last twenty-five years have
constituted peTlOu OF railway improve
"ment in which the inventive genius and
business talent Of the country have been
developed to the newer and more rapid
means Of transport, while the artificial
d" waterways have been comparatively
" neglected. But, the report continues.
by far the most efficient cause is to be
found in the administrative organiza.
" tons of the railway companies, and in
their combinations against the water
line-the two railways competing with
the canal having their traffic arrange
ments with lines of steamers on the
lakes, carrying from all the principal
A" Western ports. There are now but few
60 if any lake steamers that do not consti-
20 tute part Of some through line by water