tefully developed in order to render one-eighth useful.
But this occurred when he was moving only two loaded boats--the steamer and
one in tow--but when moving four boats--three in tow--the _percentage of
utility_ was lessened, and he could not exceed eight to ten per cent. of
his steam, as shown in slower movement, when fewer horses on the tow-path
could equal him.

The steamer is a reservoir, and its rotatory power is free to be developed
"_inversely as its resistances_." Hence, when fastened to a pier, it is all
developed in its receding currents, and _per contra_ when moving; if its
machinery had a perfect fulcrum, it would all be developed in the run of
the boat; consequently, on rivers and lakes, with fine-lined steamers, that
cut the water like a knife, it is like standing in a small boat and pushing
from a large one, but on canals, with their full bows, it is like standing
in a large boat and pushing from a small one; the little one runs away with
the power. The more than 100 square feet area of immersed section of the
full bow represents the large boat, and the dozen square feet effective
area of propeller blades, set at an easy angle for spiral motion and
recession velocity, is the little one that squanders the power so
extravagantly. Increase in number of boats increases this contrast. The
propeller blades of a good canaller will move twelve to fifteen miles, in
their line of spiral movement, to get two to three miles headway for the
boat.

_A correct scientific analysis_ can trace the developments of the
eighty-five to ninety per cent. of the inherent power of the steam that is
wasted on the common canal-boat, and that has no resultant effect whatever
in the motion of the boat, just as positively as it can trace the
co-developments of fifteen to ten per cent. that is utilized and that moves
the boat.

The practical man sees the truths of these statements. He sees steam used
with small, medium and large engines for canal purposes, and sees them all
fail to meet the economy of transportation established by horses; but he
would just as soon put men on the tow-path to compete with horses as to put
horses into his elevators to compete with steam; and that, because in the
elevators the power of the steam is chiefly utilized, whilst on the canal
it is chiefly wasted.

It is therefore conclusive that there is an absolute necessity for a NEW
MECHANICAL SYSTEM, for a radically different system of transmissive
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