The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-07-06
LOOKING BACKWARD.

interesting Facts CLEANED from an
Antique Looking Pamphlet Comprising
the Report Of the Engineers Who
Surveyed tho Delaware 4 Hudson
Canal.
An antique looking pamphlet, in the
possession of w. s. Birdsall, gives an
interesting view of some of the condi-
tions existing upward of seventy years
ago. 1t is the Report Of Messrs. Benz
jamin Wright and ]. L. Sullivan. en-
gineers, engaged in the survey of the
route of the proposed canal from the
Hudson to the headwaters of the Lack
AWAKEN river. accompanied by other
documents, etc." made in January, 1924,
with map of the region embracing the
canal and the coal field it was de-
signed to reach, and "Prefatory re-
marks by the proprietors Of the coal
Mines"
This survey was made during the
year following the act of the Pennsyl.
vania legislature of March l3, 1923, au-
thorlzing Maurice WLrts, his heirs and
assigns, to improve the navigation Of
the Lackawaxen. and the act of the
New York legislature incorporating
The president, managers and company
of the Delaware and Hudson Canal
company" and authorizing this cor
poration to make, construct and for
ever maintain, a canal or slack water
navigation" from the Hudson to the
Delaware; and the report was ad-
dressed to the commissioners named in
the Incorporating 'act to receive SUBJ
Early Estimates OF IIauIage.
The mine proprietors, in their pre-
fatcry remarks" refer to the supply of
coal sent from the Schuylkin and Le-
high regions to Philadelphia, and add
that "A Supply of Stone Coal cannot
be an object of less Importance to the
city of New York than it is to Philadel-
phia;' and refer to the report as dem
cnstrat.ng. as far as such fact is sus-
cel,ible Of demonstration" that New
York could be supplied through the pro-
Eosel canal. The original design was
to extend the canal to the foot of the
Moosic range and haul the coal to that
point by wagons; and an estimate of
the cost of hauling, assuming that ION
a turnpike road 5-horse team will per-
form two trips per day with a load of
three tons" fixed it at 691s cents ton.
The cost Of loading into boats was put
at 10 cents ton. Assuming that "a
boat carrying thirty tons will go to the
Hudson and return to the mines in ten
days" the cost of canal transporta-
ton was fixed at $l.1S a ton. The cost
of towing from the Hudson to New
York was estimated at 1917 cents a ton,
and the cost of unloading at 10 cents
Thus, with the cost of "quarrying" the
coal, estimated at 371a cents ton the
cost Of delivery at New York exclusive
of tolls) was to be $2.641a a ton. The es-
innate of equipment was as follows
One hundred and one wagons and sets
of harness, sos horses. and "tools for
the mines" at a cost of $67, ,140: 900 boats
at 5000 each. and four steamboats, for
towing, at $4,000 each; total of $685.,
14O. An allowance of 10 per cent for
repairs and renewals, with an item OF
81, 900 for Coal yard and expense of
management" and 5000 for Agent at
the mines and his assistants" complet-
ed the estimate.
when Coal Brought 50 Ton.
The estimate contemplated the trans
portation of 100000 tons Of coal year
Among the "other documents accom-
panying the report is communication
from Engineer Sullivan to the commits
sioners, relative to the use Of coal in
other cities. its cost. and the means Of
supply. This sets forth that Philadel-
phia, during the preceding year. had
been supplied with 5000 tons from the
Lehigh region, and small quantity
! from the Schuylkill region. which was
sold at s. a ton. BY a comparison Of
the quantity used in various cities Of
Great Britain, in proportion to their
population, 1t was shown that to sup
ply New York with only one-half its
fuel would require not less than $1,000
tons a year; while the demand in the
region adjacent to the Hudson, and the
Erie and Champlain canals, 1t was
thought. would prove sufficient to ex-
haust the remaining $1,000 tons, which