History of Steam on the Erie Canal Part 4

The Governor's Message of 1873 renews the scheme which was prominently before the Legislature a few years since, which was to lengthen one tier of locks by gates of different construction, and so as to receive longer boats of present width; yet a single thought will show that _this will not help steam_; for the insatiable desire for maximum cargo will put the _Bull Head_ boat into the long locks, just as it has into the present locks, and sharp steamers cannot compete with it.

It is proper to observe that such lengthening of _one tier_ will first: coerce present boatman to sacrifice their property, which with boats and equipments, exceeds a valuation of twenty million dollars, or else cut the boats into two parts, and lengthen them (and strengthen their sides and "back-bones") to the full capabilities of the lengthened locks; for the short boats cannot compete with the long ones.

Then, when the ma.s.s are altered, they will coerce the State to alter the second tier, because it becomes worthless and inoperative, and because the one tier becomes incapable of pa.s.sing so great a mult.i.tude of boats, and it would otherwise greatly reduce the carrying capacity of the ca.n.a.ls.

The State is sure to complete the removal of the "benches" on the remaining part of the "Eastern Division" as they are already removed from a part, and from the Middle and Western Division; and then we can find no fault with the ca.n.a.l. _But this will not help steam_ vs. _horses_. All improvements help horses equally with steam, and there is the ever-pending difference of cargo.

The same authority discusses the advantages to follow, "if the time can be shortened from Buffalo to New York from (14) fourteen to (5) five days,"

&c. If a hundred thousand dollars reward _for expedition_, pending during two seasons of navigation, has proved insufficient to reduce the _average_ of the three shortest trips, with 200 tons cargo, below seven days total or actual time from Buffalo to West Troy, the five days to New York, with the present knowledge of steam machinery, becomes an impossibility. But newspapers have preceded the message with the false supposition and the same error.

The extraordinary measures initiated by the N. Y. Central R. R., by their forty million dollars issue of bonds for the construction of _a double track exclusively for freight_, shows the growing importance of this already immense business, and whilst automaton steamers, _under the known mechanism of the age_, will inevitably lessen the carrying capacity of the ca.n.a.l, by filling its locks--which alone control the maximum carrying capacity--eleven times with light cargoes in place of nine times with full freights; _the mechanical elevation_ and subst.i.tution of steam, as shown by the Ca.n.a.l NECESSITIES herein set forth, possesses still more extraordinary importance.

Every consideration enforces the NECESSITIES, set forth in this appeal, OF MECHANICAL IMPROVEMENT, LOCAL AUXILIARY POWER, AND CONCENTRATED MANAGEMENT.