The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-09-27


morning session Of the deep water.
ways convention for tho reelection OF
the old officers and the election Of seven.
teen members Of the executive board,
The report was adopted. The nom.
beFs Of tho new board will determine
by lot what shall DO tho term OF the
members, six Of whom will serve for
one year, six for two years, and six for
three years, The eighteenth member
will DO chosen by the other members Of
tho committee.
The first paper Of the day was on
domestic Shipbullding," by Prof, Geo.
Tunell, otths Chicago university.
A debate followed, Mr.. Alexander Il.
Smith, Of New York, disagreoing with
Prot. Tuuell as to the decline OF Amor
lean shipping. He aacribed the pros.
perity oil foreign shipping to subsidies,
Mr., Chauucey n. button, otaMasb.
ington, and Mr.. Gustav LindenthAl, Of
New York, and Prof. Lewis NJ. Hnupt,
OF Philadelphia, John A. @. Wright, OF
Rochester, and others, discussed tho
various routes and plans proposed for q
ship canal from Lake Erie TO the ocean.
The Enlargement OF the Erie Canal
was tho subject OF a paper by Mr.. Thos.
Z, Roberts, OF Pittsburgh. Mr.. Roberts
thought the size oil such canal as
should be made TO connect the great
lakes with tideWator was Of primary
consideration. THE siEo | would recon.
mend" no said, 'is the size that IL
plainly within the means oil the state oil
New YORK, or Of corporation, or OF the
United States to build.
"NoW, believe the Erie canal with
10, 20 or % feet depth, would DO better
than with 10 feat depth, and believe
also that there is business enough in
sight to warrant much larger con.
struction than is TO DO voted upon by
tho people, but | do not believe the
state OF New York will make any scri.
Gus mistake in deepening the old canal,
as at present proposed, at least on the
western division.
II am told that coal rates from Bui.
ialo through to New York, 800 miles, via
the Erie canal, seven feet deep, is not
more than go cents per ton. How un'
fortunate indeed it Is that Pittsburgh Is
not in BuGalo's place, though fear II
Pittsburgh were there the coal shippers
would think SUCH rate good enough
for them, aud never vote to enlarge the
canal. The coal rate from the Pitts.
burgh mines to New York, on n dis
lance OF less than 800 miles, via rail di.
rect, is - per ton.
but Buffalo and Pittsburgh will yet
DO happy together in the good DAYS to
como, when all things shall bo made
equal by the beneficial influence OF
cheap water TRANSPORTATION. Without
attempting to slur the possibilities OF
electricity in Buffalo, hor citizens can,
at least for while, afford to warm
themselves with cheap but very good
coal, aud save enough BY so doing in two
or three years to pay for those coal
docks, on which several million dollars
have been spent
Two things must conspiro to ensure
tho success OF canals in this country
namely, favorable natural conditions
and an enormous commerce.. We have
an enormous commerce through Penn.
sylvania, far greater, when way ir0ights
are included. than that which passes
through New York; but nature has
made II impossible for the tidewRter to
bo reached via canal from the Ohio. on
scale commemorate with the volume
Of business, although canals ara posgi.
BILE OF construction both to tho Susque-
hanna and thB Potomac, which would
be on par with modern railroads; but
as railroads can be constructed through
the mountains for much less first cost,
the inducements 10 rival them By
method where this difference will be
met with less operating expenses, are
not sufficiently attractive to warrant
the hope that any such canals will DO
built
"From the Ohio river, however, TO
Lake Eric, tho natural or engineering
problems, arc very much Gasier; and aI
the requisite volume OF commerce is also
there, no surprise should DO manifested
ii a modern canal is constructed across
this territory. With this project, we
are actually ahead OF New York, because
wo have the surveys mRdo, aud know
exactly what can be done. As this pro.
iectod enterprise IL certain OF becoming
an accomplished fact, hopo in the near
future, tue minds Of It's friends naturally
turn to the questions connected with
canal routes to tidowatSr through New
York. The victory has already been
won for deep waterway toward the west
and northwest via the lakos. Tho few
remaining incom plOtod details will soon
DO solved, aud in the solution OF the
problems Of deepening tho lake channels
by tho national government, ! wish to
remind this convention that Pittsburgh
was represented al tho Detroit, Wash.
ington and Toronto conventions, and
voted ago every timo, aud instructed
tho congrossmen within tho sound oil
her voice TO vote the Same way In Con-
Rress, and thoy did so vote.
"ln the old days whom our Ponnsyl-
vania engineers were Rt work on canals
thoy did construct two SiXty.ton boat
canals from tho Ohio, near Pittsburgh,
70 Lake Eric. Ono branch extended to
Cleveland, the other to Eric, and zach
had more than 100 locks. WO propose
now to reach Lake Eric, Of course, on
betlor route, with only about thiriY.lVO
locks, 40 that from Pittsburgh to tho
Hudson there now promises TO DO
canal with Tower number OF locks In
II than tho ona now In use from Buffalo
10 Troy. Surely those RrOat project,
nre worth tho serious consideration Of
our people
mo matter whore tho canals may DO
built, which pass from tho lnkoa either
H. - d IL N..N L..