The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1912-07-23
Mr., WOODRUFF AND
THE MORRIS CANAL
Discusses Its Possibilities A.
ter E|ectrificatiOn.

The mart of the Morris canal prop-
lam that deserves first consideration
Is the question whether the canal,
mt in as good condition as Wnen
leased in 1871, and electrified from III
own flow. if using only boats suited
to its present capacity would pay.
IF It paid. the further question would
arise whether 1t would not pay 10
In considering the first question,
the important factor of cost of re-
habilitation and electrification CANNOT
be satisfactorily determined until an
engineering expert has been employed
bv the investigation committee TO
calculate it; but at the public hear
ings the committee intends to hold,
much information should be Obtained
about the probable volume of future
through and local traffic OF a re-
habilitated canal.
Even now 1t is known that notwltn-
standing the disgraceful condition OF
the neglected canal it pays to carry
coal in such boats. This, too, al
though the coal has to come from the
mines by rail as far asPhillipsburg
and then the Lehigh company actually
charges it higher rates per mile by
the canal than it does by its road
The boats thus carrying it, which the
commission met on its trip, would not
have been carrying it had 1t not been
profitable to do so. An establishment
at Rockaway is known to the writer
to have long found such carriage OF
its coal by the canal considerable
saving.
With the canal in order and no
longer Disseminated against, as Mr.
Fitzgerald pointed out at the legls-
latiye hearing of March 9Th, Paterson
and the cities and towns further on
would get their supplies by the canal
from-Phillipsburg route, instead OF as
now by rail to Newark and back by
canal-boat; because, as shown Dy
Rockaway, it would be the more eco
nomjcal way. The coal would also
come more promptly, the railways
having more than they can carry
without delay. Further, it is under
stood that as soon as the Morris
canal is again in order those across
the Delaware are quite ready to re-
store the connection between the two
canals. From the other end of the
canal. also, coked soft coal and build
ing materials as we'll may be ex-
pected. :.
Now all this traffic would exist II
the canal is only made as good as II
was add e'ectfification, and the
VIC, round md TRIP, Phillip$burg to Jersey City
and hack. instead of taking about ten
davs of twelve hours each, as at pres
ont would require, the canal being
lighted at night, only about three
davs of twenty-four hours each, act
ual travelling time. No one who knows
the country along the canal, so graph
ically described in your morris Can
al Problems" of July 18th, should
doubt that it's farms, thus supplied
with cheap and fairly rapid transporta
ton of their produce to the cities,
would themselves be, so to speak,
electrified; nearer to these cities
market gardens would spring up so
abundantly that prices would be les
sened for the consumers, while still
leaving profits for the producers;
factories would be established; mines
now stranded could again be worked.
A wide belt one hundred miles long,
in many parts now starved for lack
of cheap transportation to crafty
railroad company's greed, would be
transformed into a region of prosper
GUS plenty.
Last, but not altogether least, the
scheme you ask to make the park
way proposal practical would be found
Keeping the canal in order for navl-
cation would keep it in order also for
the peoples parkway, and the expense
would be provided for from profitable
trade; but moderate tolls from pas
senger packets, houseboats and othJr
pleasure craft would add appreciable
help. The panoramic beauty" of
which you may we'll write enthusias-
tically. with the added facilities of
electricity, would make the Morris
canal one of the fayorite resorts of
the United States, with Lake Hopat-
cong the supreme attraction.
But the question is: Would the in
terest on the cost of rehabilitation
and electrification leave net profit
from the traffic? To decide this the
estimate of a disinterested engineer
ing expert is manifestly imperatiYely
required.
FRANCIS E. WOODRUFF.
Morristown, N. j., July 10Th, 1872.
From the Evening News"