The sun., 1917-09-30
State s Barge Va
terway to Be Util-
lied in Full Next
Year, R elieving
Freight Conges-
ton and Aiding
War Work
~ HE State Of New York 10 now

1E 6tato OI NOW xOrk - now
Fastening to completion one
L Of the greatest Of engineering
achievements. the State Barge Canal.
To make that waterway possible In It's
present proportions moro than $780,
900, 900 has been spent-nearly half az
much as the nation paid to build and
to equip the Panama Canal.
Something like eight months hence
the canal will be ready in all Of its
features from end to end as an up to
date transportational artery: and at
the same time will be brought to con-
clusion a gigantic task covering q con-
struction period Of substantially NJ
teen years. The canal Is really a COM
bination OF canals, a system Of inland
waterways. and in its entirety en-
braces approximately 450 miles Of
navigable channels.
At the present time the Barge Canal
is finished through to lake Ontario
BY way of Oswego and open to trafiic.
Canalboats of the old 240 ton type
can traverse to-day the Erie Canal
section between Buffalo and the Hud-
son, but there are some parts Of the
Barge Canal, short stretches, which
need dredging in order to make them
Aeep enough Tor tho intended modern
oarges Of 1000 tons capacity. BY next
May these shadows viii Be cleared
away and thereafter travel between
the Hudson River and Buffalo can be
steadily maintained and many millions
Of tons Of freight can be moved east
and west during the open season.
In tho Barge Canal system the peo-
ple Of tho Empire State have created
what has been declared to be "the
most valuable single commercial ia
cility Oh this continent" The men
who have worked for its construction
have not found the going easy. They
have encountered many obstacles.
The climax came when an added
grant Of q few millions was asked to
bring the well advanced project to
completion. Approval was finally won
by only a narrow margin.
CIinton's Big Ditch.
Tho State Barge Canal system may
Be called a larger growth Of "Clintoh's
big ditch" started In 1917. Gov. De
Witt Clinton was q man of vision
and yet his advocacy of the Erie Canal
made him q target for abuse and ridi-
cule. Even so he was undismayed. and
he lived to see his pet waterway I'm
ished in 1928. AS canals go to-day the
cid Erie was certainly not an en-
cheering marvel. It was only about
forty-two feet wide, could boast OF but
four feet Of water. and was capable
Of floating a boat bearing no greater
burden than thirty tons. The tractive
power was furnished by horses and
mules and progress was leisurely In
deed.
Modest as these details seem now
TO Gov. Clinton they promised to NJ
into the needs of the period admirably
and as he viewed the Erie Canal ir
prospect he prophesied that tremen'
dous benefits were to be the outgrowth
o. that navigable highway. How cor
rectly he gauged the influence OF the
canal can be fully realized now ano
his dream is well worth recalling be-
cause the Barge Canal OF 1917. II luii9
utilized. will prove largely to the pres
ent and the next generation just wna
the Erie Canal. and others inspired b!
II, did for those before us. De Wit
Clinton visualized the effects OF MI
ditch" in this fashion:
"As a bond Of union between tn
Atlantic and Western States. 1t may
prevent the dismemberment Of thu
American empire. AS an organ O.
communication between the Hudson
the Mississippi. the st. Lawrence. tn
great lakes Of the north and wes
and their tributary rivers, 1t vii
create the greatest inland trade eve
witnessed.
"The most fertile and extensive re
gions Of America will avail themselve
OF its facilities for a market. Al
their surplus productions. whether o
the SOIL the forest. the mines. or tn
water; their fabrics Of art and thei
supplies OF foreign commodities will
concentrate in the city OF New Yorl
for transportation abroad or consump
ton at home. The city will, in tn
course of time. become the granar.
OF the world, the emporium OF com
merce, tho seat of manufacture. tn
focus OF great moneyed operations an
the concentrating point OF vast. dis
posable and accommodating capitals
which will stimulate enliven. exten
and reward the eXertions Of huma
labor and ingenuity. in all their proc
esses and exhibitions.
And before the revolution Of a cen
fury, the whole island of Manhattan
covered with inhabitants and replen
'shed with dense population. wi
constitute one vast city"
Eject Of Erie Canal.
Tho prophecy was Justified. set
tiers focked westward. forests CAV
way to sawmills and villages rapid
replaced these frontiers Of industr!
Prosperous towns were built upon tn
shores Of the Great Lakes and tn
chain OF cities which has won fc
New York the title Of Empire Stat
sprang up along the line Of the Err
Canal. AS has been recorded:
THE shipping which once went
Philadelphia. the nations biggest ses
port before the Erie Canal. came
New York; the city grew by leaps an
bounds and became the commerct'
centre Of the American Union. 81,
teen years after the opening Of Il
canal the exports of New York wei
valued at three times those Of Mass'
chusetts. the value Of real estate hs
Increased more rapidly than the pop'
'ation, while personal property WI
nearly four times its former value ar
manufacturing three times as gres
There were five times as many peop
Following commercial pursuits In Ne