New-York tribune., 1886-06-05
HOW TO INPROVE THE ERIE CANiL.
WHAT COULD BE DONE BY NEW SYSTEM OF LOCI
GATEs-A BILL NOW BEFORE THE GOVERNOR

WHAT COULD BE DONE BY A NEW SYSTEM OF LOcg
GATEs-A Bull NOW BEFORE THE GOVERNOR
! Among the bills which now await the Gov.
ernors gnature is which approprlates S2000O0
be spent the year to !rngthea the ioc- Of the
Erie Canal One OF those who will be he rd by Governor
Hill in opposition the bill Is Robert Taylor OF this
city, He thus explains the ground ot bis opposition:
The only object I'm lcngthcn.ng tue locks l. 10 do away
with delay by allowing two boats 10 so through the LOCKS
at once Now IL is ploverbal canal men never
ma hurry. They are re,iy to tie mp FOR cocAhsht
circus of anything else that may otter them os their
wives few hours amusement. All tha tho advocates
OF the lii hone to gan IS fifteen minutes ar each lock-
which VIII amount t. about Tour days on round TIP.
Now ~ the Limit trips in sra.oa. 1t is esl en
that TINS bill Will not 50 shorten the line 10 n
the number OF possible "trip anl render the carrying
capacity OF the sal greater. Tho bill, II passed, will
PROBABLY prove lat tnng for some members oi tao
Canal rings, there vii sc ar-e contract, 10 et 'or
stone AMI masonry. TIe experiments 10 test IN pd)
tcaDiitv Of Il. scheme were male at Ged4es Lock IN
lss5. TAs lock mas lit of only auodt Fix e't whie
the average lit Is abOlt nine iecL furth't more IN
parts O. t.c canal whore tle locks to" one a"' hrf III
rapid succession, the wafer WOtl OVtiilpN 'hhhs
II tho cont, nts OF lOca over 200 feet long werc ID
Wrat is re.lly necessary to increase tho ure,s
OF tue canal is the tonnage 0i tGe boats Tho
scheme embodied III tse nil docs not content iate TAO
use of lonscr BOATS BAT impy provides that two may
p,ss through the locks Tne boats use are
anout gs long and carry about 5000 b"shei> of
gram TO attain this capacity tue DOW AM stern must
OF locomotive power. The boats could he made triy or
forty feet longer could st pass through TIE PIES
eut LOCKS it not tuat about fourteen cet are e-
anre AT cacn the lock chamber for the swing OF
T. g mre gates some years ago Mr. Prosser % BgAlO.
who was LARGELY engaged IN tue taltc oI the canal,
thought that ne hai 'iscoyered sy-tem oI gulothe
gates whon would need space in which tO swing aud
which wouf permit the length of the boats TO D. IN
creased. Ii was Iouhl, Ho"cf"i' t"at IT'S "V"-
p,se under PrOsSerS gates emo lgh oI The hrty cana
water drppeI from them seriously 10 dtas Tue car
gnps 1 have my contriyed "a system OF gates. which
think will do away wit tbs objection. The head
gate instead OF rsius SINKS bennd the breast wall 10
tho bottom canal Tie lower gate Is placed four
teen feet eo the present lower gate apd swings on
circular steel rails placed the nOOr. 1b sys
TIM Of gates which could be easily aijnste 10 e pei
eut locks would permit tle II boats l3' feet long,
instead Of about 9S and would increase the capacity 0
eacn boat from 5000 to 10000 bushels. Furth rmofe
boat that length might easily he shaped at the bow
and 10 Oer resistance to tnc water lo
present of boat can't make moro thar nile ana
third an by koi>c power or tnO miles by steam
Boats such n speak OF coul through the canal at
the rate O three four miles an hour. Tine wOull
then become an object and il would be possible 10 mako
seven trims a season instead OF six. You see how
largely change would increase the capacity OF thf
canal"