New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-07
THE FUTURE OF THE CANALS.
EMINENT SUGGESTED BY THE
ENGINEERING NEWS"

KlNO
The Engineering News" published yesterday
an article on What Shall New-York Do with
Its Canals 1t says in part:
Let US now review the various alternative
courses which are open 70 the state at the pres
ent time. The first course. and one which we
regret TO say seems very likely 10 be followed. IL
10 expend the rest OF the S9U0OOO already
raised but refuse further appropriations. Tn
der the New-YOrk Constitution. in order 10 Sc
cure the 100000 additional required to COM
plete the . feet depth Improvement. it VIII be
necessary for the Legislature to pass bill au-
thorizlng this expenditure. and this bill must
then nc approved by a popular vote In a state
election. In the present condition OF NewYork
State politics ii seems 20 us very doubtful
whether either party in the Legislature Will care
10 assume the responsibility for saddlinC So
100000 additional debt upon the State. II ap-
pears even more doubtful, however whether. II
such bill should pass the Legislature II would
be approved by the public. Will the voters OF
New-Iork who were told years ago that 81.
OOoUO would deepen the canals 10 y feet now
give S'OD,OW more 10 complete the work? II
appears TO us more likely that they will call 70
remembrance the repeated promises which were
made concerning the State Capitol building al
Albany. and refuse TO spend another cent on
canal improvement
II they pursue this course IT needs no prophet
10 toresee the practical disappearance OF canal
traffic within a short time. AS many Of our
readers may recall the decadence Of canal traf1c
has been very rapid In the last few years.
At the same time. the railways which carry
grain from the lakes to tidewater haV' been rap
idly increasing their traffic. and are bic 10 haul
full trainlOads "a a rate nearly or quite as low
as the rates by canal The railways have the
great advantages In securing shipments OF rapid
delivery. OF full responsibility for loss and dam
age. and OF arrangements with connecting lines
whereby the shipper obtains through bills Of
ladng without difficulty The law which limits
the capital or any corporation making use OF the
canal 10 10000 operates to prevent absolutely
the Development OF the canal IN accordance with
modern methods of transportation and finance.
these 4
dered that traffic on the canals is rapidly dis
appearing The profits TO the bOatnen are 50
insignificant. and the chances q the total dis
appearance Of profits in the near future are 80
great. that the boatmen are abandoning the
business. the old boats are rapidly becoming
rotten and unseawOrthy. and few or 70 new
boats are built 70 take their place.
Lot US turn now 70 the second alternative
open to the State-the completion OF the present
improvement 10 give a nine-foOt depth OF water.
and with high-leyel lift locks at certain points
on the canal Il will amount TO increasing the
capacity or the barges that use the canal 10
about four hundred tons as compared with The
present barges Of some TWO hundred and forty
tons. Ii is estimated that this would decrease
the cost Of canal freights from Buffalo TO New
York much one cent per bushel and
would facilitate the operation Of through lines
Of barees between the lake ports and the
bOarl II the alternative presented 20 the peO-
pie OF NeW-YOrk is either the abandonment ~
the canals in the near future or a further
penditure Of s7.0OO.OOO 10 complete the i'm
provements now under way, then we believe
this expenditure ought 20 be- made
There is. however another possible course
open 10 the poole Of NeR-York. and that IS %
turn over n, Erie Canal 10 tho United states
Government As our readers Will remember
the result OF Ma jor Symonds's recent investiga-
;ion Of the problem Of the cheapest system Of
water transportation from the Great Lakes 10
the seabOarJ was that such system would be
obtained by the Improvement Of the Erie Canal
to q accommodate blrgcs Of 100 tons capacity.
OF course. Will" the canal remains the property
OF the state Of NeW-YOik the United states Is
barred from undertaking such a work. II, how
ever. the canal were % b. transferred rom me
state 20 Fedora control there Is good reason 20
believe that IFS improvement, on the lines recon
mended by Major Symonds could and would be
carried out.
The United States now controls and maintains
a great fr-- waterway system extending from
Duluth and Chicago 90 Buffalo. and from Al
barv - tidewater a, NeW-YOrk. Why should
il not undertake the maintenance and improve
mont Of the remaining link IN this system from
Buffalo o. Albany
it's v. take it. out Of the question for the
State o. NeW-YOrk to undertake any more
radical Improvement IN this canal IMAM that
which II has now Under vav. The most II can
do (and as We have said above. Il is doubtful
whether II Will do even thaD is TO complete the
work it has already begun Tho United states
m tho other hand could. and. We believe. would
,ndar- alo tho radical enhancement Of tho canal
n the state o, New-York were 20 signify -
WILLINGNESS 20 turn il owe" On condition ih1t Al
least the present improvements shoud pe com
pleted. . -,
through the Northwest and ir cities upon the
Graa- Lakes which favors the Gov"rnm nj CON
structior Of waterway to the ocean. i ne snip
canal idea however - rapld| waning ID pop
ularifv and T. j. coming 10 be generally under
stood that waterway which Will be at once
Nnanciall~ practicable and success as
medium Of cheap transportation must he planned
highway 10 the Great Lakes FOR ocean steam