The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-11
EXPERTS ON The BARGE CANAL
SEE no RETURN FROM THE IN
VESTMENT or SOL, 900, 900.

l.. T.. Cooley or Chicago Declared That No
Project Involving Transshipment Could
BE Relied On" Out or the Question
Said the Canal Boat Owners President.
When Cen Francis vinton Greene was
chairman Of the Roosevelt Canal Commit
tee he asked many engineers and students
Of canal operations to send him their views
on a barge canal which would carry vessels
Of ten-foot draught--practicaly the canal
which the Davis act calls for, but then esti-
mated to cost only $50. 600, 900.
Lyman e. Cooley Of Chicago, who had
been advisory engineer to the Committee
on Investigation which found how the
50, 900 600 appropriation had been wasted,
wrote:
Considering trafic conditions az they
are now developing on through business
l doubt il any project involving trans
shipment can be relied on for the future
The .OoO-ton barge plan involves trans
shipment. That's why the Buffalo elevator
pool is for it.
George Clinton OF Buffalo, a direct de-
scendant Of De Witt Clinton. and a most
jealous champion OF the canal. then wrote
"The people OF the State, l feel assured,
Canal and are willing to go to reasonable
lengths to improve it. but do not believe
they can be induced to consent to so large
an expenditure as barge canal would call
for"
That was written when the estimated
cost was 100000. Last January Gov.
Odell calculated that the cost would exceed
3255 900, 900.
E. L. Corthell, the New York civil en-
gineer who was In charge Of the improve
ments OF the mouth Of the Mississippi.
wrote: THE Erie Canal. which carries
such a small amount. comparatively Of
export freight. has had and will continue
to have practically no influence IN max
ing rates on grain and other traffic from,
say, Chicago. to the Atlantic seaboard.
In fact the railroads do not take the Eric
Canal rates into consideration. The canal
"a factor in lowering or maintaining
and more the necessity for prompt and
speedy transit Of even such commodities
as grain Is increasing
Pscf. F. W. Taussts Of Harvard Uni
versity wrote: i do not believe that any
canal Of the type Of the Erie Canal can
can do the work more cheaply, and prob
ably it will do the work moro cheaply.
This conclusion rests on two facts. One
Of these is the steady, continuous and not
ended improvements IN methods OF rail-
way transportation. which have lowered
OF as possible a generation ago, and doubt
less will lower them even more In the future.
1.-THE other is the nature OF railway opera
tions which brings it about that the railway
can with profit to Itself. and with advantage
to the community, carry low grade traffic
at a cOmDaratiyelY ANAL eXCeea over ODer-
ating expenses 0he direct operating e1
penses for such traffic being in any case
below the direct expenses for the traffic
in generaD. The passenger traffio and
higher class freight traffic can cont ributee
more fully than the low class freight toward
fl1ed expenses and enable the latter, es-
pecially when offered in large volumes.
TO be carried at least a. cheapfy as the
canal can carry It. II the trafic Of which
grain is the type goes by other routes than
by New York the cause is to BE- found,
or the expense OF terminal facilities in
New York city and harbor than In high
charges for transportation by rail
And this Ii from the letter OF E. NJ. Clark
son Of the Canal Boat Owners and Com
"A barge canal. in my opinion. is out
Of the quest ion
Alfred Noble. the great tunnel engineer.
wrote that the assumption that a barge
canal could be built for $50. 900 600 and that
a ship canal would cost $500 600 900 were
80 far from his views that he couldn't dis
cuss the questions on such premises.
The canal promoters are fairly dizzy
now at the prospect Of getting SiOl 900 900
to bury in the ditch. The Canal Cont ract ors
a bigger canal and that Odell's the man
for Governor. The Third Term League
Ia booming.