818 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



adopted a boat 25 feet wide, 150 feet long and drawing 10 feet 

 of water. 



The 21-foot channel proposed by the Board of Engineers on 

 Deep Waterways would have a bottom width of 215 feet and a 

 sectional area of 5497 square feet. The section proposed for a 

 30-foot canal would have a bottom width of 203 feet and a sec- 

 tional area of 7990 square feet. The foregoing widths are for 

 channels in earth cutting— in rock sections, widths are somewhat 

 different. The Board of Engineers proposed for a 21-foot canal 

 a boat 52 feet wide, 480 feet long, with 19 feet draft and a net 

 carrying capacity of 8600 tons. 



We see, therefore, that from 1825 to 1904 — seventy-nine years — 

 the capacity of boats has increased from 30 tons to a proposed 



Fig. 73 Earth section of Montreal, Ottawa and Georgian Bay canal. 



capacity of over 8000 tons. This fact is cited as showing that 

 inasmuch as there is actually still in use a boat carrying 240 

 tons, canal development is not yet commensurate with the devel- 

 opments of commerce. 



Chapter lift of the laws of 1903. Chapter 147 of the laws of 

 1903, an act making provision for issuing bonds to the amount 

 of $101,000,000 for the improvement of Erie canal, Oswego canal 

 and Champlain canal, and providing for submitting the same 

 to the approval of the people, became a law April 7, 1903, with 

 the approval of the Governor. This act was voted upon at the 

 general election held November 3, 1903, and was approved by a 

 majority of over 245,000. New York county gave 253,000 for and 

 29,000 against; Kings county gave G2,000 for and 21,000 against; 

 Erie county, 39,000 for and 8000 against. The balance of the 

 State, with few exceptions, was against. It appears, therefore, 



