Evening star., 1909-03-04
THE NEW ERIE CANAL
Wonderful Waterway Nearly
as important as Panama.
IT WILL COST $1O1, 900
Col. Thomas w. Symons, Army En-.
gineer, Suggested Plan.
FOLLOWS COURSE OF RIVERS
Power Craft Will Tow Barges
Through-Fewer Locks-Capac-
ity Is Tremendously Enlarged.
FOLLOWS COURSE OF RIVERS
RI WILLIAM T.. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
Few people realize that an enterprise
second only to the Panama canal is now
being carried on by the state of New
York.
y new canal is being constructed from
the Hudson river to Lake Erie. parallel
with the old one, that will admit boats
no feet long. 40 feet beam. 10 feet draft
and capable of carrying a cargo of 800
tons. The magnitude of the enlarge
Inent will be realized by comparison
with the capacity of the present canal.
which accommodates barges 7s feet long.
1II5 feet beam and 6 feet draft and
carrying 240 tons.
The original Erie canal, opened to
traffic in 1s25. permitted boats of 80 tons
capacity, 81 feet long. Z feet beam and
-. feet draft. They were capable of
carrying 1000 bushels of wheat
In 1850 the canal was enlarged to ac-
cOmmodate boats of - tons. ~ feet
long, l. feet beam and 312 feet draft
They could carry 100 bushels of wheat.
Another enlargement took place short
~ after 1850 10 accommodate boats of
100 tons, 80 feet long, II feet beam and
"12 feet draft capable of carrying 1888
bushels of wheat.
III 1SbS lnefe was St1ll greater en-
largement so as to admit of boat Of 24O
tons, carrying 5000 bushels of wheat.
That is the maximum capacity at pres
cnt.
The new canal will be exclusively for
steam vessels with a maximum capacity
of nearly 10000 bushels of wheat
Col. Thomas w. Symons of the United
States Engineer Corps is called ''the father
OF the new canal because he suggested
IL When he was engaged on harbor work
for the United States at Buffalo he pre-
pared for the chief of engineers an elab-
orate, report upon the general traffic be-
tween the lakes and seaboard.
This report attracted much attention
and discussion. Finally Theodore Roose-
Welt, who was Governor of New York at
that time, appointed commission To
investigate the subject
Its report was favorable and a survey
was made of the route suggested by Col
Symons. At the following election the
people of the state voted for an issue of
bonds to pay $101 ,0OO.OcO for the work.
First Erie Canal.
The first suggestion of an artificial
waterway between Lake Erie and the
Hudson river was made by Gov Sir Henry
Moore December Is. 176S. No action was
taken by the general assembly until 1892
when private company was Incorporated
to open navigation from the Hudson to
Lake Ontario.
Work was begun at Little Falls in 1793
and in 1897 seven miles of canal were
completed In 1911 a commission of nine
persons was appointed to study the sub
Ject. which reported a plan for canal
from Lake Erie to the Hudson, 80 miles
long. at an estimated cost of s.. 900 OOU.
The following year the commissioners
were authorized to borrow that sum of
money Ground was broken at Rome July
4. ISL the middle section from Utica to
the Seneca river was opened for naviga-
tion in 1870 the canal was completed in
1875. and opening ceremonies were cele-
brated October 26. 1925. when the first
boat passed from the Hudson river
through TO Lake Erie
The canal was 363 miles long and its
original cost, was S7,602. 600. 1t has been
enlarged from time TO time, as stated
above.
The main channel of the new canal
from Troy TO Buffalo will be 353 miles
long. There will be branches from Water
ford. near Troy. to Lake Champain 81
niles long; from Three Rivers. near SYRIA
cuse 10 Oswego, ~ miles: from Syracuse
To Lake Onondaga, miles. and from
Rochester TO Lake Ontario, 3 miles, maxi
ing total of AL miles.