|
|
L ONG before the days of railroads and automobiles, the people of the country had to travel from one place to another by means of stage-coaches and wagons, over rough roads, and with a great deal of discomfort. The pioneers made use of the rivers when they could, for traveling by water was much easier than jolting, or sticking in the mud every few miles.
The people began to think of a system of water-ways, or
canals, to connect the rivers with one another, and to
open up communication with the Great Lakes and the
Atlantic Ocean. The greatest of all these channels is
the
Erie Canal, extending from Albany, on the Hudson River,
to Buffalo, on Lake Erie. By it, an
The Canal was a great enterprise. It took eight years
to build, was three hundred and sixty-three miles long,
forty feet wide, and, at first, only four feet deep.
Later on it was made seven feet deep. It cost something
over seven million dollars to construct, an expense
which was borne by the State of New York. Governor
DeWitt
Clinton was the genius of the Canal, and devoted his
energies to making it a success. People laughed at him,
and called the Canal
At last, the Canal was completed, in 1824. Governor Clinton went through it on the first boat. It was named the Seneca-Chief, and was drawn by four gray horses. It started from Buffalo, on its way to Albany. The boat carried a bear, two Indian boys, two eagles, and other things representing the Great West; also a keg of water from Lake Erie to empty into the Atlantic Ocean, so as to show that the waters of the two great bodies were united at last. Cannon, stationed one every five miles from Buffalo to New York, announced the progress of the boat. It took eighty-one minutes to let the people in New York know that the boat had started from Buffalo. All along the way, she was greeted with the ringing of bells, the booming of cannon, the waving of flags, and the shouting of enthusiastic people. When the boat arrived in New York, a great celebration was held in honor of the event.
The canal-boat was a curious affair, about eighty feet
long and twelve feet wide and three feet draught. On
its deck was a cabin, in which were cramped
sleeping-quarters. In the daytime, the bunks were
folded out of
sight, to make room for the tables at which the
passengers ate. It was drawn by horses or mules,
hitched to a
long
Stops were frequent, and passage through the locks
caused much loss of time. Now and again, the passengers
got
off the boat to look around, and often they were left
behind. Then they had to run along the banks, overtake
the boat, and scramble aboard the best way they could.
In fine weather, they sat in chairs on the deck outside
the cabin, and enjoyed the scenery as they glided
slowly along. Small villages were passed, then farms
and
forests. The canal wound among the
hills, and went straight across a level area.
Sometimes, when the weather was good, the passengers
were
allowed to walk on the
One of the inconveniences was the frequency of the low bridges, under which the boat had to pass. If a passenger was not constantly on the lookout, he would be swept off the deck by a bridge, and find himself in the water. It was the helmsman's duty to cry out, "Low bridge," and then all the passengers would either have to duck their heads or go below. It was accounted great fun to leap from the deck on to the bridge, as the boat approached it, and then, having crossed, to leap back on the boat again.
Thus, the boat went along, full of freight in the hold, and passengers in the cabin and on the deck. It took six or seven days to cover the entire distance. We can cross the continent, or the Atlantic Ocean, in that time now, and go the same distance in less than a day.
On wet and cold days, travel by the Canal was not pleasant, for the passengers had to stay in the cabin, and suffer the discomfort of close quarters, with nothing to see and nothing to do.
After the coming of railroads, the Erie Canal ceased to be popular as a means of passenger travel. It was too slow and uncomfortable. But for freight it is still used.