History of Steam on the Erie Canal | Page 8

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 circumstances, 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-class 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.
Publishing net time of steamers instead of total or through time, is
deceptive, and creates a false impression with the community. Had not
the through time of steamers this season been suppressed, the governor
of the State would not have imagined five-day trips from Buffalo to
New York, as per his message, and our city editors would not have
ventilated such visionary pretensions. There are a multitude of
horse-boat captains that can reduce their net canal time of movement
below the Baxter's, which has been so extensively commented upon;
but their so doing would not expedite the transfer of grain from the
lakes to tide-water.
A certain horse-boat, in a former season, made two round trips from
Buffalo to and from New York in twenty days each, and on each trip
lay three days in New York. This made her through time average
between the cities 8-1/2 days each way. Her captain once towed in the
"Line" and was only nine days twenty hours from Buffalo to New York.
This season a horse-boat made the round trip from New York to and
from Buffalo in twenty-one days.
These round trips have probably never been exceeded by steam.
In the former era the prism of the canal seemed imbedded with
innumerable old and broken tow-lines, which the propeller, by its high
velocity, sucked up, and was thereby "fouled;" and now the sea-grass is
a hidden enemy that entwines itself around the propeller to foul it.
When the waters are low, forcing the engines of screw propellers lets
the stern of the boat "squat" or hug the bottom, and although these are
minor features of want of mechanical adaptation to canal duty, they
illustrate petty detentions serving to lengthen the through times of
steam.
Hence, if we intermix the slow steamers with the fast ones, as we do
the slow with the fast horse-boats, for a general average, it is quite
probable that horse-times are fully equal to those of steam, and that the
excess of horse-cargoes makes a large and handsome advantage in their

favor.
Therefore, under this general average, steam in 1872 is less
economical than horses.
CONDITIONAL EXPLANATIONS.
Because steam has been encouraged by the Legislature, heralded by the
press, and favorably reported by the Executive officers of the State as a
standard of advancement most desirable to attain, a supposition very
generally prevails outside of canal men that it will succeed.
As early as 1845, before the enlargements, three steamers were built
and tried, and one, the Pioneer, ran from New York to Oswego in five
days, total time, 362 miles; and then "supposition very generally
prevailed that steam would succeed." But light freights would not pay
then as against full horse-freights; neither would they pay from 1858 to
1862; neither have they paid in 1872, as against horses.
A large part of the boats own and carry their horses, two teams (four
horses), alternating the teams from boat to tow-path every six hours.
Many desire to see the hardships, cruelties and dangers to horses
obviated. It is said that one company during the war, when most of the
best drivers turned soldiers, lost as many horses during the season as
they put on for all their boats in the spring; that is, they had to purchase
a complete equipment to make good their losses.
Some humane captains tow by the "lines" to avoid suffering and
dangers to horses, many of which are drowned, and many left by the
wayside. When changed from tow-path to