752 PROJECTED NEW BARGE CANAL OF STATE OF NEW YORK. 



Some of the early New York canals have been almndoned. Those 

 which are left and kept in a navigable condition are : the Erie Canal, 

 connecting the upper chain of Great Lakes above Niagara Falls with 

 the Hudson River, and thence Avith the seaboard; the Oswego Canal, 

 which connects Lake Ontario with the Erie Canal, and the Chanl- 

 plain Canal, which connects Lake Chanijjlain with the navigable 

 water of the Hudson. The Erie Canal, which is the principal mem- 

 ber of this canal trinity, is 350 miles long, and at present has 72 

 locks. It Avas originally built with a depth of 4 feet, with locks 90 

 by 15 feet, being of a size to accommodate boats of but SO tons capac- 

 ity, and was completed in 1825. Tolls on the canal were high at first, 

 but were gradually reduced, and for many years have been abolished 

 altogether. 



It is a noteworthy fact that before they were finally abolished the 

 tolls had more than paid for the canals of the State and their enlarge- 

 ment. 



The small 80-ton canal was soon found inadequate, and it was 

 enlarged to its present capacity— that is, for boats carrying 240 tons 

 of freight. This work of enlargement was started in 1835, but was 

 not completed until 1862. 



Wlien the canal was built, and when it was enlarged, the only 

 known or successfully developed method of canal-boat j^ropulsion 

 was by animal towing, and a tow path was provided all along the 

 canals. The necessity for this tow path was one of the principal 

 factors which caused the canal to be kept out of water courses and 

 built in the upper portions of the valleys. The development of steam 

 canal-boat propulsion has changed the problem, and the great canal 

 that New York is to build will now be located, wherever possible, 

 in streams and lakes, and it will have no towpath. This will reduce 

 the cost of maintenance enormously, for the cost of keeping the 

 towpath in order is the heaviest item of expense of the present, canal. 



The New York canals were no sooner enlarged to their present size 

 than agitation for their further improvement commenced. This 

 culminated, about ten years ago, in the adoption of a project for deep- 

 ening the canals so that they would accommodate boats of 8 feet draft 

 instead of 6 feet, and for lengthening the locks so that they Avould 

 take two boats of the same length and width as at present, coupled 

 tandem, at one lockage. The State made an appropriation of $9,000,- 

 000 to carry this project into effect. It was soon found, however, that 

 the amount named was grossly inadequate, and that to complete the 

 project would cost Iavo to three times the sum which had been voted. 

 The work was also badly managed, and the people of the State were 

 indignant at the deception which had been practiced on them regard- 

 ing the estimates and the scandals attending the work, and the project 

 was abandoned. Then came another period of agitation, investiga- 



