■772 .89 £i;ai:_ fuNWERSlTY/:; re CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY FROM Anonymous TC 772.N5W89""'"'""'' '■""'"' Argument [], 'fvor of a marine railway ar 3 1924 022 882 983 Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/cletails/cu31924022882983 ARGUMENT IN BATOE OP A a^EINE EAILWAY ABOUND THE F^^L^^ OF ISrlA-GA-RA., ADDRESSED TO THE OOMMITTBE OI^ MILITARY AFFAIRS '% TH^i" SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, BY cHAiiLEs c. i?rooi>M;Aiv. FEBRUARY, 1865. MARINE RAILWAY. I (The, proposition to CQ,nstr»qt;a Marine Railway aroand/the! jFails qJ5iNiaga,ra, capable of ta:9fnspprting 4tie/ largest, vessels empl<^««l( in, ,l^Jf;,e , navigation, , without jdetripieBt or breaking of bulk, is qert^inly a^ jppst startling one, and very naturally excites wonder, if nqt incredulity.. Yet t^e possibility of jsucb a. stryeture.may ^001}, te niade apparent, and the. probability pf success: attending 8l}cli, an enterprise is sufficient to warrant th« most careful add candid con8^deratioi\ of the arguments and facts- about to be pjesented. : . , . . . , , ,, The advance ibtheiscience of engineering, since the discovery (xf the powers of steamj'has been so rapid land/ wonderful that we are taught modesty in the expression of our incredulity, and aife led to beware of limiting the possibilities of genitis aind enterprise. Every steapiship that crosses liie stormy Atlantic, every locomo- tive that thunders over the Suepension bridge, rushing through space, over' the seething torrent, bids Us to b6war6 of imitating the eiamblps o'f those who, ^by utter disbelief, expressed by contemp- tuous sneer^, have atteflapt^d- to:: stop .the world's progress, and arrest the onward march of civilization. 'The proprietj^ df establishing cbrnniunication between l^fees Erife k^nd'Ontatio, by works epni^ifucted upon oiir own soil, has b'e6n' shown, by ^r^Uments, Mf facts, 'ahjl "by 'figures. ' "\Vith ^tie ife^^t j^ossible expiiSfeii' to the iiation , we are desirous of establishing such commuhicaitic/n ; and we are of '^ the opinion thai [all whlcli it' is *|^¥8$os6dl ^6 dd by m'e'aff^"6f a Ship Canal,, jrlay fbe a'ccdnir plished, |by a Marine Ra,ilway, which can be.' put .into actual o|)ei'atiOTi iat&n^eiperiililiure'not exceeding one-half df that reqiiTred 2 for vthe construction of a Ship Canal. So certain are we that such an enterprise can he successfully accomplished, that -we are ready to furnish in advance the necessary funds, asking of the Grovernment only, that it will, upon the completion of the work and the demonstration of its success, reimburse ^ portion of our expenditure, and insure us a yearly revenue in return for the services we propose to render. Our specific proposition will be found in detail hereafter. / , . ' f A large amount of money has'already'beeh expended in making surveys and estimates in contemplation of this work ; and the opinions of many of the most skilful engineers of the country have been obtained concerning the practicability of the enterprise. To these opinions we shall direct your attention. If the work is shown to be practicable, we claim that the argu- meots in favor of a railway, as ia '6p(p6sitiou to a canal, are wholfy unanswerable. The facts with regard to cost of constructioh and of operation would^ settle that controversy. It req^uires' neither ejigineering skill or experience to discover that planes and grades may 'be constructed at or near the surface of the rOcky strata which form the banks of the Niagara Eiver at a trifling cost,- coin- pared with that which would be required for excavating the bed of a canal and constructing locks to overcome the principal elevatiotite. A ■ general idea of the surface of the land to be traversed may be obtained from tke following extract frOm a report made in October,, 1864, by Daniel Marsh, civil engineer, and addreiised to General Gharles B. Stuart, New York. ''The first ascent is at the rate of 120 feet per mile for the distance of 13,- 000 feet'; the next is at the rate of 18 feet per mile for the distance of 9,500 feet; on the remainder of the line the grades either ascending or descending are very sUght, on the line terminating at Gill Creek; on the, lines terminatiiig near the head of the Hydraulic Canal, there will be a grade descending from near the Cenietery to the river, of 36 feet per mile." - ' T,9 overcpnie these elevations by means of locks capably of holding the largest class of vessels employed in the, navigation of the lake?, or of guriljoats,, would, it is admitted, necessitate tb,e expenditure of from twelve to sixteen millions of dollars^ inqludr ihg the cost of tbe capal levels. The cost of construcjting planes and grades capable of aceomplishing the same purpose ,wo,uld be less than half that sum. , , . Upon tbis point, as well, as upon the; general pfacticability qf s the plan which is now proposed, we may liflfeh 's^ith attention to the voice of practical experiefice. W'. H. Talcot, Esq., Superintendent of the Morris' Canal, in January, 1863^ wrote as follows : "Ihaye had charge of.this canal 18 years, during all which. time it'has been used as a coal carrying canal. It overcomes 1449 reet elevation, by means of 23 1 inclined planes. When I came here the Cargoes were only 18 tons. The canal has been enlarged aUd the planes adapted to IGG ton cargoes. , The planes work ,-vyith the same certainty as the locks, and vpith much greater facility. There is in fact no IJetention at the planes. ' ' A mile of canal , embracing in it a plane with 100 feet elevation ,' is passed quite' asi quidk as a mile of levd canal. This is my experience, with a trade of 50 to 60 boats per day in each direction. As to the question of pl^aeg for large boats, my opinion is that they can be adapted to any size boat; that;the whole elevation between Lake Ontario ahd the Erie Canal at Rochester'; can be overcome by one plane, that would require but a few moments for its passage ^, that planes could be substituted for locks on the Erie Canal at Lockport, Little Ealls, Oohoes, with great advantage to the trade of that canal; ^Iso that a plane can be made by which all vessels that navigate the upper lakes can be passed around Niagara Palls into Lake Ontario. The planes on this canal have cost about one third as much as locks would have cost to overcome the same elevation. I think that h«lf the cost of locks for any o.f the places above named is a large estimate for the cost of planes for the same J)oiiits." ' Here speaks a man who^e practical experience reaches ovfer a period of eighteen years ; who, during' all that time, has been in daily contemplation pf the actual transportation of vessels over considerable elevations by means of a railway and inclined planes. Such clearly expressed opinions, based, as they are, upon actual experience, are certainly wojthy of our respect and attention. In commenting upon the letter of. Mr. Talcott, of which the foregoing is an extract, Mr. Edwin F. Johnsqn, an engineer of long experience and wide spread reputation, Says : .■ i- . , ■ , ■>■ I . ' ■■ .ii "These facts, which are confirmed by such observations as \ have been able to make upon the same canal, are to my mind quite conclvisive. " They show the superiority of the utelined railway oyer locks under the cir- cumstances named, from whence the conclusion is unavoidable- that much larger vessels, with their, cargoes; may be move^ in a simil?,r manner, by a pipper adaptation of the means to the end to be attained or the^ wcightto he povftd. "If this is doubted, it cannot be because the. power available for moving. so large bodies is inadesqtii^te or too costly, as the proof to the; contrary. is before , us upon nearly all of: our railroads," While, asking attention to the general features of the plan un- der consideration, we must be permitted to insist upon the state- ments of experienced engineers as furnishing prima /rtdVevidence 4 thfttt^e plan proposed is npt only feasible, but is recommended by its superior efficiency and economy. Iti will be observed, from the extracts presented, that the atten- tion of several of the experts consulted was drawn to the subject of a Ship Canal, and that' their opinions were expressed upon the comparative advantages of locks and planes to overcome elevations. It was partially from the discussion of this question that the idea of wholly dispensing with the canal was eliminated. It is con- ceded that the transpoi'taition of small vessels, of one hundred tons burthen , and under, by means of planes is entirely practicable, and is, in fact, effected with ease, economy and despatch upon the Morris Canal. la reference to the transportation of large vessels, Mr. Talcott, before quoted, says : "A vessel of one thousand tons cargo could be carried on tweirty rails if the vessel was only one hundred feet Jong, or ten rails if ii was two hundred feet long, without subjecting the wheels or rails to any greater service than those now used on the Morris Canal," Considering the economical side of the question, he remarks : , "To construct a canal with locks will cost more than to construct it with inclined planes. " The transition from lake to lake, hy means of planes, may he made in one- tenth the time that would be required to make the same hy means of locks. "My experience of twenty years on the Morris Canal, where 1,449 feet elevation is overcome by means of planes, and 225 feet by means of locks, warrants the assertion, that inclined planes properly constructed and operated, are as certain and efiFective for the passage of boats or vessels as locks." In referring to the practical operiition of the plan now proposed, which is the soul and essence of this whole matter, and which demands and will receive careful and candid consideration, Mr. Taikott writes: "In some respects; the planes for the trade of the: lakes would have to be different from the planes on the Morris Canal. The safe transition of vessels of the size required for that trade, and particularly those laden with grain in btilk, ' Would require the natural support of water on every part of the vessel ; in other words, the vessel must not be taken out of the water during the over- land paBsftge. This can be accomplished by making the car, which is to carry the vessel, a water-tight caisson large enough to receive the largest vessel. Every vessel would then displace from the caisson an aniount of water just equal to its Weight,' causing the load uj)on the wheels and the strain on the machinery to be 'always the same, whatever might be the size or weight of the vessel and cargo." , 5 The idea contained in the words last quoited, written in Decem- ber, 1864, had, as early as 1859, engaged the attention of one of the most eminent men of science and inventors, of New England ; and he, at that time, prepared 8pecifica;tions and drawings for the purpose of applying for a patent on a Marine KAitWAT, with caissons and motive power, capable of transporting' large vessels and their cargoes in portable docks. The papers have laid by since that date, but the inventor has by no means abandoned hia purpose, and he now proposes, in view of tbe present probabili- ties of constructing siuch a work between Lakes Erie and On- tario, to take out his letters patent. We have in our possession a letter instructing his agents to secure letters patent, and the writer is perfectly confident that proper examination will conclu- sively show the superior Economy and efficiency of a railway over a eanal. In considering a. subject so novel and at the same time so grand, the mind is apt to be led away into the regions of dreamland and pure fancy.. When the idea of throwing a bridge across Niagara river, capable of supporting upon its slender threads the locomo- tive and its train, laden with merchandise, or crowded with busy life, was first expressed, ho doubt, that expression gave rise to many flights of fancy, as it was the parent of many sneiers. But when the contracts for the cables, that were to support the struc- ture, were entered into — when the stone for the liaaiii sujjports was being quarried, the idea was accepted into the faniily of fafets, while the laugh is hushed and the doubt is dead. So in the plan now proposed, it is well to leave mere theory, and see how a busi- ness man talking for business men, brings figures to bear upon the solution of the prbblem. Mr. L. P. Starr, treasurer of the Rogers' Locomotive and Ma- chine Works of Patterson, New Jersey, with an eye to business, and to business only, under date of Dec. 28, 1864, writes thus : * " Dear Sir— Our Mv. Hudson has examiaed the plans of the Marine Kail- way, and calculates that to draw the load you name, will require three' loco- motives, each eighty tons weight,' with cylinders twenty-six inch b6re^ arid thirty inch stroke — four pairs driving wheels, forty-six'in. .diameter. These engines would draw the load of 1,500 tons over the grade of 120 feet per mile at rate of six to eight miles per hour. .One of the engines would draw this load on a level.'' No uncertainty is expressed in this terse and explicit commuui- 6 cation.. The statement is that the engines to be constructed, will accomplish the work for which they are designed. Have we any reason to doubt the truth of this statement ? and if not, is it not already shown that the scheme, so far from being wild aijd vision- ary, is eminently practical, and by reason of its economy prefer- able to all other schemes which have been proposed for the accom- plishment of the general purpqse of connecting the navigation of the lakes ? , , , . We make this general statement for the consideration of Con- gress. W^ believe, after the most careful and complete examin- ation, that a Marlcte Eailway can be constructed around the Falls of, Niagara. We believe that such a work would be capable of transporting the largest vessels used in the navigation of the lakes, as well as the gunboats of the United States, with speed and safety. We believe that the production of the West wpuld be vastly increased by the proposed work, and that the commer- cial interests of the country would be greatly benefitted thereby. We believe that it is for the general interest of the nation tha,t means of communication between the lakes upon our own soil should be provided ; and we believe, that the increasing demands of commerce and of civilization can find no more fitting response than in the construction of the work which we propose. So well satisfied are we that our plan is practical in its character that we propose to relieve the Government of any pecuniary re- sponsibilities until. the work is finished and in actual and success- ful operation. When we have succeeded in taking a large lake vessel, loaded with grain/ from the waters of one Ipike and floa,tiing her in phe waters of the other, with expedition and entire safety, then, we ask that a portion of our expenditure shall be reimbursed by the Government, and we claim at your hands that our plans and our propositions shall be carefully, and without prejudice, considered. -, . The bill w;hich is now under consideration contemplates the probability of qfi'ering such a pl9,n ak that which we .now propose to the consideration of the President of the United States and of the Secretary of War, and we, who believe in the superior efiiciency and equal'practicability of the Marine Railway as compared to a ship canal with locks, are bound to present a fair case for ^our consideration. For the accomplishment of this purpose we pre- sent tHetesti'inbny of experienced and: practical engineert. We also present the opinions of men who are willing to stake their own personal means mpon the success of the enterprise ; and, we suhmit, that we have " made out our case," and are entitled to the consideration of our legislators. We' would have it most distinctly understood that we are Strongly in favor of accomplishing the purpose of the friends of the bill now before Congress. We recognize the pressing neces- sity and importance of establishing a continuous route for rthe cBihmerce of the West, from the city of Chicago — even from the bants of the Mississippi — to the ports of Ontario. We believe the expenditure of the national treasure, for the accomplishment of this purpose, to be true economy, and we only insist upon the con3i4e):ation of our proposition,, because be believe that the de- sired object can be attained more readily by our plan than by any other which has been presented. We will not burthen our statement with details concerning the paeans by which the grand result is to be effected. It will be sufficient to say, that contracts may be entered into for the con- struction of caissons or docks Capable of floating gunboats, or the largest vessel? employed in the navigation of the lake^,, which shall rest upon; rails, of a greater or less number, accoriing to, the size and weight of the vessel to beti-aiispbrted.' These docks will be submerged to a sufficient depth to receive the vessels ; the gates may then be closed, and the vessels, still floating, may be borne, by locomotive or stationary power, over the elevations, and launched upon the water of the lake at the other terminus, without breaking bulk or damaging equipihents. All this we are satisfied 6an be accomplis'hed ; and we' are further satisfied 'th^t much time and money will be saved by substituting a railway for a canal. As to the feasibility of bur plkn, we will introduce still further testimony. T. B. Blackstone, Esq. , civil Engipeer, engaged upon the Chicago and Alton Eailroad, says, under date of December 24, 1864 : "t have no doubt of ' the entire feadbility of the project. I think it is clear that there ar^ no insurmountafle engineering difficulties in the way of success. I think that it will soon be generally conceded that either a canal or i-aibcay must hp i^o^itructed around the Falls of Niagara, on the American side. -jMr. ./ohn Houaten, engineer' pf^ the Brie Railway, ig equally emphatic in his endorsement of the plan. He says : " It is unnecessary for me, at this' •time , to take uj> the details of your pro- posed Marine Ilailway, but ,1, wi^lii to congratulaite you on the. general plan, and to say that I think it most feasible to draw Ships on a Railway between Lake Ontario and 'Lake Erie, either by locomotive or stationary power ^ or by a combination of both,' smd that its lad'Vantages over a ShipiCanal -will be comparative chpappess, i^, first cp^t, ifi,tf^?,_e9^tj,pf operating, .andjin the.poptof repairs. ' ' Added to these is thfe^inlpof tant item pf the timfe necessary for the fcbnstrii'd- tibn of the *ork, which would be greatly Jn favor of the Railway, and also the papacjty for business and the tinie, in which ayessel coi^d be passed. rop,nd the Fall? of Niagara, all pf which I think are in favor of your admirable project." The following' letter needs tio explanatioii. The wi'iter isaii officer of large experience, and- his profession has naturally led him to a practical' view of any siihject offered for consideration ■' " Office of General Inspectok Steam Machineby, &c., TJi S. N.,' .No. 256 Canal Street. ' New ,XoRK„ January titb, 1865. . .. "DbAii Sim, — I have examined with much interest the plans submitted by you for tb^^cpnstructipn pf a ' f Marine ,Ils>ilway araund Niagara FaUp.'-' As a Bailor, conversant with the strain brouglit on vessels in taking them out of the water,' I believe the plan of 'having them water-borne during their trans- portation i*perfeotlyifeasible, and Overcomes all! objections to the plan. ■'•' ■ "The other questions arre merely those of engjteering skill; solidity -of work, *nd Ipcomotjve power. " Your obedient servant, /' ■ '^Chas.'S. BoGds," ...•'.Gapt.AU. -S.N." ' ., S^ffiuel McElroy, civil engineer, of Brooklyn, Ney\r.Yo];]j, in a i^ettef addregsf 4, to G-eneral Stuart, JunSi^,,1864, uses the follow- ing language:, ,,, , > i ,,.,, ,. - ■" .,m.,,. : ,,. „' - . ' ' Our investigations in former years as to the feasibility of Mai-ine Rail- ways for j government .aym^d vessels, as built or, th^n proposed to be_ built at the' Portsmouth, Philadelphia, Washington, Pensa-coja p,nd. California Navy Yards, and as in use' for merchant ships iri'JSTew York and other cities, a'nd- on the Morris and ;Eksex Canal, with the experience -now resulting! from thleir successful use, were and are conclusive in favor of this method of. transporta- tion for ships of the largest size and Veight. A steamer of 2,780 tons burthcs was the first vepsel tested on the Philadelphia Marin^e Railway. It is evident, from the i^sual characteristics' of railway motion, oil carefully constructed tracts, that' any vessel, once pwperly cradled, may Be, carried a long distance without .ris'k of injury, and that .the grade of the track merely involves a ^questian of propelling power ai^d safety brakes; so that, thjifi' elevation of -346 feet inky Tbei ' ov6rooine in this way, not only much more quickly, but with less probability of injury to the ship, than by the same rise through Wenty looks,." All the testimony we have been able to gather is very strongly in fa^or of the practability and superior economy of sttbtituting an inclined plane, with rails, for locks, in ovei'coTning the principal elevations ; and, if this idea is admissible, how mUch niore so is *hat of dispensing' with the canal throughout the Jentire distance to be tra!versed ? What can be done upon an inclined plane, can certainl^' be accomplished upon a level one, and the proposition is almost self-evident that if mechanical power now moves vessels of bne hundred tons burden over elevations of fourteen, hundred ^nd fifty feet, as is the case with the Morris'Canal, the same prin- ciples can be extended in their application to the movement of vessels of fifteen hundred tons burden over a like elevation. ■Allow us to insist upbiithe advantages of a railway over a canal in the economy of time. It ' iS' conceded that from six to eight hours, by the most favorable computation, would be occu- 'pied in passing a vessel through' the score of locks which would constitute the princijpal feature of the canal: the same passage can be made on thiS railway by locomotive power in thirty minutes. Another advantage Which a railway indubitably possesses Over »■ canal is this : A Railway may be operated at least from four to sios^ weeks longer each year than a canal ; because, the naviga- tion of the lake remains open in the Fall for a considerble period after a canal would be closed by ice, and, in the Spring, the lake is always open, while Still waters remain bdundih icy fetters. Short-sighted local interests, and a false spirit of economy^ may •be opposed to the construction of the work, but liberal statesman- ship will encourage what the Civilization and commerce of our age demand; When Divine Power gave the fairest and niost fertile portion of this Continent into our keeping, with its resources still undeveloped, and its capabilities still unknown, it was not that the ' American people might follow the beaten track of an old and effete civilization ; but it was, that their progress might be marked ^by moniuments which should, jival the destiny of that people in grandeur and stiblitoity. History furnishes no precedents' for 10 what we haVe MtMrto accomplished, and we should not depend upon precedent for what we are still to do; Our great inland seas, ot^ magnificent prairies, are American in their character, unequalled and unrivalled ; and,- when we un- dertake to solve the prohlem of their future destiny, we shoitid be re^dy to entertain propositions as novel in their 'Gharacter as tjieir existence is new in the realm of pur present civilization. The conservatism of Europe, whether in the science of politics Or of engineering, is exotic here, it has no proper home upon this .continent. Our business is not to ascertain what the Old World has done, but rather what the New World may do. We propose to take the initiative in establishing the practica,bility of ^ new idea, and therefore, we have asked your attention to our facts and our arguments. , , What we ask is the assistance of our government in the acffom- plishment ,of a work which will confer great benefits upon our country and upon mankind.- We would ci;eate a new bojnd of yriion between the JEast and the West ; we woiild, m^ke more in- tiin9,te the relationship between the planters of thei ' prairies and th,e tfafiickers of the Atlantic Border ; we , would makei>the two classes feel more sensibly thei,r illutual diepen4ence ; we, Would aid in the development of new resources ; we would bring the .rerpote regions of the Mississippi Valley nearer, to th^ grain, mar- l^etjs of Continental Europe. If our purpose is accomplished, the world ,will become our debtor ; the jEast ^nd the WeS^t will alike rejoice. ,,' Eyery household,; whether, of the producej- or of the consumer, will be blessed ; the former, because 'production can be profitably iricye^sed ; - the latter,, because • the absolute necessities of life will be cheapened. , ., ., Because we believe in the general object to be accomplished, without regard to, specifiq means, we offer no oppositioli.to the bill , now befqre Congress ; in aid of, not in opposition to that general object, we present our proposition. We would urge tbjC necessity of furnishing some means by which the navigatipn of the lakes,, from the bankp of the Mississippi to the , ports of Dnts^rio ; a,ndjij}ie banks of the Hudson, may be made continuous, , We are of the opiniorl that our plan ip the most feasiblq and the ,mpst economical, and, upon ih^t ground, we urge it upon the attention of Congress and of the country. 11 . All must admit that the purpose aimed at is a good one ; but, to some minds, it does not so clearly appear that, in the present condition of our national'^nances, any expenditure by the Govern- ment for the accomplishment of that purpose is advisable. Let us twAto answer this objection. •We do not propose that the Grovernment shall become responsi- ble, for any portion of the expense incurred, until the Conimission- ers appointed by the President of the United States are satisfied, by occular demonstration, that .we have achieved our object. It is only when the work is finished and in successful operation, that we propose to claim from the nation a proper renumeration for the labor and expense incurred, while projecting and completing a work, which- will more effectually serve the, purpose of defending our Northern frontier' than all the forts which could be construct- ed from,. Ogdetisburg to Chicago. What we ask of the Q,overn- .men^ is simply this— rthatit will enter into a contract with, am in- corporated company, agreeing to pay to that company^ upon the completion of the proposed work, and depionstration of its success- f}i\, operation, sums of money equal to about one half of that de- ,pian4pd by the bill for the construction of a Ship Canal, which haSipassed the House of Representatives. It would seem that the Government CO ijld afford this sum, in consideration of the facili- ties afforded for the defence of the Northern frontier ; tha lake frontier being as extended as that which is washed by the wfivies of, the Atlantic ' , Economy does not alwa,ys consist in refraining from expendituire. Qur; railroads which now form a network of iron over the country, -the can9;ls on which so large a proportion of our national wealth is now transported, would never have been undertaken hadi act their projectors depended upon the future and trusted to our des- tiny., The Erie Canal, Clinton's folly, at first/ ISST, only carried 56,000 tons of grain ; in 1861 it bore on its surface 2,156,426 tons, fhe projectors, of that great ..work exercised a wise Economy by trusting to the future, and by making liberal expenditures in order to insure^future returns. Has the .West no future now?. Can we not as readily trust to 1880 as the men of '37 trusted to^860?. The productive energies of the West have neither -been paralyzed or suspended;, she will do more in the future than she has ever done in the past, and, if we will only provide means of transpor- 12 tation, no inan can fix a limit to the possible production of the prairies. ■ One of the arguments brought to Iftar against the 3)rop08ed enterprise, is, that its accomplishment will necessitate the con- struction of a Ship Canal from Chicago to the Mississippi an(||||he enlargement of the Erie Canal. What then ? Will these works be required before their necessity has been demonstrated ? If thie proposed work crowds the ports of Ontario, is it not manifest that we bring toioa/rds a market, wealth which would otherwise be lost to commerce? If we offer an incentive to increased production, we offer an incentive to the increase of the aciwa? wealth of the nation; The proposition cannot too often be repeated that thfe products of agriculture constitute the ebal wealth of 'a people and, that every bushel of corn saved from the burning and from waste is just so much added to the actual resources of the nation. Egypt, In the olden time, was rich because she could exchange her cattle and corn for the gold and silver of Kome ; andj when Rome, with her palaces, was bankrupt, Alexandria still flourished and now flourishes as a great commercial emporium. The prairies produce real wealth, a wealth which may be made the source of revenue. Gold, silver or paper are only the representatives of wealth. Spain was poor, with the mines of Mexico to pay her tribute, while Flanders was rich with only her looms and her ships for a dependence. We would stimulate the production oireal wealth, and, to carry out this purpose we ask the aid of our Government. Is it not evi- dent that all the routes used in transportation, are now overbur- thened ? Is it not evident that with enlarged means of transpor- itation, while production is increased, vast quantities of corn, now wasted, will find its way to. a profitable market ? You are called upon to pledge the credit of the Government for the purpose of carrying out a great national improvement ; but you are not called upon to compromise the Government or Jo squaqder its resources. It is proposed to bring to a profitable market, each year, one hundred millions of bushels of corn that woul^ either never be produced, or would rot in the granaries, or be burned on the hearths of the farmers of the West, were it not for the construction of the work we now propose. We think such a result will be accomplished ; and, if we are right, the account 18 with the country Vrill be more than settled in a single year. If the Erie canal has added vastly to the wealth of the nation ; if it has built up cities and towns, prosperous beyond all preqedent ; if it has added millions of taxable property to.the wealth of New Yonk, why should not other works, projeicted for the same pur- pose, accomplish like results ? The Erie canal was projected upon thte basis of the productive powers of the West, our propoisition rests, for its principle support, upon the'same foundation.. We present* herewith a specific proposition, and we ask this Committee to present that prx^position to the Senate of the United States, recommending its careful consideration to that body, and we further desire that a bill may be passed upon the basis of the proposition now submitted, authorizing the President of the United States to contract with responsible persons for the co^? struction of a Marine Railway around the Falls of Niagara, and pledging the credit of the nation for the payment of the sum of one million of dollars upon the completion of the work, and of the sum of three hundrefi, thousand dollars annually thereafter for the period of ten years, the Government for this consideration, holding the right, in perpetuity, to the use of the work for the transportation of vessels employed in Government service. Extracts from. Memorial of the National Canal Conventjoii, assembled at .Chicago,, June, 1863 : ' ' With the canals enlarged as proposed , J)roduction may be stimulated a, hun- dred fold,, and yet still yield a fair profit to the producer. These enlarged ca- nals, reducing materially: the coBt of transportation, will enable us to ieompete successfully in, and perhaps control the foreign market for breadstuffs and pro- visions. Every acre of land west'of the lakes to the R(tcky mountains, and from Gairo and even Memphis north to and including Minnesota, will be brought practically hundreds of miles nearer market, and of course every acre of land throughout this vast area will be increased in value. • " This will stimulate emigration, settlement and production, and secure the eaiiy cultivation of the fertile lands of the Mississippi valley, and secure to'our 14 agriculturists the markets of the world. With thesie canals, the western farmer can compete successfully with the grain -producing countries p^ the Old World, and drive them from the field of competition. ' ^' It should be remembered that the increased prbducion of food in Europe is limited by physical diflSculties. The country'is old, thickly peopled-, and the good lapd, is all improred.: Mountains, barren wastes,' and irreclaimable marshes, pffer obstacles to any great increase in tl^e production of food- , " Witb us it is otherwise. .We have a soil of ine:^austible fertility, a large portion of it as yet 'unbroken. There is spread out between the lakes and the base of- the Rooky mountains millions and millions of acres of the richest land on earth. : Tiis soil has' a- peculiarity of great significance. It is so admirably adapted to. the use of labor-saving machinery, that although the northwest has sent not less tha.n h^If a million of her most efficient laborers to the camp .as volunteers, their absence has been so successfully supplied by labor-saving ma- bhines that the quantity of land cultivated has not been lessened, nor the crops materially, diminished. God has so fashioned this land that with small labor it will yield the most bountiful return in endless crops of food. He has fitted it to be the garden and granary of the world, richer even than the valley of the Nile. He causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall upon this land, and clothes it with a rank and luxurious vegetation which annually' decays where it grows, or feeds the prairie fires which sweep over it in autumn. We have the land, the'labor is ready, but without these enlarged canals the labor w3l not be remunerative, and the land will not be cultivated. " Corn, for want of adequate means of transportation, is, on tbe wfestern prai- ries, annually consumed for fuel. This does not pay. Shall Europe starve for bread, and our rich prairies remain uncultivated far want of these canals to carry the products to market ? Let Congress answer by its action on these great questions now presented. " By reference to the'reports of the boards of trade and mercantile associations submitted to the convention, and which we believe to be entirely reliable, it appears that the enlarged canals would reduce the cost of transportation Idc- tween Chicago and New York at least ten cents, and between the Mississippi and the Atlantic at least fifteen cents a bushel. Divide this saving between the western producer and the eastern consumer, and while you raise the price of every bushel of wheat and corn to the farmer, you reduce the price of every loaf of bread in every house in New England and the seaboard cities. The crop of 1862, shipped to, the east through the canals alone exceeded one hun- •dr'ed millions of bushels ! Wh'eii.we remember that the west pays annually more than fifty millions of dollars for transporting its produce to market, it is obvfo.us thf«t j;here would be saved, on the transpprtationof a single erpp more than theentire cost of these improvements. "But it is not the trade of the Mississippi valley only, vast as it now is, and almost incalculable in its future, that will require these enlarged canals. AH this -will at no distant day be augmented by contributions from the aurifer- ous regions of the Rocky mountains, the valley of the Columbia, and the JPaci^c. coast., II The mineral wealth of this region, being rapidly developed,' is not yet appreciated; The copper and iron of Lake Superior, the lead of Illi- nois g,rid WisccMEisin, the inexhaustible coal-fields of the great interior basin, and the isilver and gold of the Rocky mountains, added to the agricuiliural 15 wealth of the great interior, make it among the most favored portions of the globe. To develop these advantages requires the immediate construction of these canals." ' ' No reflecting mind who has marked the events of the last tw§ years but will admit that among the influences that have made separation and disunion impossible was the Mississippi river. The great river of the west has been strong enough to hold the Union together. Never in the darkest, gloomiest hour of the rebellion has the west considered it a debatable question that she could ever, under any circumstances, consent to separation. Her gallant sol- diers have marched right on from Cairo to the Gulf, like the current of her great river, resistless, overcoming every diflSculty, triumphing over every ob- stacle, until no rebel flag now floats upon her waters. She was deaf to the overtures of the traitors, who sought by alluring promises of commercial ad- vantages to seduce the northwest from her fealty to the nation. The west means to maintain the unity and integrity of the -vfhole country. With one hand she grasps the south, and with the other she clasps the east, and she will never con- sent to reach the ocean in either direction through foreign territory. "But it must have occurred to every thoughtful mind how the ties which binds us together would be strengthened arid multipliedfty these ship canals cre- • ating another Mississippi from St. Louis, and Kansas, and St. Paul, to New York and Boston. It has been well said that the myriad-fibered cordage of com- mercial relations, slight in any individual instance, but indissoluble in their multitudinous combination, produces such unity of purpose, unity of interest, intelligence, sentiment, and national pride, and social feeling, and that homo- geneousness of population which unites peoples and maintains nationalities. Such will grow up with a power which no sectional feeling can break between the east' and west -when connected together by these canals." • ' ' The nation has expended its millions of treasure without regard to the amount, and its blood has been poured out like water to open the Missisippi, and yet no one has been found to declare that the cost has been too great for the object. Such is the profound conviction that we must maintain the integrity of the Union and a free passage to the Gulf and the sea. The eastern pathway to the ocean J)y these enlarged canals would be still more important, and would serve still more strongly to bind the Union together. And yet this can all be secured by a sum less than a month's military expenditure in the valley of the Mississippi, and without one drop of precious blood." * AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF VESSELS AROUND THE FALLS OF NIAGARA. Whereas the exposed and unprotected condition of our extended northern frontier demands that immediate provisions be made by the Government for its defence ; and whereas proper communication between the navigable waters of Lakes Erie and Ontari'o, around the Falls of Niagara, of sufficient dimensions for the passage of gunboats and vessels-of-war, will affiird great protection as a military work, in case of invasion or war with a foreign power, to the large cities upoB and the commerce of the northern lakes, and will be of vast im- portance to the United States in facilitating and increasing the commerce between the States, is national in its character, and should be constructed and controlled by the Government of the United States : Therefore, Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That a marine railway be constructed, as a military work for the use of the Government of the United States, around the Palls of Niagara, in the State of New York, commencing at some convenient point on the Niagara river above the falls, and terminating at some convenient point below upon the same stream, or upon the shore of La^e Ontario, whiph shall be of sufficient size, capacity, and power to transfer and pass around said falls gunboats, vessels, and other lake craft ; and for that purpose the Presi- dent of the United States shall have power and authority, by engineers and agents employed by him, to enter upon any lands, highways, railroads, and streams of water for the purpose of making the necessary preliminary exami- nations and surveys, and to enter upon and appropriate to the use of the United States, for the purpose aforesaid, any lands, highways, railroads, and streams of water for the construction of such marine railway, with such bridges, toll- houses, and other erections and fixtures as may be necessary for the safe and convenient use of the same, and its preservation, and the preservation of the works connected therewith. , ^ Sec. 2. And he it further enacted, That the President shall appoint a topo- graphical engineer, to be associated with two civil engineers, to make such preliminary examinations and surveys, and from them shall determine and- locate the route of sajd railway, and the said engineers shall make and file 'in the office of the Secretary of War a survey, map, and profile of the same when thus located, and before the work thereon shall be commenced. Sbc. 3. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the President of the United. States to acquire the title to such lands, and the right to cross and pass any highway and railroad, by agreement, purchase, or voluntary ces- sion from the owners, and from the corporate authorities of such highways and railroads, if it can, be done on reasonable terms, but if that shall be found impracticable, then the President, by engineers and agents, may at any time thereafter enter upon and take possession of said land.s, highways, railroads. 2 and streams of water, and appropriate the same to the use of the United States for the purpose of the construction of said railway, and shall apply at any term of the circuit or district court pf^the United States for the northern district of New York, to be held thereafter ujoii twen||^d/ys' notice, for the appointment of commissioners to fix the compensation to be paid by the United States for any^such Japdjto ^p>pTne.ip^jt^i)Bi|eof, jinj^-jth^ |[]p,paj^8ai,' if any j 1^-; oyossjgg any suci railroad. Sec. 4. Aii/i( I)& it further erktctcd. That 'sudh ^ajiplicatidn ■snail be made on the service of notice of twenty days to the parties in interest, of the time whe? - and place where, such application is to be made, and in case personal service thereof cannot be made upon the parties, such service may be made by the pub- lication ^)f, such notice in the State paper of the State of New York' and i^ a public ijowspaper printed in the eoufity of Niagara aforesaid, for four weeks prior to the, day on which such hearing is t(5"behad, by petltiou, describing with rea- sonable c'ertainty the lands designed t6 be taken, and the railroads to be crossed cii"' affected thereby ;' and 'before proceeding to the hearing, the said court shall appoint guardians for such of the parties interested in the lands as are minors, and ^ome suitable pers6n or persons to represent the interest of such as arc iil'Sane or iitherwise incapable of managing tlieir own' affairs, and ^f such as :ire un'knowri or absent from the State. ^Ec'^i And he xt further enacted, That upon the hearing the Qoui-t shall appoint three disiiiterested freeholders, residing in said northern district of New York, as commissiouers of appraisal,, whose duty it shall be to meet at a timd.a'nd place assigned' by t^ieni for that"p'urpose, after giving notice td all the piii'ties in interest, and to proceed and' hear the proofs a r.d allegations' of the parties, and