History of Steam on the Erie Canal Part 2

The _Bemis_, a screw-tug, with three boats, was 5 days and 8 hours, net time, from Buffalo to Schenectady, 321 miles, average 2-1/2 miles per hour.

The _Washington_, do., with 3 boats, was 5 days 2 hours, net time, from Buffalo to Cohoes, 340 miles, average 2-3/4 miles per hour.

The _Dan Brown_, do., with three boats, was 6 days, net time, from Buffalo to Albany, 351 miles, average nearly 2-1/2 miles per hour; and was 7 hours from Buffalo to Lockport, 31 miles, averaging 4-2/3 miles per hour.

YEARS 1871 AND 1872, AS PUBLISHED.

The _Dawson_ and the _Cathcart_ have both made and repeated through trips from Buffalo to Troy, with 5/6 of horse cargoes, in about 7 days, total time.

The _Port Byron_ was 5 days 10-1/2 hours, total time, and 4 days 7 hours, net time, with 117 tons of freight, from Troy to Buffalo, from Oct. 29th to Nov. 4th. _The more important down time_ was not published.

The _Baxter_ was 5 days 14 hours, total time, and 4 days 9 hours, net time, with half freight, from Troy to Buffalo, from Oct. 29th, in the morning, to Nov. 3d; from Sept. 30th to Oct. 5th she was 5 days on her up trip, and early in September was 5 days, also, from Troy to Buffalo.

On her first trip down she left Buffalo Sept. 12th, and arrived at West Troy, the 19th, in 7 days 4 hours, total time, and reached New York the 21st, in 8 days 13 hours, total time, with 200 tons of freight. In some way she reduces her 7 days 4 hours to 4 days 8 hours, net time, to Troy; and her 8 days 13 hours, to New York, to 5 days 17 hours.

Second trip down was from Buffalo to Waterford, when she was longer upon the ca.n.a.l than on her first trip of over 7 days.

Third trip down, left Buffalo Nov. 9th, and arrived at Troy 15th, and New York 17th, or over 6 days to Troy, and 8-1/4 to New York, with 5/6 horse cargo. This ca.n.a.l trip was during the horse epidemic, and the large number of boats laid up made it very favorable for steam.

But the _Baxter's times_ have been developed by a model which would require _one-third of a common boat to be rebuilt_--one-sixth at the bow and one-sixth at the stern--it is, therefore, proper to state, that if we put her machinery and steam capabilities into a common boat--and the seven thousand such boats cannot be dispensed with--it would be _very slow_, as her speed would be reduced by three causes:

1st. Because of an increased velocity of bow displacement at a reduced speed of boat.

2d. Because of an increased velocity of stern replacement, at a reduced speed of boat, against the mechanical or counteracting propelling currents.

3d. Because the percentage of wasted power is increased, and of utilized is diminished, by greater resistance to motion.

The _Wm. Newman_ left New York Oct. 30th, and arrived at Buffalo Nov. 7, in 8 days, with 120 tons of freight.

RELATIONS OF TIME--TWELVE YEARS AGO AND NOW.

The _Wack's_ through time from Buffalo to West Troy, with boat in tow, is the same as the _Baxter's_ average without tow.

The _Ruggles'_ net time, from Buffalo to New York, with boat in tow, is only 21 hours in excess of the _Baxter's_ shortest net time without tow.

The through times of the _Eclipse_ and _Gold Hunter_, from Buffalo to West Troy, without tow, are just equal to the _Baxter's_ first and second trips.

The _Rotary's_ through time up, with half freight, is nearly one day less than the _Byron's_, _Baxter's_ or _Newman's_ shortest through time. Her net time is 17 hours less than the _Baxter's_ shortest net time.

The net time of the tugs, each with three boats in tow, is nearly equal to the _Baxter's_ without tow, from Buffalo to West Troy.

Therefore, by this comparison of times, the one day extra allowed for the greater steam resources of the former era with a boat in tow, is ample; and the policy of that era is plainly more economical for freight than that of the past two years.

WE THEREFORE OBSERVE: That the policy of introducing steam ca.n.a.l-boats as carriers of freight, is ill.u.s.trated in the _Niagara_, _Eclipse_, _Gold Hunter_ and _Rotary_. The policy of carrying and towing one boat, in the _Wack_, _Sternburg_, _Ruggles_, _City of Buffalo_ and _Viele_. The policy of screw-tugs in the _Gov. King_, _Bemis_, _Washington_, _Lafayette_, _Stimers_, _Dan Brown_ and the paddle-wheel tug _Fall Brook_. Under each policy steam was a failure on the ca.n.a.ls under the agencies tried. The single carriers died first; the tugs second; the carriers and one boat third; and last, the carriers with three-boat tows.

In 1861 and 1862, the policy of using the powerful ca.n.a.l steamers, _Ruggles_ and _City of Buffalo_, to carry freight and tow three boats each, was introduced to supersede the former policies. During these years the privilege of priority at locks, by paying double toll on the boats, was suspended, and soon thereafter steam was totally abandoned.

It is noticeable that the steamers for carrying, only, had less vitality, and were less economical, than those for carrying and towing, and those for carrying and towing but one boat had less than those for carrying and also towing three boats.

Hence, the carrying steamers, or the automaton policy of 1871 and 1872, can only compare with the automaton policy of the former era, and they must have less vitality, and be less economical, than those other for carrying and towing one boat, and still less than those for carrying and towing three boats.

STEAM IN 1872 LESS ECONOMICAL THAN HORSES.

It has been clearly shown that STEAM in 1872 is less economical than in 1858 to 1860, and still less so than in 1861 and 1862.

But STEAM, in its former history, failed to compete with HORSES; and as, in its recent history, it has failed to be as economical as in its former, because of less economical policies of introduction (machinery being substantially the same), it follows that its failure to compete with horses must be still more marked, still more disappointing to the hopes entertained by the Legislative Department of the State, that independent financial encouragement could possibly foster and develop steam successfully, than it was in its former most significant failures.

But steam in 1872--independent of its failure as compared to itself in 1858--is shown to be less economical than horses by _direct comparison of steamers and horse-boats_.

As steamers have run under a prospective bounty of one hundred thousand dollars for a success, _they have been first-cla.s.s in all their appointments_, and have been, as in the language of one of their engineers, "rushed through," it is strictly proper to compare them with a well-known duty of _first-cla.s.s horse-boats_, under the ordinary business enterprise of their captains.

Thus, the first-cla.s.s modern horse-boat can carry a cargo of 8,800 bushels, or 244 tons of corn, and make seven round trips between New York and Buffalo per season, averaging a round trip per month for the season of navigation.

The most systematic and business-like trials _that have made speed an element of compet.i.tive economy_, are the _Port Byron_, _Baxter_ and _Newman_.

The short lives of the _Viele_ and the _Fall Brook_ in ca.n.a.l service, render it unnecessary to give details of the _Byron_.

The _Baxter_ left New York late in August or early in September, in new and perfect equipment, in a supposed race for a hundred thousand dollars, and through September, October and to the 19th of November was in the trade, and was in a contest for superiority or supremacy. During this time she delivered at New York two freights, and at Waterford one freight, being the _equivalent_ of three freights of 7,200 bushels each, or a total of 21,600 bushels of corn; with runs _equivalent_ to two and two-thirds round trips.

But she had priority at locks and right of way at all times, so that the horse-boat, at the sound of her steam whistle, when fifty feet behind, must stop and lay over to the tow-path and let her pa.s.s. Under these privileges and benefits she was enabled to make her first time between Buffalo and West Troy, as advertised, in a few hours over (7) seven days; her second, required still longer time; her third, being when the horse-disease had nearly "tied up" all other boats, so that she had a river-like freedom, she required about (6) six days, thus _averaging about_ (7) seven days from the Lakes to the Hudson.

_Give any first-cla.s.s horse-boat captain_ a supposed or possible bounty of a hundred thousand dollars, with priority at locks and right of way, and he would in the same time have delivered three times 8,800, or a total of 26,400 bushels of corn from the Lakes to the _Baxter's_ destinations; or 4,800 bushels of corn in excess of the _Baxter's_ capabilities; and have delivered at Buffalo the same up-freights, with ease.

But the profits of this excess pays a profit over the entire cost of horse-movement, leaving the _Baxter_ in debt for her entire cost of movement, for her entire time, and an excess in addition.

Again, suppose _Baxter's_ were multiplied and _reduced to horse-boat regulations_, then she would have to make eleven trips to deliver at tidewater the freight of nine horse-trips--as 11 7,200 = 9 8,800. This she cannot do in the _same time_, nor can she do it at the _same expense_.

Her necessity for the two extra trips would destroy her economy and practicability, or her compet.i.tive abilities as against horses.

Hence she is obviously and largely deficient in economy as compared to first-cla.s.s horse-boat.

The _Wm. Newman_ run 5,000 miles from May 17th to November 7th, carrying in the aggregate 2,330 tons of freight. Her time is 5-2/3 months; her mileage is five round trips from Buffalo to and from New York, by the ca.n.a.l 1,000 miles round, each; her freightage is (5 210 or) 1,050 tons down and (5 120 or) about 600 tons up, total 1,650 tons This amount carried indicates a towage of two boats down with full freight, and up, through the ca.n.a.l, with half freight; all of which make her aggregate tonnage.

If we allow one and two-thirds months for her towing trip, and leave four months for her four round trips, or a run of 4,000 miles, delivering in New York (4 210 or) 840 tons, and in Buffalo (4 120 or) 480 tons, total 1,320 tons, it may be supposed nearly correct in the absence of details.

A horse-boat, in same time and circ.u.mstances, would have made the 4,000 miles and have delivered in New York (4 244 or) 976 tons, and at Buffalo (4 120 or) 480 tons, total 1,456 tons. Excess of down freight 136 tons, equivalent to 4,850 bushels of corn. To make this wantage of freight good, requires nearly two-thirds of a full cargo, or of a full round trip. Hence, she is obviously and largely deficient in economy, as compared to a first-cla.s.s horse-boat.

_Therefore steam in 1872 is less economical than horses_.

HORSE-BOAT TIMES.

Under another view of the case we have the following relations of horses and steam to show that steam in 1872 is less economical than horses.

The captain of the _Vosburg_ states that he left West Troy in Oct., carrying over 100 tons of freight, after the _Baxter_ had left there for Buffalo, _and with two mule teams_, alternating one with the other every six hours, he arrived at Buffalo in advance of the _Baxter_; _through time less than the Baxter's shortest time_. "Net time" not stated.