Summary of the Tests at the several double locks, herein referred to in

detail.

In June, At Frankfort lock, of 10 feet lift for six days, with a supply of boats, daily

average,.

In Sept., At Syracuse locks, of 6 feet lift, for 24 hours,..

In Sept., At Schoharie Creek locks, of 10 feet lift, for 24 hours,

In Sept., At Fort Plain locks, of 8 feet lift, for 76 hours; average for the whole time at the rate (for 24 hours) of........ Average when both locks were employed every instant of the time, was at the rate, for 24 hours, of......

Average for 24 hours,

5) 1,022 boats.

204 boats.

In addition to obstructions by breaks, which have been reported by the Canal Commissioners, (see Convention Doc. No. 89,) there are many little delays incident to the navigation never heard of through any authenticated report, but which in the aggregate, amount to considerable delays every season, and these curtail what otherwise might be done. These may be classed mainly under the following heads: Ice in the month of November, sunken boats, low water temporarily on short levels, caused often by the lower lock having more lift than the upper one, hence requiring more water; breakage of paddles and lock gate.

High winds obstruct light boats in lockage and sometimes compel them to lay up; so with dense fogs, especially in the night. Again, there are causes which prevent regularity of movement of boats, even when there is an abundance of business to be done. These, though not in themselves obstructions to the navigation, have a similar effect by preventing a uniform and maximum flow of business through the locks. The principal of these causes may be stated under the following heads: Boats move at different rates of speed, mainly for the reason that those laden with grain and other heavy articles draw six feet feet of water, and those with lumber and other

light articles, draw four to five feet; those from the lateral canals being smaller, move faster, and all more rapidly in the day than in the night, and some do not run in the night at all; a suspension of business upon the Sabbath, when for twenty-four hours but few boats leave port. The fact that the greater portion of the tonnage from the western states comes by sail vessels to Buffalo and Oswego, it is controlled by the wind, hence, for three days there may be comparatively few or no arrivals, and then 2,000,000 bushels of grain in one day.

For the foregoing reasons, this Board is of the opinion that the extreme practical capacity of the Erie canal to pass property from the lakes through the double locks to tide water, when the canal is in good order, may be stated at one hundred boats daily on the average; but to maintain regularly through the season a business so large as this, through the locks of ten and eleven feet lift, those going west must be laden very lightly, for it was demonstrated by the test at Syracuse, that fully laden boats ascending through a lock of only six feet lift required 17 minutes and 28 seconds each, while those at Fort Plain, ascending through a lock of 8 feet lift with 38 tons cargo, required only 12 minutes and 45 seconds. So it is quite evident that full cargoes westward would diminish capacity eastward, and under such circumstances ninety boats daily are probably as many as could be passed in each direction. The conclusions to which the Board has arrived, vary so widely from estimates made several years since by some of the State authorities on the subject of the capacity of the Erie canal, and differ in like manner from the estimates of many prominent delegates, as appears from the report of their remarks in the Convention, that it has seemed to be necessary, to a full and correct understanding of this branch of the subject, to go quite largely into details. The following table, however, presents the views of the Board in a terse form, showing what has been done for the past eight years, the circumstances under which it was done, so far as ascertainable, and what, under those circumstances, might, in the opinion of the Board, have been done if the locks east of Syracuse had been taxed to their utmost capacity, every day and hour when the canal appears to have been in good navigable order:

It is apparent from the foregoing table that the business actually done, not only for a month at a time but for three months in several of the years, falls but a little short of the greatest possible amount which can be done, based upon the tests of capacity heretofore herein alluded to and fully set forth in the annexed report and schedule.

This brings us to the second branch of the subject: "Is the capacity of the Erie canal sufficient to accommodate the increasing trade of the western states?" The ability to do all the business westward has never been questioned. It is with the trade from the western states, destined to tide water, we have to confine our inquiries. The interior trade of the State being best accommodated by the railway, has become very small by the canal, except the article of coal, which is rapidly increasing. It is a very remarkable and significant fact, that the tonnage from western states delivered at tide water, is nine-tenths of the whole, and has doubled, substantially, every ten years up to this time. Why may not we reasonably expect this rate of increase to continue for quite a long period in the future? The arable lands in those great food producing states are scarcely one fifth under cultivation, and the high prices prevalent for many years past along our own seaboard and in Great Britain show conclusively that great as has been the increasing surplus of the West, the demand bas fully kept pace with, if not outrun the supply. Is it not then, the part of prudence at once to examine fully our condition, and see if we are prepared to accommodate this business, which doubles every decade? In close connection with this view it may be profitable and afford some light, to inquire into what has been done since the first of last September. We have had from that time up to the close of unobstructed navigation in month of September 25 days; in month of October 31 days, and for shipment at Buffalo in November 10 days; making 66 days. During this period the lockages at Alexander's lock have been:

It is believed there are bound eastward frozen in with their cargoes (of say 200,000 tons), 1,000 boats between Albany and Buffalo. The value of this property can scarcely be less than $12,000,000.

Could 1,000 cargoes have been added to what has been done if the property had been ready for shipment at Buffalo and Oswego, regularly daily, from the first of Septemher to the 10th of November? If so the lockage would have been increased 2,000.

Making 13,543, equal to 205 daily, or 102 boats each way, somewhat beyond what appears to be the maximum capacity of the locks of 10 and 11 feet lift, even upon the hypothesis that perfect uniformity of movement is attainable, and an unceasing round of boats present themselves at the locks for 66 days in succession with the precise regularity of a clock. If, then, we are so poorly prepared that the business from the western states which has reached Buffalo and Oswego the past fall, could not have been passed through the canal if it had been compressed into the proper and safe time for shipment so as to have arrived at tide water before prevented by ice, and this too with only 5 days obstruction by breaks, it is to this board quite apparent that there is a great lack of capacity in the Erie canal to accommodate a trade in the future that has doubled every ten years up to this time, and it cannot be truthfully denied, that more capacity is needed now to take care of a great volume of trade in a short space of time, for such has hitherto occasionally been necessary, and more capacity can hardly be obtained by any method without being accompanied with cheaper freights and greater speed, the value of which is too apparent to need discussion. We come now to the third and last inquiry, "Is there danger of diversion of trade out of the State without any further enlargement of the Erie canal."

From what has been stated it is evident that but little addition to the eastward tonnage of 1866 could have been passed through in the short season of 1867. Boats commenced passing east from Lockport the 6th day of May. From this time to

the 10th day of November in the morning is.... Many boats leaving Buffalo before November 10 have not yet reached tide water on account of the ice. Deduct breaks in the canal (only 5 days over the average for the past 10 years)....

187 days.

25 days.