Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-11-02

Mr.. John G. Stevens in the last number
Of ScriJner's Monthly, treats of the Erie
canal and its relations to the city of New
York in very suggestive article. lie shows
that the wonderful growth Of New York
from 1925, when it took its place as the
metropolis Of the country, was cOntempOra-
neous with the opening of the Erie canal,
which became a great feeder to the com
merce of New York and an outlet for the
products Of tine Northwest The trade of
the canal grew rapidly, but with the com
pletion of our railroad system its decadence
began, and the tendency now is, as he main
tains, towards such a decay in traffic on the
canal that the tolls will not serve to keen it
in repair. His argument is that the move
nent of freight by rail is quarter of mill
per ton per mile less than by Loaf He
says the tonnage Of the canal has fallen of,
and boat building has ceased, but seventy
five boats having been built on the whole
line of the canal last year, whereas 500 new
boats are required every year, to maintain
the loss from decay. lie boldly asserts that
in the course of five years the decay of canal
commerce will have gone so far that Sin
the face Of fruitless efforts to avert the re-
suit, and after long discussion of It's future
management, the canal will be forever aban-
Frr
doned." The onl y method by which water
carriage can be maintained against railroad
transportation, this writer thinks, is the ap-
plication Of steam to boats and the enlarge
ment OF the waterway so as to accommo-
date boats Of 800 tons. For small boats.
such as are now in use, he considers mule
power the cheapest propulsive force. The
building Ct a great ship-canal from Oswego
or Buffalo or the St. Lawrence to Albany he
treats as a matter only to be taken in hand
BY the National Government. and doubts if
the aid Of the Government can be
secured, since it would make Il precedent
which would compel like aid to other great
enterprises of internal improvement. The
three projects named are alluded to as inyoly-
ing each an outlay of from twenty to fifty
millions. This SHOWS that Mr.. Stevens has
not looked up the matter as thoroughly as
he might have done. For ship canal from
Buffalo or Oswego, even if the water could
be got to fill it, fifty millions, more or less,
would doubtless be needed but the shin ca
nal through Lake Champlain from the St.
Lawrence to the Hudson, can be built for
oneteHh Of that sum. The cost of the
Caughnawaga canal was put, by careful csti-
mates made six or eight year. ago when Ia
Dor and material were much higher than
now, at $4,000 600, and the highest esti-
mate OF the cost of ship canal from Lake
Champain to the Hudson is IS ,OOO, 900
There is no reasen to doubt that SIO 900 900
would cover the cost of the two. When the
enlargement of the Canadian canals is com.
pleted, and l,OO0-tOn ships can sail from
Chicago to Quebec, it will not be the Erie |
anal or the New York Central railroad that |
will take the grain Of the Northwest to the |
,eabOard. The St. Lawrence route will de- |
y competition, and the New Workers and all |
will see that the only thing for them and for |
New England il to tap that channel by a
hip canal 0! like dimensions from the 81.
lawrence to the Hudson.