The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1918-04-04
Modernizing the Canal Boat

| Director General McAdoo promises to
give attention to the intenser use of the riv-
ers and canals of the country as soon as the
pending railroad bill passes.
Every navigable body of water paralleling
railroad is potential extra track track
that is in small danger of becoming too
congested for additional utilization. Con-
gress in the Panama Canal act by an indie
feasible provision forbade railroads to make
use of the paralleling water routes. Prob
ably the Government, now that it is itself
the operating agency of the railroads, will
not continue the policy of Encouragement
of water-borne commerce. Whether this
matter is to be within the Jurisdiction OF the
Shipping Board or of the Director-General
of Railroads, it ought to have immediate
attention. Water routes may still be ope-
rated by private companies and individuals,
although in late years congressional legis-
lation, largely demanded by the Seamen' S
Union, has greatly handicapped private en-
terprise, and recently the Government sez-
ed most of the coastwise ships without the
definite promise of pay that the railroad
companies Immediately received when their
property was taken over.
Probably the most important initial step
for the Government in the matter of using
the water routes would be to build boats for
the New York State particularly
for the improved Erie canal. In present
circumstances liability of the commander
ing of the materials for the boats or the
completed raft-private enterprise can
hardly be expected to provide many boats
for the new canal, The Government S
policy with the railroads might also affect
the prospects of the canal barge lines, al
though the independent boat lines on the
Great Lakes, which are ideal in economic
efficiency, appear to be at liberty to exchange
traffic with the canal barges.
The Shipping Board has been appealed
to by the State authorities and commercial
bodies of New York to provide an Erie
canal fleet. There are no signs of success,
although the board has authorized construc-
ton of feet for the Mississippi rivera
new illustration of the success which attends
the Mississippi Valley interests in their
dealings with the Federal Government
The improved Erie canal will open in the
spring-a complete waterway from Lake
Erie, near Buffalo, to the Hudson river near
| Albany. 1t has channel twelve feet deep
and lock chambers three hundred by forty
five feet. The maximum dimensions of a
boat which might navigate this waterway,
taking channel, lock and bridge conditions
| into consideration, as well as the present
depth of the Hudson river channel, would
be three hundred feet in length, forty-two
feet in width, nine and half feet in draught
and fifteen feet in height above the water
line. Such boat would carry about
twenty-eight h.indred tons of cargo, the
canal authorities estimate. 1t is believed,
however, that somewhat smaller crafts would
be more conveniently handled, and it is
suggested that fleet consisting of steam
barge and four consorts, of about five or
six hundred tons cargo capacity each, could
be operated together and passed through a
lock at one time.
The improved canal route is $50 miles in
length between the Federal lock at Troy
and the basin provided by the State at Buff
falo; the route which includes the Hudson
river, from Pier S, East river, New York,
1t must be understood that the horse-drawn
canal boat is no mole; the new water way
is for steam or motor vessels. The tonnage
capacity of the new water way is estimated
by the State officials as ten million tons an
nually. Probably no order that could be
filled this year for locomotives and cars
would carry as great tonnage as could the
boats that might be ready for the Erie ca
] nal before summer.-Er.