, 1877-11-30
TILE ERIE CANAL.


Steam Towaka of Bonts-Tho Stephenson
syatem.
The Utica Herald statea at length tho results
ot experiments made about gear ago In Ulica
BY the Stephenson 8team Cana1-I}o COMPANY,
represented ly ChIef-EnRIncer T. &, Farmer, Of
Oshkosh. Wis. An ordinary rail Of Iron WIN
lahl on tho bcrne bAnk Of the canal, upon which
heavy trnctIou wheel Of tho stcphenpon stem,
tug, invented for tts special purpose, rovolxcaas
lttows five or six ordinary caual-boats. Tne a1-
pertments were made upon Temporary
trask laid in the .utesn part Of titIca
under the authority Of tho Legislature.
"They wcro Witnessed" says thu Nrra'd.
"bg members Of the Canal Hoard, engineers,
fnrwarlera, representatives Of the Nrw York
Chamber or Commerce, members Uf tin t.cHia-
lature, expert mechanics, ani citizens gcncr-
not as extended ~ was desired, but the rcsults
attained were very satisfactory"
It appears from thu Herald that tho actual
trial Is eoo1 to be begun. 1t SAYS:
"ln juno the Legislature authorized tho lay
lnE down Of the necessary track for tic o5,cra-
lion Of thu Stephenson system along tho whole
liic Of the t'cs.ne bank Ut the canal fran,
Buffalo to Albany, distance Of $50 n.il:s.
laws Of wisconsin, WITH headquarters
Tor the present at stttwauxos. Tho bulk OF tho
Europe anil the faE WcsL comparatively lItto
| being taken IN New York. Tho Company viii
meet III New York City thls week. for the ctec-
ton of officers md tho transaction of other is1-
"1t Is hoped eventually 10 place tho trucks
Upon both batI:s Of tho canal. but for the
! present II will only bc built upon the Ierno
eau tow nnth w1Ss. west.honnA trains of bouts
| giving way to east-bounl trains, or vice vcraa,
when thcy meet. Tbcralls wilt be laid upon
the banka Or upon piles tal'out II feet inleueth1
being necessary where bri,lxes or other otstruc.
| tons arc built upon the bauk. At first seventy
steatn-tuGs, Improved In many respects over
these ~ asea .. ths utsa ospcr1ments @ la.t year,
pacjty Tor towing from four to stx ordinary sized
,ualetl cat,ai-hoats, with carYues averaging 9lO
tons each. These Will bc lnoycl at IN avetngo
rate uf about four n,iIcs an hour. IN returning
llnur will lc madc. Tho estimated expense Of
faIo 10 Albany lila Is about se5m, ,on. TIE I expense @
for The track nr tranlw4v Will bs about xl,0jO
ntout 5000.
"The time for commencing the work will bo
a1ci Mt tho meeting to be held In 'uw ft.k
This week. i is expected to hasc, hall of tho
teason. The depth VI water between LsHkpnrt
and Duflln will admit Ut the ,,.c OF large tugs
until the COMPANY Is ready to fay ihc tnlls on
TINT section. Il L. rosa!b'c that rhe work NAV
l VIC AAAHlI&eSA At VA " tHV
enst, ii ,.oodly PORTION lo bc doEu t1lfa winter.
''Engnett Farmer Is conlden: that with this
systetn IN iuil operation the carrying capatity Of
the Erie Cnuai ran be tncrta-ed nnc-fourth, lnts
the rates for towing greatly reduced. II slx
t1ats cat be tU,Ecd 6y une luz tho crew Ut curn
ttoat need Aos consist Of infsc than one man
aud hoy; ti,:,c will le utilitrl aid driyers mud
llorses niuy he tltspcnseel NTH altogether. Tho
system will have . fair trial, ui,.l Its operation
will not interfere IN the least With tic present
| erstcm OF horse tuwiny.H