The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-07-23

other freight than grain and -four 10 moro
remunerative tariff, IL " claimed that n
tolcrabe average return may be extracted
from a years business. Be that as it may
the fact IL that all-rail routes do approx
mate SO nearly to the rates Of water trans
port az to render them most formidable
competitors, when the important considcra-
tons Of time and condition Of property
shipped are taken into account.
Unqucstionably, the use of steam would
diminish the time Of making the round trip
between Buffalo and New York from thirty
to twelve, or perhaps ten days. But for
steam TO be successfully applied, n greater
than the present depth is Indispensable.
Give the Erie canal nne feet Of water
through its entire length, and n width Of
fort y-flve to fOrty-eight feet at the bottom,
making IL, at the same time, substantially
free to commerce, and both speed and cheap
ness might be compasscd through the en-
ploymcnt of steam. II modelled for speed, "a
steam canal boat and its tcnler could run at
about the same cost. ana in onc-third the
time. as one boat with the present facilities,
and they would carry nearly sixteen thou
sand bushels of corn instead Of eight thou
sand bushels. According to tho estimates
cited by Mr.. HALL, the cost Of deepening the
canal to nine feet, although no alterations
should be made In the locks or In the verti-
cal walls, would be three millions. This Is
Il largo sum Of money to ask for in times Of
depression like the present; but there Is II
reason not yet mentioned which may posi-
bly, commend the outlay to the people OF this
State.
II Is believed by many keen Observers that
the real danger to the port OF New York
lies not in the South but In the North; that
tine Formidable rival Of the future is not
Philadelphia, or Baltimore but Montreal.
1t Is not probable that the railways, even
with superior appliances. will ever be able
to carry much cheaper than they now do.
Not only they, however. but the Erie canal
also unless the improvements above noted
are carried out will soon have n competitor
for the exporting Of cereals with which they
will scarcely bc able to contend. The grain
trade of Montreal has been curtailed only
five or six per cent. by the cheap rail and
canal rates that prevailed during 1876, and
this with the Welland canal passing vessels
Of only 800 tons measurement. CARRYING
about coo tons cargo. BY the year 1850 both
the Welland and the ST. Lawrence canal en-
largcmcnts are expected tn be- completed.
and then these waterways, whose aggregate
length is only sixty-nne and half miles
less than the distance from Buffalo to
Rochester pass vessels Of 200 tons
| measurement and some 1900 tons burden
Now, II steamers ~ 500 tons can transport
| grain from Lake Michigan to Buffalo, Il dis
/ tance of one thousand miles, for three cents
per bushel. ii requires no prophet to see that,
with the enlarged Canadian canals and ves-
sells Of 800 tons burden, the voyage might
be- extended four hundred miles further ion
three additional cents per bushel, includin :
the merely nominal freight charges. But
this would make the total cost Of moving
cereals from Chicago to Montreal only on,
| cent more than the present canal rate OF
| five cents from Buffalo to New York. Ne
| comment could add anything 10 the elo
quclcc Of these figures.