Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-12
Engineering and Naval Circles at
Washington Interested.
MAPS MADE AWAY BACK In 1924
That May be Of Assistance to the Members
of the Commission.
STRATEGIC VALUE OF THE WATER WAY.
Facts q to the Relative Speed Of Freight BY Bail and BY
Canal
rrRoM A srAFr coEREspoNpENr.1

| d l.
with the waters of Lake Erie large enough
for the transportation of ships with heavy
freights, has excited considerable interes
here in engineering and naval circles. AL
admit that it would be of almost incalulablt
advantage to the whole country, and the
favorable report of the Board of Commits
sioners is received with great satisfaction.
Captain Turtle, of the United Statei
Corps of Engineers, said to-day, in con-
versation with THE DISPATCH correspond.
ent upon the subject, that he could see nc
reason why such a canal as that proposed
should not be built with comparative ease.
"Of course" said he, sit will be matter OF
| considerable expense il 1t is undertaken.
What that expense win be can, of course,
only be estimated by engineers who have
been over the route proposed to be taken by
the canal, and who have carefully examined
the difficulties to be overcome As to the
practibility of the work cannot see that
there are any serious problems of engineer.
ing to be met with. The main point to be
| determined is the water supply. If at the
| summit level there is found to be sui
hciently large reservoir to supply the locks
with enough water to foat the ships there is
no reason why the canal should not be built
from an engineering point of view.
LITTLE DOUBT ABOUT WATER
"Op this noint Colonel IT p Roberts savs
that q height of 3O feet of water will he
obtainabIe at all t;mes from, Connaont IoLo
and other smaller bodies of water Hav;ng
been over tbe nronosoJ 80 ha Is ao,,.sss
better able to judge of this than 1 would be
VINO nave never been there: Thirty feet
Mo9lc, however IN my opinion, be amply
sulnGleht LOT an tne purposes Tor Wnlcn the
camau ,.aI, "oulu De usec. =, ~
Inc next point Is as 70 the adylsablllty
y. uunuihs the Improvement upon tnat
guestl1n an engineer omcer would, perhaps,
De unaole 10 pass an opinion. 10 determine
IT. someone tnoroughiy posted upon the
coinmere1al M sltuation would have to be con-
sul.e1' the eneineers couio tell the esti,
i mateu eoSt 'Ss o. tne VOTE, ana the commercial
nlsh ID "oIlo oe apie 10 tell whetner the saving
81 ny .ne opelatioI Oh tne cana, youid
oe sulIcIent 10 warrant tne necessarily large
eApenalture. Ihat Deing settled, IL Is moth
.I Jus ~ slnpig business proposition as 10
W. "''nst 'ne "oiA slouiu oe unuer'aken or
strr,,
.;s..s.i" .ue ohiy lIeln taken luto con,
sr;4L ., "sn Tnen e "ater way ls Gontem Piateo
-, irs enecteu ny i''
,e".s sae sne einerence between the rates
d., Sn oy i.ii anu ny "ater.
- tba o,,ast;nn u,h;eLS im poiaant, feature
Looked In . racsnt art;ola in Az Ed;yh h.,s.t,
ReDie,o there wos a sta.e,nen, Of tbo .aI'.;,.a
savings made nv nsins wat.r .u nv,a;,s0
tion instead of rail and II stated nn,onr
other things that the
.pp.prrr
.do h., a;.
reality very small. It showed that in send
ing carload OF coal from New Castle IN
London by rail the average speed of that
car was only five miles per hour. IT had
been subjected to various DELAYS. had been
run on sidings to make way for other trains.
and in reality, taking the whole trip into
consideration, its speed had been only that
of an ordinary canal boat.
Now, am sure that any business man
will be able in mis- own experience to fur
nlsh similar instances to this. 1t does not
matter now fast tram may be run between
stations. But let him take the whole num-
per OF nours succeeding the shipping OF his
Irelgnt 10 tne time at which 1t Is received at
lts destlnhtion; let him take the number of
miles Travelled and by simple mathematical
caiculation De Will be able to determine the
average rate OF speed at which his goods
were shlppeu. ana In most cases he will be
surprised 70 ma now very slow 1t has been. |
II is tne old story OF , the hare and the tor
tolse over again. Inc railroad train makes |
lhe most russ ana noise, Dut the canal boat |
us usuaIiy, oy the way, carrying three or four
simes 'ne amount OF Irelght, goes along |
slowly and surely without being side |
when il is exnected
TROUBLE WITH FAST FREIGHT
aot oorrso thor. :, CO.., .l;
f.o;oht ,rhsra thasa 70 ..s SUN t.ins as ias1
;a. y; a. con Pett.lon, as, ior
~ NJ ~ w vi Vi graih rom Cnl-
e@f.. W cor = nd uu. tHu nave 70 pay
wh;oh IL % not ~ fa.t a - d"naie .;de . my relght,
roon tor vonrs @ % mt, ue aet sHheu a;a1 70 MAKE
AOVu AOl rOuAS uuhh ECb SICk OI waiting