The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-11-27

ent route of the Champlain canal to
Lake Champlain near Whitehall.
All three Of the canals-the Erie,
Oswego and Champlain-are to be so
improved that the canal prism shall, in
regular sections have a minimum bot
tom width Of rs feet and minimum
depth Of - feet. The minimum Of wa
ter cross section is to be LIPS square
feet, except at %aqueducts and through
cities and villages, where it may be re-
duced as deemed necessary by the state
engineer and the canal board.
In the rivers and lakes the canal shall
have a minimum bottom width Of zoo
feet. minimum depth Of q feet and a
cross section Of water 2;400 square feet.
The locks are to be single, except the
flight Of three locks neal Waterford,
and two locks at Lockport, which are
to be double. These locks are to have
a length between hollow quoins of S2S
feet, a clear width of % feet and a
feet, with such lifts as the state en-
gineer may determine.
Low Freight Rates.
Carefully made estimates show THAI
the improved canals will enable 1.o0t
ton barges to carry freight at a profit
for a rate of 52-100 of a mill per ton
mile, or rs Ito cents per ton, Buffalo
to New York. 1t is claimed that the
railroads will not be able to competa
with this rate on heavy freigths. The
New York state canal committee, after
a painstaking inquiry Of this matter
reported that there was no probability
Of the railroads being able to carry
freight at mill per ton mile.
1t Is asserted, therefore, that trans
portation by the 1,000-ton barge canal
will he the maacS Of ahO1jShinr the
d~ifferentials in railroad freights, which
have been responsible for the diversion
of commerce from the state Of New
York and from the city Of New York
The differentials now in effect against
traffic to and from New York range
from 20 cents to 81 per ton, in favor OF
Philadelphia, Baltimore and Newport
News.
The present canal BOAT has a ca
pacity of 240 tons, or 5000 bushels OF
wheat. The present maximum railroad
train carries 2,70O tons, or 90, 900 bush
els Of wheat. The canal boat capacity
has practically not increased at all in
twenty-five years, while the maximum
railroad capacity has increased nine
fold. The canals, in consequence. were
practically driven out of competition
with the railroads, and, according to
a report made by the chamber of COM
merce of New York, the result of rail-
road discrimination against the port OF
New York has been that during the
twenty years from 1877 to 1897 there
was a total decrease Of the commerce
to and from New York from b3.7 pei
cent. to 81 per cent, and an advance
Of all other ports from 1853 per cent
to 40 per cent. This relative shrinkage
has continued down to the present
time. The annual report of the cham.
Der Of for the fiscal year
ended June 80, 1902, shows hat the total
foreign m Of New York city
during the ear ended June 80, 1902
suffered a decrease Of SAB, 1893. 1921 as
compared with the same period of the
previous yea and 1923, 1855, 24S, as com
pared with the period ended June 80
1900. Instead of sharing according te
it's old-time ratio, in the growing com.
merce Of the nation during the past
nineteen years. it is estimated that the
port Of New York has fallen behind tc
the extent Of $500, 900, 900.
One effect Of the construction of the
], 00O-ton barge canal which those in.
terested in canal navigation expect tc
see realized Is the restoring to the
canals of h Goa carrying trade to the
northwest. 1t is coal and the heavier
class of manufactured goods which II
is believed will furnish the 1,00O-tor
barges with their return cargoes.