In 1871, the Legislature of the State of New York, with a view to enabling the Erie and other canals under their jurisdiction to be more profitably utilised, passed an Act to foster and develop the internal commerce of the State, by inviting and rewarding the practicable and profitable introduction, upon the canals, of steam, caloric, electricity, or any motor, other than animal power, for the propulsion of boats.
The first section of this Act appointed a commission to practically “test and examine inventions, or any or all devices, which may be submitted to them for that purpose, by which steam, caloric, electricity, or any other motor than animal power, may be practically and profitably used and applied in the propulsion of boats upon the canals; said examination and tests shall be had by the said commissioners at such time or times during the season of canal navigation, for the year 1871-72, as they may order and direct; said commissioners shall have the right, and they are hereby expressly required, to reject all such inventions or devices, if, in their opinion, none of the said inventions or devices shall fully and satisfactorily meet the requirements of this Act; but said commissioners shall demand and require,
1. The invention or devices to be tested and tried at their own proper costs and charges of the parties offering the same for trial.
2. That the boat shall, in addition to the weight of the machinery and fuel reasonably necessary for the propulsion of said boat, be enabled to transport, and shall actually transport, on the Erie Canal, on a test or trial exhibition, under the rules and regulations now governing the boats navigating the canals, at least 200 tons of cargo.
3. That the rate of speed made by said boat shall not be less than an average of three miles per hour without injury to the canals or their structures.
4. That the boat can be readily stopped or backed by the use and power of its own machinery.
5. That the simplicity, economy, and durability of the invention, or device, must be elements of its worth and usefulness.
6. That the invention, device, or improvement can be readily adapted to the present canal boats; and,
“Lastly, that the commissioners shall be fully satisfied that the invention or device will lessen the cost of canal transportation, and increase the capacity of canals by any means of propulsion or towage, other than by a direct application of power upon the boat, which does not interfere in any manner with the present method of towage on the canals, and complying in all other respects with the provisions of this Act, may be entitled to the benefits thereof.” The system known as the Belgian system, or any mode of propulsion by steam engines or otherwise, upon either bank of the canal, was, however, excluded. A number of attempts have been made to meet these desiderata, of which the system known as Baxter’s is, perhaps, the most successful.
On the running canals of China, Sir George Stainton observed a boat of light construction, with only 14 tons lading, of 8 feet width of floor, about 10 feet width of water-line, and 50 feet of extreme length, drawing 2 feet 3 inches of water, and sharp at the ends, dragged against a stream whose velocity was 5½ English miles per hour; and, although there were twenty-eight trackers, or men hauling at the line, fastened to the boat, besides three men in the boat, poling it on, it advanced only at the rate of a quarter of a mile an hour, notwithstanding that the channel was not materially contracted, in either width or depth of waterway, in proportion to the section of the boat.