_____________________________________________________________________________________ ( 132 ) TO THOMAS MIFFLIN, GOVERNOR OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA Sir, During the prosecution of my experiments on Canal operations, which are exhibited in the preceding on treatise, I frequently contemplated their great importance to the States of America, and much wished to awaken the public mind to a full sense of subject; but on considering the habits of the people of the interior country, accustomed only to land carriage, I feared much difficulty would arise in removing the prejudice in favor of waggoning, and in raising a sum of money adequate to the first expense of a canal of importance. In deliberating on the mode of surmounting these obstacles, I was so fortunate as to meet with your Address to the House of Representatives in 1795, and particularly happy to find your ideas, of the importance of easy communications between remote parts of the country, so consonant to my own, and at the same time to earnestly recommended to the public attention: which circumstance has urged me to address this Chapter to you, convinced that your sense of the subject will not suffer any observations which may be useful to lie dormant. I must therefore request you deliberately to peruse the system laid down, which you will find, by Chapter VII. totally explodes the old practice, for two reasons: First, Because they may by constructed for half the sum necessary to a lock canal; and secondly, Because on them you may perform dispatch, and pass through the most mountainous country at the speed of six miles per hour; an advantage which lock canals can never give, and which precludes an immensity of carriage: yet the small canal takes in every kind of conveyance, and performs the double office of a canal and road; therefore, if founded and governed by sound principles, a mountainous country may have all blessings of water conveyance, so celebrated in the level and fertile plains of Egypt. But how to extend these conveniences into every corner and district of America, is now to be considered. While the mind hovers over the immense continent of America, and views its vast interior, inhabited in various districts remote from the marts of trade, with infinite scenes for the improvement and nourishment of millions of human beings, philanthropy seeks to combine the exertions of the present inhabitants to facilitate their labor, extend their interests, invite population, and give a cultivating hand to every acre of that territory. To such a with, in one point of view, is presented a great and fertile country, interspersed with luxuriant vales and numerous mountains, nourishing infinite rivulets which, meandering the country, feed long and rugged rivers, diminishing to naked shoals in dry seasons, or swelling to roaring torrents in time of rain; pressing their way through stupendous cliffs and infinite rocks, present objects hostile to navigating the streams of nature. But such are the materials which art must bring into uniform; the performance of which is a subject to most benevolent and important, and worthy the serious contemplation of the penetrating members of society, as great national question., On this head it must be evident, that in proportion as produce is remote from market its value is diminished, in consequence of the expense of carriage, and hence remote parts are excluded the market, or a facility of exchanging their surplus produce for necessaries which they may require; thus the nerves of exertion are cramped, the faculties of body and mind are not called forth, and the country remains a dreary and inhospitable waste. But to encourage population and increase the value of the lands, the cheapest possible conveyance of the produce must be established on sound principles; for exactly in proportion to the ease of reaching the market, the remote countries of equal fertility will be more or less consequence in the scale of society; therefore; to sum up the idea, would not the lands about Fort-Pit be as valuable as those round Lancaster, if the produce could be brought to market for the same sum; and would not the population consequently be encouraged? For this purpose, as I have the strongest conviction operating on my mind, that canals are the only effectual means of producing easy communications, and that they consequently are of the utmost importance; I much wish that the public may be made thoroughly sensible of their utility, and that each Sate might establish a society to investigate the propriety of forming them in such districts as the present state of population and trade may most require them; keeping one important object in view, that all future canals may be constructed on one scale and principle, in order that when the various branches meet the boats, one may navigate the other wherever canals extend. This you will observe has been my wish throughout, and in which I hope I have been so fortunate as to succeed; if so, canals appear in a new light, and are still more important than formerly, because they may now be fitted to every kind of country, and by their cheapness approach near to the expense of constructing turnpike roads. At a period when a country is improving by turnpike roads, the question is, whether it is not best to adopt canals; and the criterion to judge of the propriety of the canal, will depend on simple calculation, to the following effect; First, what is the expense of the road; second, what is the expense of the canal; third, what is the expense of the carriage road; fourth, what is the expense of carriage by canal; and probably it will be found the canal will perform the work so cheap, as to justify three of for times the sum being expended in the canal, that would be necessary to constructing a road of the same length; to which one consideration must be added in favor of the canal, viz. on all roads, however good, the great expense of carriage as the number of horses; but on canals, the principal expense is the tonnage or tolls to the proprietors, as interest for the money advanced in forming the canal: yet this tonnage by a judicious arrangement may be reduced, if not liquidated, and the carriage on a canal may be so regulated, that goods conveyed four hundred or more miles, will not cost more than those which are navigated eighty or one hundred miles; yet the eighty or one hundred miles canal conveyance will not cost half the sum necessary to land carriage, on the best of roads. To elucidate this, I will suppose a canal from Philadelphia to Fort-Pit, or any other long line, to say, three hundred and fifty miles; on such a canal a man, a boy, a horse, would convey forty tons twenty miles per day, and arrive at Philadelphia in (say) eighteen days, at 10s. per day, amounting to 180 shillings for forty tons, or 4s. 6d. per ton, the expense of boating, independent of tolls. By a road of the same length, four horses, perhaps five, would set out with not more than two tons, and traveling at the rate of twenty-five miles per day, arrive at Philadelphia in fourteen days; and to say only two dollars, or 15s. per day, amounting to 210 shillings, or 5l. 5s. per ton for waggoning, independent of turnpike. This, I hope, will exhibit the immense disparity between the two modes, and show that roads, however good, can never effectual relieve a remote country. The question then is, how to construct a canal in order to reduce the tolls, and completely assist the distant districts; this I conceive will totally depend on the mode of raising and appropriating a sum of money to the first fifty or one hundred miles of canal. In this country, canals are paid by companies of subscribers, who receive a toll on the carriage of goods as an interest for the money advanced, and the immense quantity of carriage throughout every part of this compact kingdom, usually produces a considerable interest for the money expended, while the expense of carriage is reduced below that of land conveyance; but as England is environed with water, with numerous sea ports, there is no part very remote from the market, and hence, they never will have canals of any comparative length with those necessary in America, to say seven hundred or eight hundred miles; therefore the mode of proprietors receiving tonnage at so much per mile, although it will ever be much below land carriage, yet even that tonnage would preclude the market from the remote country, and by no means answer for American canals: for instance, L. s. d. A constructs a canal fifty miles long, and receives two-pence per ton per mile 0 8 4 B ditto 0 8 4 C ditto 0 8 4 D ditto 0 8 4 E ditto 0 8 4 F ditto 0 8 4 G ditto 0 8 4 _______ _________ 350 miles L. 2. 18 4 Per ton, tolls, independent of boating; and hence I conceive the produce could not bear the expense of carriage by this method. But as it is the produce of the interior country which must be drawn forth, the leading canals shoals be national works, perhaps by the following system. First, That the legislature, by such duties or imports as they conceive most eligible, raise a sum of money adequate to the expense of the first sixty or seventy miles of canal; to say from Philadelphia to Lancaster, which perhaps may cost 150,000l. of which 30,000l. per annum, may be required till the canal is finished. On this canal, sixty miles long, if I suppose fifty tons per day to be navigated at two-pence per ton per mile, allowing 280 working days per year, it would amount to 7,000l. per annum, which should be applied to extending the canal; the tolls of such extension being appropriated in like manner to further extension, and so on, the toll to be continually devoted to forming more canal; til canals would pervade the whole country by virtue of their own produce arising from the tolls. If this mode of extending the canal, by appropriating the tolls, should be deemed too tedious for the speedy relief to the interior country, and the funds of the state would admit of the advance of a further film, they might immediately extend the canal two hundred miles, and receive the tolls, till the last advanced sum was liquidated; or, as the proprietors of the lands in the interior would be much benefited by their property being raised in value, probably they might raise the sum, and receive the tolls till such sum was liquidated: the lands being increased in value, might be deemed sufficient interest till the principal was discharged, which would diminish every year. If by either of these modes, or any better which can be devised, I suppose the first two hundred miles of canal to be formed, the trade will be more in proportion to the length than on the first sixty miles before estimated; because, being more remote from the metropolis, the interior inhabitants will be necessitated to fly to the canal, the tonnage will also be greater; therefore, if I allow on the two hundred miles one hundred tons per day, to be navigated at twenty shillings per ton for the whole length, or in proportion for a shorter distance, the annual produce would be 28,000l.; and having arrived at such annual income, canals would proceed with dispatch, and progressively increase, both in riches and extension; each year the produce of tonnage would increase, and each year a greater length of canal might be constructed. Therefore, if I proceed with this progressive and creative system, till a canal reached Fort-Pit, with some bends, I will call three hundred and sixty miles; the country, which such canal would accommodate, would widen as it was more remote from Philadelphia. For instance, the man who lived twenty miles from Philadelphia, might convey his goods seven to the canal; the man at a forty mile distance might go fourteen or fifteen to the canal; at sixty miles, twenty to the canal; and so on, till at the extremity of three hundred and sixty miles, they probably would go fifty on each side to the canal; hence, if I average the whole, such canal may be said to accommodate a country three hundred and sixty miles long, fifty miles wide; on which the tonnage must now be regulated. The man who resides twenty miles fro Philadelphia, and seven from the canal, should he convey a ton of goods by land, it would be worth at least fifteen shillings, as it would employ a man and two horses two days. s. The carriage to the canal, seven miles in like proportion, - - - - - - - - - - 5 Carriage on the canal, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 ____ Total, 9 Thus the saving would be six shillings, and the tonnage should increase to a certain sum on the first hundred miles of canal, keeping much within the limits of land-carriage; then decrease as the boating increased, in order to draw the trade of the back country into the canal. The expense of boating a ton twenty miles will be as follows: a man, boy and horse, will convey forty tons twenty miles for ten shillings, which is three-pence per ton for twenty miles; but to allow contingencies, say four-pence per ton, for boating twenty miles; the tonnage and boating on the three hundred and sixty miles should then be regulated, perhaps, in the following order. Miles Tonnage Boating Amount s. d. s. d. s. d. 20 4 0 0 4 4 4 40 8 0 0 8 8 8 60 12 0 1 0 13 0 80 16 0 1 4 17 4 120 19 8 2 0 21 8 140 19 4 2 4 21 8 160 19 0 2 8 21 8 180 18 8 3 0 21 8 200 18 4 3 4 21 8 220 18 0 3 8 21 8 240 17 8 4 0 21 8 260 17 4 4 4 21 8 280 17 0 4 8 21 8 300 16 8 5 0 21 8 320 16 4 5 4 21 8 340 16 0 6 0 21 8 360 15 8 6 0 21 8 By this system, the country at the extremity of three hundred and sixty miles, would deliver goods at Philadelphia for twenty-one shillings and eight-pence; which is the same as paid at the distance of one hundred miles; to which the land-carriage to the canal must be added. But as such a system would open a market tot he remote country, every acre of ground within reach of the canal would become more valuable, and the carriage tot the canal must be borne for some years. But as population increased, and the tonnage on the main line became productive, lateral branches would be cut from the canal, and thus further improve the country; the tonnage of such branches being proportioned as before stated, according to the distance from the city. The carriage of such canal would consequently be immense; for, as I before stated, it would accommodate a country three hundred and sixty miles long, fifty miles wide, in the main, containing eighteen thousand square miles, or eleven million five hundred and twenty thousand acres. If, by further improvement, I allow that only every fiftieth acre will produce one ton of carriage per annum, the amount would be two hundred and thirty thousand four hundred tons; which appears, by averaging the preceding tonnage, would cost fifteen shillings per ton, in tolls to the canal, amounting to 172, 800l. per annum, in order to construct further canal; a sum adequate to forming. perhaps eighty or one hundred miles per year: having arrived at such a length, it is evident canals would increase with astonishing rapidity, and produce conveniences, even beyond the limits of calculation; for it must be observed, and strictly adhered to, that by canals you may equalize the carriage of the near and remote country, as before exhibited by the mode of regulating the boating with the tonnage, in proportion to the extent; inasmuch as that a ton of goods may be carried three hundred and sixty miles for il.. is. 8d. Yet, was I to extend the idea to a still more distant district, by reducing the tonnage as the boating increased, till the tolls were annihilated, and the boating amounted to il. is. 8d.; a ton of goods might be boated thirteen hundred miles for that sum; yet a ton could not be waggoned the same distance for less than 381. 10s. so great is the disparity between land and water-carriage. Hence it must be evident, that roads, however good, can never effectually assist remote country, each mile is attended with a heavy expense on carriage, till penetrating so far, that the value of the produce is consumed in carriage; it terminates in a luxuriant wilderness, sable and uncultivated as the interior of Africa. But by canals, the conveyance may be so easy, that they may penetrate the most remote districts, draw down the produce to ports of trade, and bear up the various conveniences of life; thus each man may exchange his surplus labor for the necessaries of luxuries which he may require; hence his faculties will be put into action, cultivation will flourish, and enjoyment be more equally diffused; canals will pass through every vale, meander round each course; hence population will be increased, each acre of land will become valuable, industry will be stimulated, and the nation, gaining strength, will rise to unparalleled importance, by virtue of so powerful an ally as canals. Having exhibited the immense disparity between canals and roads, with the mode of extending canals in every direction, by appropriating the tolls; it is evident, that such a system will produce infinite navigation. But the mode of constructing them must be maturely considered; and in this, two things must be scrupulously adhered to. First, that canals may truly benefit a country, it is necessary the passage should be performed with equal ease each way. Second, that the nearest course should be taken to the principal points of the country; and for both these reasons, the beds of the rivers, beyond tide, must almost universally be forsaken; because torrents, in time of rain, which is extremely injurious to the works of art, with the shoals in dry seasons, together with the current ever standing one way, will very frequently interrupt free intercourse, and render fresh-water river navigations precarious. The rivers, creeks, and rivulets, which arc numerous in all parts, must be considered as the feeders of canals; and, in this respect, having an abundance of water, America is very fortunate; land is also cheap and timber plenty, so that the great expense of an American canal would be labor. Therefore, as it is the channels of art, which can only effectually assist the country, I have constantly endeavored to find a system which might pass by the straightest line to a given point; hence you will observe the mode of mountinghills, crossing valleys, rivers, and defiles, by the various machines , which, I hope, will display an easy means of extending water communications through a great continent, and bear the mind to those days, when a well-directed economy in manual labor will give enlightened and rational enjoyment to many millions of inhabitants : hoping, that this important subject will make a part of the deliberation of a wife Legislature, I remain, with all possible Respect, Yours sincerely, ROBERT FULTON.