The Dickinson press., 1890-10-18
ELECTRIC CANAL BOATS.
Introduction of tho New Motive Powe
Would Ruin tho Industry.

Introduction of tho New Motive Power
Would Ruin tho Industry.
There has appeared in a mechanical
publication the following statement:
An electric engineer. of Buffalo, sug-
gests a plan to reduce very largely the
cost of transportation on the Erie canal
His plan is to adopt the trolley system,
now generally in use on street railways,
to the canal. If the overhead trolley
system be applied to street railways
at a cost of about half that of horse
power, he argues. why can it not take
the place of canal mules with a like re-
duction of cost? The poles and other
appliances for the overhead wires, and
In fact the whole plant, covering the
whole length of the canal, could he
readily arranged without hindrance to
navigation. The span would not be too
wide at any point.
A reporter asked the opinion Of Mr..
William g. Miller, the electrical engi-
neer of tho Watervliet Railroad COM
pany. Mr.. Miller said: why, certain
ly it can be done. l do not see why the
same motive power of turning n wheel
by the electric current cannot be util-
lied on a canal boat as we'll as on a car.
The only question is the cost. If they
want to put through such a scheme it
will cost money. As to there being
reduction of expense from that required
for horse Or mule power l cannot say, as
I am not well enough acquainted with
the canal to know"
A very extended and interesting opin.
ion on the feasibility of the canal cleo.
trical scheme was given by Mr.. John d.
Roman, of the Roman Towing line. Mr..
Roman said: 1.-THE plan which you ex.
plain to me is not q new one by any
means. The first mar who preached the
Erie canal trolley system to me was an
Albanian, who is demented on the sub.
ject Of electricity. l think of course
merely from a practical, not a scientific,
point of view ttzA the scheme is i'm
practicable.
"There are a thousand and one objec.
tions to it which present themselves te
any mind. Take, for instance, the
trolley scheme. Unjust be remembered
that it is canal boats and not horse car.
that are to be run now. The horse cal
is forced to go in a certain line by til,
solid tracks. But would not n cana
boat waver SO from side to side that i
would be impossible to keep a trolley
wheel on that set wire? Then ther,
would be the continual probability O
the wires blowing down and in othe:
ways being damaged. How are tn,
trolleys to be managed going through
locks? Boats, you know, do not trave
up and down grade in an inclined posi-
ton as a car does-they are always on
level. What would they do at the six
teen locks with the trolley system?
81 think the trolley system on tn,
canal is utterly out of question. It EN-
braces. SO many points where compiled
tons might arise, and so much cost O
construction, that | think it is entirel,
impracticable. Surprising it were adopt
ed. Surprising that all the 1000 or NOR
boats on the canal were on that one, o
tho two, wires. At any time a boat j
liable to leak or to have an accident oc
cur to its motor. What then is to b
done? 1t would block the whole canal
and that could not be afforded. One o
the main points, will say the mai,
point-in the introduction of this system
would belts reduction of expense. Tha
is what we are looking for. As cana
boats are now constructed the introduc
ton of tho trolley system would revolu
tionize the whole line.
"There would have to be special boat
built for the introduction of motors ant
propelling wheels. That would throw
the great army of canal boats that ar,
now being used off tho 'canal, for n,
boats that did not run by electricit,
could navigate in those waters. Can WE
afford to do this2 Then the introduction
of a motor into u canal boat would in
crease its tonnage greatly and, l would
say, reduce its carrying capacity almost
20 per ent."-Albany Argus.