History of Steam on the Erie Canal | Page 6

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 canal 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 canal 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 canal-boats as carriers of freight, is illustrated 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 canals 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 canal 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