The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-06


! plan OF charging the Erie Canal locks and the
boats withouJ Increasing the capacity OF the
waterway
The Erie Canal was planned In view OF the best
science ana experience then possessed: IL mas
ment OF TRANSPORTATION. IL should not be funda-
mentally changed IN It's character ana cohuitions
iected and so made available to every practicable
extent Tor facilitating and cheapenlng ue OK.
changes of commodities between INC HA'' ""u
the West.
IT'S CAPAcTrY-ITs ECONOMY 49, a.
The two questions concerning IL are a,sT ,'s
capacity to do aggregate business curing .
given period secondly the economy per ton per
mile OF the transportation 1t Affords Tnese ques-
lions are generally confused IN all discussions.
Tney are completely distinct They depend upon
wholly different conditions.
Capacity to accommodate an aggregate tonnage
during day, month, or z season o. navigsuon,
depends on the NUMBER OF ooats OF the hormai
size which the locks are able to pass. during the
period. Boats can be multiplied Indefinitely. Inc
limit to their use is In the number TO which the
locks can give transit The time occupied IN
lOckage is the test. But IL Is unnecessary TO apply
that for the actual results OF experience set az
or lhe seventy.two LOCKS which intervene be.
tween the waters OF lake Erie and the waters Oh
the Hudson, all put few have been doubled Ior
cussed IN the constitutional Convention, thirteen
remained single For the lrst time, on the open
ing OF navigation next spring. double locks Will De
brought into use throughout the entire canal:
That Will nearly double the capacity OF the canal
Erie canal at tide water was in 1852. II amounted
TO 2,9l7,094 tons, IN cargoes averaging LOT tons.
The locKages both WAYS ana incinding rats
watch Is in the throat OF the canal, three
miles west OF Observation-Disclosures 34.s77. In 1873,
the deliveries were 25S5 1855 tons. in cargoes aver
aging 2l3 tons; and the lockages were "a, $780,
The theoretical capacity OF the canal Will be
ever reached. There doubt 1t can conven-
lently and easily do double the business which
and ss Sc S
ECONOMY PER TON PER NILE.
The question really worthy OF our attention is
cost per ton per mile OF the transportation It
affords.
QuicKening the movement OF the boat in CT eases
the service 1t renders in given period 1t lessons
every element In the cost OF that service. In ell
larges the number OF tons carried IN the given
penses, 1t reduces the rate OF cost per ton per
mile.
TO BE INCREASED By PERFEcTINa WATER WAY.
The economy IN the transit Of the boat must be
made, not in the locks, but In the waterway. The
ana West Troy ir each lakes 1--WE minutes would
occupy exactly six hours.
In october, 1879, seventy.six boats were timed,
and their average passage down. with average
cargoes OF 227 tons, was ten days, two hours and
forty-six minutes, or nearly 243 hours II we
pied on the levels between them would still be
over ninety.fve per cent of the whole time of the
voyage. IL Is ClcdI tucIelOIc, Luas JHc Swing Vi
time must be made IN the nine .y-fve per cent,
and not In the five per cent Economy per ton
per mile in the transportation SO lar as II depends
the structure OF the canal Is to be found In the
relation which the waterway pears to the boat
The movement OF the boat through water
shallow-ls, at best. very slow. The engineers, in
1885, planned the Erie Canal and the boat with
such relations TO each other give the greatest
economy of power and facility OF transit. The
boat has inclined to grow rather large and too
square. The waterway was practically never ex-
Time, the action Of the elementa, and neglect OF
administration, all tend to Ill 1t by deposits:
may be excused for repeating here what said In
the Constitutional Convention eight years ago:-
"What the Erie Canal wants IS more water IN
the prism-more water IN the waterway. A great
deal of it Is not much more tnan feet and boats
drag along over little skim OF water whereas
deeper A even than was intended in the original
project. Bring 1t up to seven feet-honest seven
Iceland on all the levels. wherever you can, bot
tom it out; throw the excavation upon the banks;
increase that seven feet toward eight feet, as you
can 90 50, progressively and economically. You
may also take out the bench walls"
RECOMMENDATIONS.
recommend that such measures be taken as your
wisdom, aided by such information as can be had
vise to put IN good condition ana to improve the
waterway Of the Erie Canal; and . that provision
soon alter navigation is opened to measure the
depth OF water in the canal Dy cross sections as
often as every four rods Of its length and on the
upper and lower mitre Sill OF each lock.
INCOME AND OUTGO.
surplus OF income over expenditure Is about 81 u
per cent OF the gross income. Ii the three other
canals which are to be retained by the State as
part OF the system be included the surplus Is but
II 2-5ths per cent.
The present tolls on wheat are 3 lilo cents and
on corn cents per bushel, from. Buffalo 10 Troy
345 miles. They were reduced in 1870; those on
wheat from 21-100tn, or One-half and those on
corn from S3-100tn to cents, or ABOUT SO per
cent
one cent per bushel taken OF the present tolls,
and the same proportion on other articles would
anninllate nearly all the net income OF the Erie
Canal, considered alone, and would make de-
fciency, in respect to the Jour canals retained, OF
$780, 900 year If future expenditure should be
the same as In these three years
The Governor then considers that reduction OF
tolls must be prudent and no rash Innovations
made.
FINANCIAL RESULTS OF THE LAST THREE YEARS
The financial results or the fiscal years ending
September 3d. 1874 1873 and 1872 for the Erie Canal
and lOr the Cnamplaip, the Oswego ana the
Cayuga and Seneca are as follows:-
Fear
ending Ordinary Extraordinary Total En-
SIS ST. 50 sossses sss sa ssss ' il
= s,5s s.sss fH ~ z
$s,l43.5362l s5.O79,O63 30
Income excess OF disbursement $i0644 72 81
Average tor eacn l0ll, 400 ~
1872. S15G6A2s S236,I AZ S25l,Ml 81 $4sS 0s3 O8
1873. l5s,47se 2a6H 81 5637s295 7s7,46l 81
lo7G.. i2s.7Os 81 2cs,ls7 % 24z,2ls4J 44j,aA 80