History of Canal and River Navigations. 195 



The railway-controlled navigations and canals, as we have 

 seen {vide map), are, many of them, in most favourable 

 situations for securing traffic. Nevertheless, out of the total 

 tonnage of 34,121,230 tons returned in 1888, the railway- 

 controlled canals are credited with only 6,609,304 tons, i.e., 

 less than \. This makes it very clear that they are not 

 carrying the tonnage which their position should secure for 

 them, and proves the necessity for a far-reaching change. 



There are four ship canals, including the Manchester 

 Ship Canal, which will be 35 */£ miles long and 26 ft. deep : 

 the three others are 18 ft. deep or less. When the canal 

 to Manchester is finished the total length of ship canals will 

 aggregate 58^ miles. The remainder of the waterways 

 navigable by craft drawing 6ft. 6in., and in some cases 

 9ft. 6in., are eleven in number, and have a total length of 

 about 230 miles. 



These are all rivers canalised for the purpose of naviga- 

 gation. The more important ones are the Weaver, the Aire 

 and Calder, and the Severn ; all of which are independent. 

 The Weaver and Severn navigations are in the hands of 

 Public Trusts. The Aire and Calder is a trading company. 

 The improved sections of these three waterways extend for 

 an aggregate length of 107 miles, and their united traffic 

 amounted in 1888 to upwards of 4,000,000 tons, averaging 

 upwards of 36,000 tons a mile. The tonnage carried was 

 therefore between \ and \ of the total carried by all the rest 

 of the inland navigations, and approximately § of the total 

 tonnage carried by the railway-controlled waterways. The 

 latter are given in the return as 1,024 miles long. Therefore, 

 on nine and one-half times the length of waterway, they 

 carry only 65% more traffic. 



The barge canals, which accommodate craft 70 ft. long 

 and 14ft. beam, carrying 40 to 50 tons, are in the aggre- 

 gate 2,040 miles in length ; and the narrow canals, whose 

 locks provide for boats of about the same length, with 7ft. 



