PHO.TKCTKI) NEW I?.\H(;K CANAL OK S'l'A'I'K OK NKW VoUK. 758 



tion, and discussion. All soi'ls oi" (liiiiijs were |)|-()|)(is(m|. Many 

 ])r()iniii(Mit people wanted a shi[) canal connecting the (Jreat Lakes 

 with the sea, and several routes were sui-veved, and estimates of cost 

 of various sized canals made. Many wanted the Sl).()()(),()(){) project 

 completed, either MS oi-iiiinally proposed or with ino.idical ions. Some 

 wanted to turn the State canals over to the (lenei-al (iovcrnmcnl. and 

 depend on it tor maintenance and improvement. Some wanted to 

 abandon the canals altogethei-, and som<' to utilize the canal i-ii>ht of 

 way for State railroads. 



Ill 185)7 the writer of this pa[)er. in a report to the (leneral (lovern- 

 ment, proposed, as the best solution of the ])r()blem, that the canals 

 should be enlarj^ed to enable them to be used by barges carrying 1,000 

 to 1,500 tons. Governor (now President) Hoosevelt ap])ointe(l a 

 board of prominent New ^'oi'k business men soon after this to advise 

 the State what to do with its canals, and this board, after more than 

 a year of investigation, and the careful consideration of everything 

 that could be propo.sed, re})orte(l in favor of enlarging the Erie Canal 

 to a capacity for barges of 1,000 tons, and a lesser improvement for 

 the Oswego and Champlain canals. The legislature caused sui-veys, 

 plans, and estimates for the work to l)e made. All the canal people 

 of the State linally came in under the i)anner of the 1,000-ton barge 

 canal, and through theii- united eii'oi-ts the legislature at last passed 

 a bill for the eidargement of the Ei'ie, Oswego, and Champlain 

 canals, to enable them to be used bv l.OOO-ton barges, with all the 

 locks of sufficient size to take two boats, coupled tandem, at one 

 lockage. 



The estimated cost of the woi-k projiosed was $I01.00().()()0. At the 

 fall election of 1002 this proposition was submitted to the peoi)le of 

 the State, who approved it by a majority of about 'ino.OOO votes. 



New York is thus connnitted to and has entered upon this tre- 

 mendous woi-k of canal imi)rovement — by fai- tlie greatest work ever 

 undertaken by any State. 



This projected work is in the very front rank of canal i)ropositions. 

 It is overshadowed in the i)ul)lic mind by the Panama Canal, on 

 account of the international character and the inteivsting complica- 

 tions that have attended the inauguration of that work by the United 

 States. In connnercial imi)ortance the Erie is in many ways the 

 equal of the Panama Canal. On the Panama it is hoped to some 

 time reach a tonnage of 10,000,000; on the Erie all works, structures, 

 water supply, etc., are i)redicated on a tonnage of 10.000.000. and pro- 

 visions are made for accommodating, at slight additional expense, a 

 tonnage greatly in excess of this. On the upper Great Lakes there 

 is a w'ate'r-borne connnerce of very nearly 1)0.000,000 tons i)er year. 

 The Erie Canal will furnish the cheapest route for connecting this 

 SM 1904 i8 



