The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-22
NO MATERIAL EFFECT ON RATES
ENGINEERING JUDGMENT on THE
PROPOSED BARGE CANAL.
Only . waterway That Would Garry the
Best Type OF Lake Freighters Could
Produce Results-Wh0'll Get the Fat:

be0t Typo OF Lake FFeiBnteFS SOulu
Produce Results-who'n Get the Fat:
An observing passenger who travelled
Up the Hudson twenty years ago by boat
or by the railroad which parallels 1t saw
the grain from the West coming to New
York on canalboats and in cars. The
canalbosts had a capacity Of 24o tons, or
5000 bushels Of wheat. A train hauled
twenty-five cars of wheat, each car con-
tanning $50 bushels, 'or $3.50 bushels in
train, Just about what one canalboat held.
II the passenger were to make that
journey to-day he might see some canal
boats bringing down grain not many
There are now but 100 boats on the canal,
and only about 400 OF these are fit to carry
grain. They are practically Of the same
size as were those of twenty years ago. The
So 900 improvement was planned to
equip the ditch for larger boats, but 1t was
used to make sixty holes in the ditch, while
between these holes old levels and depths
exist.
Now, too, look at the railway. One loco
motive, far more powerful than the one
of twenty years ago but costing no more
for its operation. now hauls fifty grain cars,
each with capacity of 900 to 200 bushels
of wheat or sc. 900 to 10000 bushels in
trainload Tt train is equipped with
airbrakea, and all the modern improve
ments in transportation are employed to
bring it from Buffalo to New York at the
lowest cost. This single train can carry
almost as much as two Of the theoretit al
lODO-ton barges each OF which has sup
posed capacity of 80. 1893 bushels Of wheat
The grain brought East by rail beats the
time made by the canal grain by five days.
In the matter OF quick delivery the canal
method of transportation never can COM
pete with the rail method. 1t is only on
the ground that canal transr ortation will
I've cheaper that it's partisans advocate
the expenditure Of SOL 900 900 or more.
When the United States Government APP
pointed deep waterways commission OF
engineers to make estimates on the cost OF
a ship canal through New York which
right to the seaboard they figured into the
estimates of freight costs what the in
provement was going to cost the Govern
mont. Not so the canal advocates. ihey
never take into consideration the millions
OF original cost and OF maintena nee, which
assure a tax of s.. 100000 for fifty years to
come
But when the money has been spent and
a twelve-foot channel has been provided
will the. canal he able to compete with the
George Y. Wisner. who spent three years
in study of the canal question as member
Of the board appointed by the Government,
which spent $500 900 in surveys, said in Y
address to the American Society Of Civil
Engineers in this city
THE decline of traffic in the Erie Canal
since sOand the failure OF the fourteen.foot
Canadian canals TO divert commerce from
the lake and rail lines indicate that
waterway Of less depth than required for the
passage Of the best type OF lake frel ehters
cannot materially modify the transporta-
lion rates over existing routes.
But any increase in traffic will add to the
bank accounts Of the elevator ring at Buff
fall" and the New York lighterlng COM
panies Two years ago Erastus Wiman
estimated that the handlers at New York
wrlng $4,000, 900 a year from the traffic
Of the port in exorbitant charges.
What will the canal contractors wiring
on, Of the State If the people. vote next
November to approve this enrichment actr
What benefits will you get from it,