Evening star., 1904-03-17
THE NEW YORK CANAL
Disappointment at House Ad-
verse Report.
COL. sYMONS' WORK
HE Is THE FATHER OF THE PRO-
as 4JEcT.
Effort to Have Question Of His Serving
on State Commission Reopened
An Engineers Views.

The adverse report of the House commit
tee on military affairs on the joint resolu-
tion authorizing Col T. w. Symons. engf-
neer in charge of public buildings and
grounds, to serve as member of the ad-
visory canal commission of New York state
in the construction of the proposed barge
canal. has aroused such great disappoint-
ment among the friends of that state en-
terprise of national Importance, in the
highest official circles in the Senate, where
the resolution originated and passed, and
among the representatives of the many
states in touch with the great lake system.
that the subject has been a theme of fur
ther consideration, which was renewed
today.
A well-known engineer who has kept in
touch with the situation spoke in very de-
cided terms of the governments response
bility in the project in discussing the mat
ter with Star reporter today.
'The ship canal system of Canada, built
at vast outlay. comes In direct competition
with grain and heavy freight transporta-
ton of lake ports the American side
as far west as Duluth, he said, and all
of which is diverted from New York city
down the st. Lawrence to Quebec and
thence to all parts of the world. This is
a direct loss, not only to the lake water
carrying trade, but also to the trunk rail-
ways of the northwest having Atlantic port
connections. In project which passed
the New York legislature the Canadian
anti-canal influence 50 far succeeded in Sc
curing a cutting of the figures that the
$9,OOO,OOO appropriated was entirely made
quate to what was originally proposed. but
answered the purpose OF the Canadian ca
nal lobby as diversion from any scheme
which would be hurtful to the interests of
their own canals. The fact was discovered
after the work had progressed far enough
to demonstrate that the money being ex-
pended was not showing prospect of the
facilities contemplated and that the work
as then being carried on was practically
playing into the hands of Canada.
Col. Symons' Investigation.
"In 1895, upon entering upon his assign
ment in charge of river and harbor i'm
provement at Buffalo, Col. Symons made a
thorough reconnaissance of the important
water route advantages within his juris-
diction as part of his duty to the govern
ment. About the. same time he was called
upon to make report on bill which had
been introduced in Congress for widening
the locks of the Erie canal for military
purposes. In that report he conclusively
demonstrated the, commercial Importance
of such an improvement, but the military
advantages of, such widening of locks
without corresponding general embargo
ment he regarded as possessing little prac-
teal value. The expert skill and thorough
comprehension Of the subject in all its
bearings led to a call upon Col. Symons by
the general government for report on the
best and most economical cross country wa
terway to connect the Great Lakes and
tide water. Tn this report Col. Symons
demonstrated to the satisfaction of the
Secretary OF War, chief of engineers. Unit
ed States army, and expert hydraulic engi-
neers generally that ship canal by the Erie
route was impracticable and by way of
Lake Ontario fnadvisable; that the only
feasible solution of the problem was to
build a barge canal by the general route of
the Erie canal as large as the natural feat
ures. water supply and prevailing condi-
tions would permit. This presentation of a
scheme which possessed all the conditions
favorable to success led Gov Roosevelt.
with his usual unerring Judgment. to ap-
point committee representing the business
interests of the state.
For Barge Canal
"Of this advisory board Col. Symons was
member year was spent In the study
of the statistical and scientific data which
he had collected and information of a gen.
eral character, which resulted in a una1f-
nous decision in favor of a barge canal as
he suggested. capable Of accommodating
boats of 1000 tons capacity with lockage
for two boats at time. 1t was also pro-
posed to utilize the Erie route as far as
practicable. On the recommendation OF this
board a liberal state appropriation of $500
600 was made for preliminary plans and
surveys. The total Of an enlargement ac-
cording to the Symons' project to include
the Erie and Oswego canals and lesser i'm
provements on the Champlain canal was
$S2O00.O0O. A re-estimate with additional
work,such as the enlargement of the Cham
plain canal to barge canal size brought
the sum of $101 .00O, 600. This bill was
passed and submitted to the people and re-
ceived their approval by about 10000 ma
jority. Thus the empire state of the Union
through its legislature and people, voted
an appropriation at one stroke larger than
anything of the kind undertaken by the
general government in the United States
and almost equal to the total cost of the
construction of the proposed United States
canal across the Isthmus of Panama The
direct Importance of this work needs no
argument. The figures in tonnage of the
Great Lakes alone form a large share Of
the interstate commerce OF the country in
which the states of New York. Pennsylva-
mia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wis
consin and Minnesota have direct inter-
est This does not include the inland prod
ucts of these contiguous states which find
their way to lake ports
Relieve Trunk Line Congestion.
"As a problem of heavy and slow trans
portation. 1t also relieves the congestion Of
the freight traffic of trunk lines which
would find an outlet over our own terri
tory instead of Canada. The strategic ad-
vantages of such a canal in time OF war,
with England or Canada, and possibly any
other country. under the latest rules Of
neutrality and Washingtons injunction in
time of peace prepare for war would be in
calcuable to the nation, yet is borne by the
state of New York. From this new point
alone the inXaluabe services Of Colonel
Symons. its protector would be small con-
tribution by Congress. A canal of eleven
foot draughsI andqoeks twenty-eight feet
wide and $50 feet long would carry war
craft, particularly gun and torpedo boats,
from New York 10 Buffalo for harbor de-
fense on the Aseacoast or naval operations
on the lakes.ioa ohf
Precedent sometimes does open a way
of ingress for ineoppetents but in the case
of Colonel SymonS his origination of the
scheme. solution Of the canal problems and
familiarity with all the technical and prac-
would not only Be of great commercial
value to the states named and to the coun-
try at Target tbt1t of strategic value Of a