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An Aviclyam of the ‘EaAuente Barge Canal on Traffic—Many Rates Affected INTERESTING comparison of A rail and barge canal freight rates in New York state, is drawn in a recent issue of the Barge Canal Bulletin. The annual saving through the use of the canal is esti- mated at from $7,500,000 to $15,000,000. The differences in railand water rates in New York state are shown in Fig. 2. In computing the water costs, ample allowance was made for loading and un- loading. A rate was assumed which is from four to eight times as large as ex- perts estimate the actual cost of water transportation will be under proper management. Cities in all sections of cluding New York and, some of the states of the middle west; also that a second increase is now being asked by the railroads which would mean another $15,000,000 for the same territory. A large proportion of the state’s popula- tion lives within a short distance from this waterway system, while a large per- centage of its area is within easy reach- ing distance, either directly or by a combination of barge and motor truck. Of the state’s population, 7314, 77, 82 and 87 per cent lives within..2, 5,:10 _ pared with 21 in the old canal. and 20 miles, respectively, of the internal waterways, while 46 per cent. of of New York water route by the lakes and barges canal is considered. The eastern end of the canal will be opened at the beginning of the 1916 season. This portion is several miles long, leaving the Hudson river at Waterford and passing through a land line to the Mohawk river above Cohoes Falls. It then traverses the canalized river, first in the pool formed by the Crescent dam, and then in the pool of the Vischer’s ferry dam. - This section contains six locks com- These old locks: include what are known to all the state’s total area lies within 20 canalers as the “sixteens,” a series of . AREA, ........1,250,000 SQ. MI. BELT POPULATION, .... 30,000,000 hong eS | fale intl ane) Oe Tea ROUTE :---100 M.---| SEZ- Wier gy ar A MAP. OF. “Sxowing f ‘Probable Dy) I, Per Ton.’ ioe ed and Destination ‘ 0: < | sma zxtoar rene S \ 2 capes \)\\\, [Lakes and Barge Canal (Alt'Water) \\) \ |Reute, Shortest and Cheapest between’ \\\\\| Middle West and Liverpool * New YorRK STATE . Freight Rates from NewYork City’ ‘1 ° “to Various Cities throughout the State. Average Rates byRail, ff ‘aes Hates by Barge Canal, ae \ ee Fhe game Canal andrail- C&R * Canal and motor truck-C&M ° ToTAL SAvING (Assuminy of only 75 cents per ton On seasonal erattlenst inpos000 rh =f ay On seasonal traffic of 20000000 tons (maximum canal capacity)= ae pia : PuarTseu R al eke 4 me Synacuse Rad 203 = 66 #3000000, per year FIG. 1—EFFECT OF BARGE CANAL ON GRAIN EXPORT TRADE the state have been chosen, so as to make the chart fairly representative. For such localities as do not lie on the line of the canal, a combination of canal and trail or canal and motor truck: is - considered. The barge canal law stipulates that a sufficient water-supply shall be furnished for a seasonal traffic of at least 10,000,- 000 tons. It is estimated that the supply is ample for a maximum traffic of from 18,000,000 to 20,000,000 tons. With a very conservative assumption of: an average saving of 75 cents per ton, the chart shows that the total annual saving will be between $7,500,000 and $15,000,- 000. It is highly interesting in this con- nection to notice that a recent grant of increased freight rates to the railroads by the interstate commerce commission results in a total increase of $15,000,000 annually for the freight carried in the territory affected by the barge canal, in- FIG. miles of the waterways and 71 and 88 per cent of the area are within 50 and 70 miles, respectively. These latter are the respective distances which motor trucks of 31% and 2 tons capacity can cover in a day’s run, going and return- ing. With improved highways, the capacities of these trucks can be in- creased to 5 and 3 tons, respectively. The effect of the canal on grain export trade is shown in Fig. 1. The Great Lakes and the barge canal are shown to form an all-water route which is the shortest and cheapest between the great grain belt of the United States and Canada and the European markets. From the illustration, it will be noted that a shipment starting from the head of Lake Superior and going by way of the Mississippi river, for 2,000 miles, is still 4,500 miles from Liverpool, no nearer its destination than at the be- ginning, when the possible 4,500-mile 462 2—COMPARATIVE RAIL AND WATER RATES FROM NEW YORK CITY locks lying ,in close proximity, within a stretch of about three miles, in or near Cohoes. The size and manner of operation of the locks, however, are radically different. The old lock and its lock-tender, with back against balance beam laboriously pushing his way along a cleated path, may be more picturesque, but they are indicative of the age of small things and a period when time was not an important factor and not of the modern days of big business, speed and efficiency. The new locks will be operated by. electric power, energy being generated from the head obtained between the levels. It will be possible to operate the locks by manual power, but the gates and valves are so large and heavy that such means will consume too much time and will be resorted to only in case of emergency. The Waterford locks secure power from Crescent dam.