New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-09-11
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
STEAM ON THE CANALS.
ADDRESS BY GEORGE N. HARDING BEFORE THE So
GETTY OF PRACTICAL ENoISEERIN0.

ADDRESS BY GEORGE N. HARDING BEFORE THE So
GETTY OF PRACTICAL ENGINEERING.
George n. Harding read paper On Steam
Propulsion on Canals before tho New YORK sccieV oi
Prscti a Engine eoug last evening Two other papers
opa ON the use OF conduit xed waterrpcs, and the
other on the testing of waermans and ppeswere also
read after which the exercises OF the session were de-
e,rred cIosed The main features OF MI. Hardngs pa
PER follows:
The fame Of De Witt Clinton Mr.. Harding said Is not
associated to-day With his statesman or DIS
ability as writer and speaker, bnt he IL remembered
ne the man who gave the Erie Canal and as long as
that great highway shall continue TO insure the CONNER
ciai prosperity OF New York shall never forget the
debt of gratitude We the great " dchd'egef" \
glance at the great ship canals OF Holland the Norh
Sea, the suez "cutof,' and the proposed lSth-
mus, James River ana Kanawha routes, a.
we'll the many advocated water routes W.
tween the Mississippi River and the Atlantic ee"ooad
assures us that canals have vet great part to play even
IN this age freight lines and double tracks Cas
will hold their against steel rails ar hhes' ana
freight reductions. Improved railway facilities VIII re
sult iu the application of mechanical motors 10 our slack
water navigation. The Immense capital invested III
canal property and the extended lines OF inland navg"
ton Great Britain Northern Europe ad the
United States awakons regret that while the uadhg
interests OF those countries have rapidly developed III
ternal water communications are allowed TO remain pu
dened with the defective system OF navigation
which sufced when the packhOrSe aud freight "as"ns
were the only rivals Of the canals.
In l7ss John Fitch, an American obtained Paeh'
for tic application to navigation lie succeeded
in driving his steamboat 50 miles in one day ~ means oi
oars or paddles working precautionary on each sac VI
the boat similar 10 the strokes OF the paddle Oh cOe
His invention to practical use Ramsey oo'aeu
patent in England means Of propeuing boats OH
rivers and oanas by moving Waived box BACKWARD anu
forward under the keel OF vessel with tie ara oil
steam en- zine. In 1901 Mr.. syminSton was emp'o!c"
by Lord Dundas TO make experiments WIKI
view of substituting steam for horsepower on IN
Forth aud CLYDE Canals The Charlotte Dndas Was
completed aitert two years labor al aii Oh
In This boat were hrs; combined OIL the piiLcpa i'
racpi,rS engine wi n coniu,n1 rod and tie crenk Oh
tie axis OF the rUi;ry paddle wees !Hs lhn VIZ ~
dInias, a the BANS II the canal III 1lJo fNl0l puu
lisbcd in LONDON treatise On canal naVls3COh WerFh
he advocated the raising ana l"Ncrn- Oh -, a.
by means " Inclined planes. In 1893 fnt0a
described some 'Xp"-imcnte WITH J*Gle %'''e's
which ne thought t. be nJIc dGNantiS.vis lnth "a =
ten, n ,hopcts or ali endless band of ho"ts Tor Pre-
nm sNstin of boa,a yrh were designed 20 pc formed
Vii. bows and stems convex AND ecIc1Nc. 50 t''' hN.
eral would form line with almost cont lH Us SIDE ny
sftsr LIS s,ccc in the North River lsO7 ne does hot
scrIn 10 have for canals In @ier !e@l
Ills arrangement boat- Las been revived ui12 4lI
With valves forward aud Backward nnf,r Tot,
end III lsn one Rose cor stGcted pMm M,,H S
,%ddIo Wheels Il tach end. Next there were
devices for pr0lelhna bo"ta by scar.ne "&yr az 'n
stern. Thomas Mead proposed G9nu tnn 'i,,'
moving around wheels above ana below TWO afdI
tubes. On the chsilbct were series {" pls,'nT Ecu
SO az fo pass stoam-tiht, through the tubes steam
from the bOlcr forced the pisona continuously alohH "H'
tui.a uutn the steam uEuentiy c-ctped 800
Man Ingenious plans wee proposed mp I" - "i!el
the nt,iity of the .eHtr was demons rae" an"
number of screw boats were lac' on the lines ~ III
land navigation which connected lake pGall' an t'e
s.. Lawrence Caps. En- IA buut :" lf'i SeCW,p"
pelrr to ran passenger boat on tie ASt"y o."
ioneh Canal, 3ut tn mtrolVt:on 0i Ial"ays F!cFel
the OF me enterprise. zen ycos ago az ~.
pglsDg American stared a jlni St"cS company l'
The constructing IN cicNatc0 double i'iii
way over the line of the E.le cana ana rs
el,s Inv VII a.
M any rate of speed but Inc estimates 81 Inc COST @
tainlv eAceed .ng 81 100000, we're TOO EedI 10 i?l
,ussribers for moving vessels Oh c@n- iie'y flnhhs
submitted Runway constructed alongside WIN one ihli'
on " leh suitable cAriUke AS 10 pass iGUe was 10
convey gas along the Iall frOL sanIdly engine anu
reservoir; this beng conveyed IN iuin u lt c ~ DOd
by lille tube, 10 pressure Ni..ca h'i'4l
propel tn, boat plan in 1-il proposed ioeomOuVr
on towing path Comp CsSed air c0htalhcd ~ l"IN
BIZ reservoirs also proposed ~ motor Ihe csl-
er in ciarce ~ the canal question IA lie q IctIt T.
Gov. nld3n concluding :Lat inc iiacNcau,iY Oh suN i
tltjug for animal Oh Ihc CANALS S sU>iii'
tily demonstrated, and tt, ali :; R- c.nslirttt me
chearest lnd convenient mode of employ ING steam
T. in boats carry ms tucI own MACHINERY ahd -oV IONS
u cargo.