The sun., 1894-01-04
OUR GREAT WATERWAYS.
STATE ENsfSEER sCHESCK ON the
NEEDS or THE CINILS

Liberal Appropriations Recoms,endsd for
Their In,provement-Ihs sehsms of a
shIp Cassi from the Hudson 60 the LaEss
nats Not Meet His ApproyaI--A Plan TO
Widsu aud Deepen the Erie Csuai-DIm
cuI,Ics In the Way or Applying the Flee.
tr,e Trolley system, 60 Canal Navigation.
ALatST. Jan. Estate Engineer schonck 10
bis annual report says that OF the 100000
appropriated by the last Legislature for canal
improvoments only S2OO.UUU was snent for ac.
tual i'm provements. the remaining half million
dollars being expended for the care aud main.
tenance oithe canals or in the interest Of in-
diyidual localities. lie advises the rebuilding
of ten locks on the Black River Canal imme.
dIately. at cost OF 100000. or else that this
canal le abandoned and such necessary APP
propIiatlons made As will be required to main
tain its usefulness as feeder to the Erie. lie
Toes not recommend It's abandonment. but
Says that on account OF Its present condition
the water supply to the Erie. between little
Falls and Syracuse. 10 seriously threatened.
lie does not think It advisable to build a new
dam across tho Hudson at Troy but would
advise that the present structure be put In re-
pair. and that hereafter moneys be appropri-
ated to make all needed repairs when neces-
tary. new stone dam there would cost over
B5OO.0O
Tho work Of widening and deepening the
Chnmplain Canal along Its entire length. lie
says would cost Sl.UUO.COO. The improve.
ments so far made cannot be utilized until the
whole canal Is so improved aud his advice Ia
that either this Improvement be temporarily
abandoned or proceeded with at tho rate ola
92JO.0O0 appropriation annually for three or
four yeare. when 1t would be com petel.
A stone wall costing sjj.0OO Ia necessary at
schenectady to prevent breaks there and ten
and one-haif miles " old bench walls on the
middle division Of theHErie should lie replaced
at a cost OF 81 81. 900. The policy OF improving
and deepening Black Rock IIarbor and Erie
Basin ct Buffalo, no says should be carried for
ward to.conpletion vt an annual expenditure
of $4,000.
llOf tho scheme OF making q grand channel,
with n capacity for transporting ocean or lake
vessels from tho Hudson to the lakes. he says:
It would bs unsafe transfer to the general Govern
,nent the control Of our state canals and whatever
Improvements or engagements are to DO made ought
10 be made by the state, with Government AID pos
tble and without such aid H. In order to secure H.
trOprietorshp Of our waterways Inust he rsngushed
Ths centre Of Political power has long since passed
Tar to ths westward OF New YORK and should the gen.
eTA GoyeInment control OF our canals we have
no ASSURANCE that In the future influence would not
De brought to bA in the Interests Of other sections VI
bur country that mi .ght be the means Of defeating
kneasres necessary for the maintenance OF these im
Sortant waterways II the State IL to continue alone
10 control support and prove our canal system. the
hhip canal project must be dismissed and a scheme
devised for thing scale Of less magnitude.
OF the several schemes ~of inpro yement advocated
by the friends OF the Erie Canal one Of the most fes
Sble. when its comparatively small cost 10 taken into
consideration, Ia that known as the seymour plan by
which 1t is proposed to deepen the canal TO depth OF
nine feet OF water by raising the banks one foot and
BY excavAtiug tho bottom one foot. except through
locks and aqueducts and culvsrts and lsngthsn
ing the locks so as to permit the passage OF double
Thave plans for an enlarged canal. 100 feet IN width
length % lect with 10 feet drAuEht
% .s S. ana IN. @ .s 2Ts ys 81 % sss sSS
c"ua be mHsI 3 rGrtgrs. 9;ssd & @ 81 gysSs E.s
mat romm.Gn he SIgnn':a whose s. dTtS !, ,aS Ge
sious to the Legislature Gt the earliest time practicable
Regarding the application Of the trolley sys-
TEN to canal navigation. he says:
The or failure OF avssgSton. III rroSis,.
The sssSrie po~cF be TurG.hsd 90 each pTopsler az
lass cost than that OF steam power ~ .,-.-,-
Railway conclude that IT, as Was shown me we sue
sssdsd I IN Mo M nnn, 1 @o
hAys consumption OF coal 10 obtain one horse power
Sower house ot from AZ 20 a. pounds mi. i. ines
srs to say nothing OF difference in trst cost OF plant
The method of generating electricity in large guam.
Titles A. point. Where largo water po%..ss sxist and
which. TO my uuu. contains the greatest promise
In order however. 10 economically trans
nit the large quantities required the current In the
feed wire must pass at a very hgh voltage and IN
order TO secure safety that IA the trolley ware must
pass low voltage While ~ Ii perfectly feasible to
transform alternating CUTrunt from nigh to low
and from low To high voltage. unfortunately no
continuous current, and Il 10 the continuous current
alone that has Yet Oesn succss'u!y applied 10 tho
operation OF motors.
Upon the solution OF the other al thes aim.
culiisS aud upon the deysing OF means to more
nOuIicaly and perfectly insulsO the feed wires de.
pends. IN my opinion, the success or failure Of tho
snorIs now being made in tins direction.
corporation operating at Niagara Falls power
yielding the American SIDE 10000 horse power
hour aud on the canadian side l2O. OOn horse power
per hour whirn, they state could be disposed Of At
pTOnt to the corporation al the price OF 81 horse
power Annuu, measured on wires AT Niagara Fails,
sold In ITS entirety; In considering thus question it
must DO rsmsInOeTad that the steamboat has and
propelled electrical boat IN that sba independent Of
outside aid in navigating the Hudson River,
lCOmmsnd this subject TO your careful consideration
end hope that you viii adopt the necessary legislation
10 secure the continuance OF the nIesuEAtiona aud
experiments necessary To reach u conclusion.
The following appropriations are recon-
mended: For lengthening lock No. ~, SaS.-
OOO; for building new canal at Newark and
substituting two locks for three SSOO. 600; for
improving the Drism Of the Oswego Cana! and
REPAIRS to Battle Island Ds IN and PhunIx Dam,
10000; for survey Of the Erie Canal, S2o,OOO
MADE A HRONg DIIGNOyI2