Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-11-20

cars. The tracing of one car showed
that it was twenty-three days in
transit and the least time taken by
any car followed was eight days
Taking the six cars as whole, the
average time consumed by a car in
making the trip from Buffalo to
New York was eleven days. Argu-
ments, therefore, against water
transportation on the ground of slow
delivery are treated with impati-
cnce.
A Large Project
Making the Susquehanna river
navigable is a large subject. 1t must
be handled in IA large way by men of
vision. If you make up your minds
to canaliZe the Susquehanna river,
you will do it. The people of Penn
sylvania this month voted for good
roads $50.000,000. The people
know the necessity for good high
ways. Motor vehicles have created
the necessity for good roads, freight
transportation by motor vehicles is
here. Their tonnage is limited by
bridges. road grades and the quality
of roads. Five tons is the usual
maximum limit with an occasional
ten-ton truck, in the larger cities for
special purposes. To get the best
results. good roads are absolutely
necessary. At present motor truck
transportation is very costly. On the
Susquehanna river you will be able to
float $500 IONS on one boat, at an
expense nf less than one-half cent
per ton-mile.
This great enterprise must be
entrusted TO friends only. Great
care must be exercised. The will of
the people of Pennsylvania must be
supreme. Nothing must prevent the
accomplishment of this great and
necessary work.
Harrisburg the capital of our
great and glorious state, must lead
the way!"
The history of the canals was all
too short. The railroads which soon
paralleled them became their rivals
and soon succeeded in acquiring
them and by neglect of proper main
tenance suffered them to fall into de-
cay.
Recent efforts to improve water
transportation have been confined to
the Ohio and its two principal tribu-
taries, the Allegheny being improved
for distance of twenty-four miles
above it's mouth, the Monongahela
for 143 miles. The best evidence of
the success of this work carried on
by the federal government is the
enormous tonnage which has al
ready been developed.
Mr.. Zcntmycr Speaks
K. A. Zentmyer, chairman of the
Water Sunpply Commission of Penn
sylvania, spoke in part as follows:
PENNSYLVANIA has never been lack
ing in originality or initiative, al
though ii has frequently failed TO
find historian to record the deeds
done or even an author of school
text books to commemorate the
things with which it has been iden-
titled and has brought to compile
ton.
The Keystone State has always
been interested in navigation. Seven
teen years before Fulton drove his
Fitch, of Philadelphia Gn 1889, de-
signed and constructed steamboat
with which he did a passenger busi-
ness between Philadelphia and Bur-
lington, New Jersey, a distance of
twenty miles: making the trip in two
hours; and in 1904 (three years be-
fore Fulton's time), Oliver Evans.
also of Philadelphia, long before
the time of hydroplanes. construct
ed an amphibious vessel, mounted on
wheels, propelled it. by steam
through the streets of Philadelphia
to the Schuylkill. changed the wheels
for propellers and moved 1t down the
city.
1T was in Pennsylvania, in the
year 1926, THAT the first iron steam