History of Steam on the Erie Canal | Page 5

carry five-sixths of a
common cargo, and exceed the speed of horses.
In the early era of steam, the prominent policy was to combine towage
with carrying capacity by the steamer, for economical expedition. In
the present era, it has been to make the carrying capacity of the steamer,
in itself, economical and expeditious.
This latter policy has arisen under the Appropriation Act of April, 1871,
which limits the minimum cargo to two hundred tons, and the
minimum average speed of three miles per hour. But these limitations
must cover a superior economy of freight transportation to that by the
former trials with steam. Else, they are worthless; else, they are failures,
as in 1862, and their general introduction impracticable.
As in the steamers Byron, Baxter and Newman, there is nothing
mechanically new, in variation from the Viele, Sternburg and
Ruggles--these trios being respectively mechanical counterparts of
each other; the paddle-wheels of the Byron and Viele, the
twin-propellers of the Baxter and Sternburg, and the common
propellers of the Newman and Ruggles, being respectively
identical--the economical features are easily considered.
The first trio can carry 200 tons at good speed; the second can carry
180 tons, and tow 240 tons; total, 420 tons, at good speed.
To the first trio, two boats of each class must be altered; two sets of
machinery must be furnished; two corps of engineers maintained, and
coal for two round trips must be supplied, with incidental expenses to
two steamers, to move 400 tons of freight.
To the second trio, only one boat of each class is to be altered; one set
of machinery furnished; one corps of engineers maintained, and coal
for one round trip supplied, with the incidental expenses, to move 420
tons of freight.
The costs of alterations and adaptations of the first trio are two-fold
those of the second; the cost of machinery greater to the first trio than

to the second; the costs of engineers two-fold to the first trio; the costs
of coal about the same to each, with greater incidental expenses to the
first than to the second per tons of freight moved.
The differences in the two trios are in their steam capabilities and in
their times; the second requires about one day extra on the canal, as
possibly due to the locking of the tow, though no extra time is required
where both locks of the pair are ready. But the extra twenty tons of
freight more than pays the extra time.
The times of transit or rates of speed to the two eras are very nearly
alike, the steamers of the first having greater steam capabilities, as due
to their boat in tow, whilst those of the present era have reduced their
steam capabilities to increase their cargoes from the 180 tons to 200
tons.
The times of transit, or rates of speed, are given in the following
miscellaneous record, and as published, from time to time, from 1858
to 1862:
The Wack was 7 days, total time, with boat in tow, from Buffalo to
Troy.
The Wack was 4 days 16 hours, net time, with half freight, from Troy
to Buffalo.
The Sternburg was 28 hours, total time, with boat in tow, from Buffalo
to Rochester, 93 miles, averaging 3-1/3 miles per hour.
The Ruggles was 5-1/2 days, net time, with boat in tow, from Buffalo
to Troy, and 6 days 14 hours, net time, from Buffalo to New York.
The Eclipse was 7-1/2 days, total time, without tow, from Buffalo to
Troy, and 5-1/2 days, total time, without tow, from Troy to Buffalo.
The Gold Hunter was 7 days 5 hours, total time, without tow, from
Buffalo to Troy.

The Rotary was 4 days 4 hours, total time, with half freight, from Troy
to Buffalo, and 3 days 16 hours, net time.
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