New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-03
Not Far Ahead. but No
Steps Taken Yet to
Handle 1t Here.

One of the problems which the committee OF
the Chamber of Commerce that IS studying the
terminal facilities of New York HarboF with
the idea Of suggesting the best lines Ct develop
ment 10 relieve the congestion viii have 10 take
into consideration is that Of terminal or Ter
,ninals for the accommodation Of the large
volume of commerce which il is expected VIII
be poured into New York through the new So
called IOO0-ton barge canal New York Is be-
coming noted for being slow in meeting con-
ditions and there is a possibility, unless the
subject is taken up Immediately. that the cana!
will be in readiness for use before proper ar
ranzements have been made for accommodating
the commerce It will carry. Apparently the city
is waiting for the state 70 take the first step
toward the establishment Of a terminal
One Saturday afternoon in August a year
and half ago, a couple Of can"eists were ghd-
ing over the Inirrorlike surface Of the canal
between Schuycrvlle and Fort Edward Il was
q sunny afternoon. and the sha!!pv' w2ters OF
the upper Hudson sparIlcd Just below them on
the left as the stream curled over the stony
bottom. suddenly an Italian came running
down the towpaJh He was followed by num-
Der OF others OF his swarthy race. Was there
miniature Vcsuvius beyond? The last man Of
the flying squad waved red flag and shouted
stop" The rhythmic bending Of the backs Of
the paddlers ceased the paddles were laid across
the gunwales and the canoe lost Roadway. Sud
denly fountain Of small stones and earth shot
UP into the air with roar. a number Of stones,
describing graceful parabolas. shattered the re-
Elections In the water into a million fragments
"AI right" shouted the Of Italy bearing the
red flag and the canoeists moved on.
The plain on the left between the canal and
the singing river and stretching along for
quarter Of a mile, busy scene Plumes
Of steam. accompanied by pound, pound, ind-
Gated the locations Of steam drills. Teams and
groups Of agile Italians were scattered about On
the level The paddlers discovered that the
thousand-to barge canal, for the construction
Of which the voters Of the state had authorized
| the expenditure Of 100000 900, was already
der way
Up 20 December 81 1906. contracts for the
| construction Of 2l0 miles Of the $50 TO be i'm
| proved had been prepared the estimated cost u
which will be s34.814,396. Under these contracts
| alone the excavation win amount 10 54,0000O0
| cubic yards more than half as much as that
| which II is estimated will have to be done at
, Panama for the high level canal When the
canal IS done II will be possible 10 move through
| it barges drawing ten feet Of water, 800 feet
! long and IS feet wide. and capable OF carrying
| cargoes ranging from 1000 10 1000 tons. The
barges using the present canal are 98 feet long,
! 171a feet wide draw six feet Of water, and COM
| ing down from Buffalo 20 New York VIII carry
| 240 tons of cargo. The maximum amount Of
cargo which the old canal has carried In one
year was 460S. 651 tons. This in 1880. The
! average at the present time is about l, 900 900
| tons less. 1t is estimated that not less than
| 100000 tons be carried in the canal sea-
! son the enlarged canal with its barges moved
| by steam some other motive power The ola
| boats average about round trip a month be-
/ tween New York and Buffalo, or seven trips a
season the rate of speed the canal not aver
aging more than two miles hour. II was
| estimated by the State Committee on Canals
! when IT reported the proposition Of improv.
! ing the canals of the state that il 81 cents
/ a ton TO bring freight by canal 10 New York
| from Buffalo 1t was estimated then that it
cost the railroads at least 81 IS a ton 10 carry
| freight between New York and Buffalo. 1t has
/ been figured out by an expert engineer fully ia
miliar with canal conditions that the new
/ canal a steam barge $50 feet long, 20 feet
| inches wide drawing 10 feet of water and
( equipped with $50 horsepower engine costing
/ S36 900 and towing a steel barge OF the same
! dimensions, costing $4,000. could make three
! round trips q month between Buffalo and New
| York and carry freight between the two points
at of 1925 cents ton. In the recent trial
/ of the New York Central Sugar Trust rebate
! case the testimony included letter which con-
tanned the statement that II was essential TO cut
the rate the sugar going to Detroit from 20
! cents q hundred pounds 70 is cents in order to
! keep the freight off the canal This was at the
| rate of SO 60 a ton 10 Detroit point only two
| hundred miles beyond the terminal of the canal
! at Buffalo. These facts show why commerce
! Is likely 10 flow toward New York in much
larger volume than at present when the new
canal IS completed.
| Where is this commerce to be handled? AL
/ ready the waterfront of Manhattan. has been
shown by The Tribune. is congested. At present
1 the only piers set apart for canal barges
Piers 8 and 9. Coenties Slip, at the foot Of Broad