The sun., 1917-09-30
WITT CLINTONS CANAL PROPHECY NEAR REALIZATION
Marvel Of Eng1.
neering Begun a
Century Ago Taps
Middle West as
Well asNew York
MANY Boats
Needed

! NOOOOO
, economic importance and reaches
right into the pocketbooks Of all. both
here in the State and throughout a
wide part Of the Union.
1t Is certain that the needs Of the
Government alone are going to absorb
100000 freight cars. and In doing go
to withdraw them from their accus.
toned general service. Plainly. then,
the Barge Canal can 60 q long way to-
ward offsetting this disturba nee Of
railroad transportation and furnish
possibly q cheaper means OF moving
the bulk commodities. But to lend
this aid effectively It IL necessary that
there shall be boats In plenty. Upon
this point Frank M. Williams. the
State Engineer. gives the following
message to the public through The
SUN:
Shall Nation Build BargesS
"shail this magnificent waterway be
made within the first few years of its
existence to Justify the millions ex-
pended on its construction or shall 1t
be allowed to lie dormant? This Is the
problem now confronting tho people
Of this great State, and It Is some
thing to which more than passing no.
tice should be given by the country at
large.
Preparedness has been our watch
word; it, meaning ana sisnificancs
have besn instilled into the heart Of
every true American. New York State
has contributed the canal. and who can
say but that within tho near future
the development Of It's carrying ca
pacity to the fullest extent will be
more than desirable, will be . neces-
sity, in short? A railroad without
rolling stock Is useless; q canal with
out boats Is q disgrace, as its con-
struction has utilized hundreds Of
acre of land which was susceptible Of
; cultivation.
when the building Of tho Barge
, Canal was authorized in 1908 Il was
. considered that private capital would
, SEQ to It that q sufficient number Of
boats would be constructed. On the
: eve Of its completion we find the COM
mercial and industrial aspect OF the
| country in a state entirely different
from that existing In 1908.
, "To- day we are bending every effort
) to prepare for the struggle before us.
. Our mills and our factories are en-
: gagged in filling war orders which take
precedence over all others. The diff
I Guilty experienced in obtaining deliv-
:, cry Of building materials Of any ma
e ture and the high cost and scarcity Of
g labor do not lure capital. which other
= wise might be attracted to the con-
;, struction and the placing Of fleets Of
= boats on the canal.
O "The United States Government. az
o a war measure should construct
7 barges and place them in service on
the New York State canals.
Germany without the aid Of her
z wonderful canal system would never
4 have been able to transport her troops
;, from ono front to the other with such
, speed and in such large numbers. The
II railroads were practically released for
= this special work: the canals took care
. Of the industrial traffic and the dis
;, trbution of foodstuffs. The canals Of
i France and Of Belgium have also
played an important part and justified
their existence.
"The possibilities OF the New York
!, state Barge Canal are enormous: it
a taps the wheat field of the middle
West. the product OF which must
= reach the seaboard and be transported
:. to our fighting armies on the other
), side Of tho Atlantic. The carrying
y capacity of the railroads is now over
:, taxed What the future has in store
;. for them We do not know. Is it not
. the logical, feasible and economic solu
~ ton of the problem to use the Barge
= Canal in transporting these millions OF
= bushels of wheat?
l. Canal tonnage is slowly hut surely
" being diverted to Canada. The port OF
v, Montreal is being equipped with elc-
e vators to handle the shipments eff
l., ciently The old Erie Canal contrib
uted handsomely in making New York
city the greatest seaport of this con
:" tnent. We must not permit this In
20 creased tonnage, which the new cana
e can take care of. to be diverted from
% our own port.
Il The National Shipping Board i
II constructing and has leased ocean
II going vessels. Is there any good rea
10 son why the Government should no
I'd see To il that barges arc placed in thu
le canal to assist in moving tic vas
ID amount Of wheat which must find IL
~ way to the coast. and then to go ;
$. step further and to construct an Gle
ID yator on one of the Barge Canal ter
I'd minals in Greater New York whcr'
At oceangoins craft, built by the Fed
rs cral authorities. could take in th'
lie grain transported through the inan'
g. waterway connecting the great lake
is with tidcwater via the Hudson?
N New York state now offers thi
A route, which she has built withou
90 stint as her contribution to furthe
Of tho cause OF humanity and to max
OF the world safe for democracy.