The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-03-19

be charged with $1,9O over and above Ca
nal tolls. Reducing this to wheat IN bush
els, we have five cents six mills and seven
tenths of mill per bushel. The State
tolls are three cents and one mill per bush
ell. The total charge would then be eight
cents and seventy-seven one hundreths OF
a cent per bushel. The Auditor of the
Canal Department in his report for the
year 1872 (see page 23) gives thirteen
cents and one mill as the average price
paid that year from Buffalo to New-York
City. This leaves margin of four cents
and thirty-three hundreths for profits, over
and above ten per cent dividends.
COST OF TRANSPORTATION BY HORSE
BOATS.
The boat costs $4,000, and the same
captain and crew, other than engineer, is
required to navigate horse boat that is
required to navigate steamboat. The
horseboats are, many of them, lowed by
the mile by towing companies, and pay
fully thirty cents per mile for being towed.
This IS six cents more than steam has
been shown to cost. The season 5 value of
this saving is found, by taking the total
miles of canal movement of the steamboat,
to be $50 miles twenty times; in all 1000
| miles. at, say, "a cents, making 81, $50,
which is to be divided by the $500 tons
carried, making sixty seven cents and two
mills as the cost OF steam power for NOV
ing ton on the canal from Lake Erie to
the Hudson river. The horse boat, making
six round trips, carrying 220 tons at a
trip going east and so tons going west, car
ries a total of 1920 tons once over the
canal and twelve times the length of the
canal being 1920 miles, the sum paid for
towing, at thirty cents per mile, is 81 ,260,
which, divided by the tons carried. makes
seventy seven cents and seven mills per
ton once over the canal. Thus steam tow
ing is ten and half cents cheaper than
horses, and so much is saved on every ton
moved over the canal. The $500 tons
carried by the steamboat, multiplied by
l09 cents, gives $262.50 In this compar-
ison no account is taken of the river tow
age, as the price paid by the horseboat is
about equal to cost on the steamboat or
of advantages the steamboat has in har-
bors. The capital employed earns, in case
of the horseboat, to make 10 per cent divi-
dends and to meet repairs and provide a
sinking fund, in all 20 per cent, Just 81 200.
The same charge on the boat itself is to
be made to the steamboat but in the case
of the steamboat it is to be divided by the
$500 tons carried, making forty cents pei
ton. The horseboat must pay this out OF
the earnings of 1920 tons, and thus each
ton pays sixty-one cents and seven mills.
The difference is twenty-o ne cents and sew
en- mills, which multiplied by the years
business of the steamboat, gives $542. SO
These two items of saving amount 1905
which is little more than ten per cent OF
the cost of the steamboat in its favor in
comparison with the horseboat.
These estimates have been based upor
the performances of Mr. Baxter's boats. L
would take too much space to go over the
ground with like estimates in regard Il
the performances Of the William Newman
e after the trial exhibition, as reported By
e the engineer, Mr.. Greene, who showed
: that in view of the 1000 less cost of tn,
: machinery Of the Newman, and her great
I er carrying capacity, as compared witt
: the boat Baxter, her greater con
e sumption of fuel was largely com
3 pensated for; and that the Newman dit
and could transport property at the rat
of three miles and more per hour, carrying
more than the 200 tons required by tn
: law, and that this was done much within
q the cost of transportation when ANNA
e power was used.
COMPARATIVE EXPENDITURES AND RE
: SUITS.
To compare the consumption of fuel b
n the Baxter and the Newman, take the bes
o performances that have been made publ
r of each. Immediately after the trial ez
hibition the engineer of the Commission
l. and two of the Commissioners went o
! board the Baxter at Utica and remained o
/ her to St. townsville, in dark and rain
D night, causing many detentions in passin
g boats and in going through II locks. Th
coal was served out by Mr.. Greene, bein
! Continued on third page.)