American inventions and inventors . rly every AtlanticState had one or more canals as aids to transportation. Many of them were of additional importance because theyconnected neighboringbays, and could furnishopportunities for watertravel, even when the har-bors might be blockaded intime of war. The greatest and by farthe most important is theErie canal, which connectsBuffalo on Lake Erie withAlbany on the HudsonRiver. This canal was dueto the energy and persis-tence of Governor De WittClinton, who dug the firstshovelful of earth in 1817, and made the first trip over thecompleted canal in 1825
American inventions and inventors . rly every AtlanticState had one or more canals as aids to transportation. Many of them were of additional importance because theyconnected neighboringbays, and could furnishopportunities for watertravel, even when the har-bors might be blockaded intime of war. The greatest and by farthe most important is theErie canal, which connectsBuffalo on Lake Erie withAlbany on the HudsonRiver. This canal was dueto the energy and persis-tence of Governor De WittClinton, who dug the firstshovelful of earth in 1817, and made the first trip over thecompleted canal in 1825. There was great opposition tobuilding this canal at the expense of the State, and the nick-name of Clintons Big Ditch was frequently applied to Clinton was wiser, however, than his cent spent on this canal, which is 363 miles long, 40feet wide, and 4 feet deep, was wisely spent. On the daythat it was finished the great prosperity of New York Citybegan. A large part of the trade and commerce between the. -T=^ THE ERIE CANAL. 222 AMERICAN INVENTIONS AND INVENTORS. East and the West was carried over the Erie canal, becauseit furnished the cheapest route. Freight charges betweenBuffalo and Albany fell at once to less than one-quarter theirformer rates, and continued to decrease until they becameless than $io a ton. Thus far had travel and transportation improved. Fromwalking, horseback riding, and rowboats, slow changes hadled to stages, packets, steamboats, and canals. From thesimple Indian trail, like the Bay Path, had grown up thegreat highways, like the National Road. From slow anddifficult journeys between neighboring towns, traveling hadbecome easy from Maine to Florida, and from the AtlanticOcean to the Mississippi River. Was there any chance forfurther improvement? CHAPTER Up to this time progress had been more marked upon thewater than upon the land. On the land travelers were stilllimited to human power and horse power. On the w
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpubli, booksubjectinventions
