Talk:Morris Canal

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At its greatest extent (usually meant as its length!) is inaccurate. The Morris Canal and its 2 feeder Canals totalled 110 miles. Its longest stretch without a lock or Inclined Plane was 17 miles. RonRice@writeme.com 18:39, 25 May 2006 (UTC) Ron Rice, CSNJ map archivist

Use after demise by canoeists ...

Drago writes that the State of New Jersey cut the banks draining the canal, destroyed the Little Falls aqueduct, in the years 1924-1926. Yet, Eric Sloane writes that "Long after the Morris Canal closed, New York canoe clubs used the route to paddle to Lake Hopatcong. Dozens of canoes might reach the end of the line at one time, filled with canoeists bronzed by the sun of fifty miles along the canal." Sloan, Eric (1955). p. 57. ISBN 0-345-24293-9-295. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid prefix (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help) Unfortunately Sloane does not give a reference for this information, which seems to be a little contradictory to what Drago writes. The Newark Subway opened in 1935, so that might be a latest date for these people canoeing.

Bonnachoven (talk) 18:59, 17 January 2014 (UTC)

Why no Morristown Connection?

Since the original vision for this canal was by a group of Morristown businessmen I wonder why the canal was build with no Morristown connection. Perhaps the terrain near Morristown was not suitable for a canal. However, there is no indication that any provision was made for the canal to connect to Morristown at all so I wonder what these businessmen were thinking about.

The canal does seem to have moved a lot of freight for many years. The reason for it’s decline is given as the increasing efficiency of railroads for moving freight, especially bulky heavy items such as anthracite coal. Coal is the basis of the American industrial revolution and continued to be important as a home heating fuel as as a steam engines on ships. Were railroads able to carry coal at a lower freight rate than railroads?

If you know the answer to these questions I would appreciate learning it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ishmael Dott (talk • contribs) 18:09, 22 April 2015 (UTC)

It's a similar fate with the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal: by the 1870's, the railroad technology improved with better engines and air brakes, so that they could set rates lower than the canals. Until then, canals could somewhat compete for bulk freight. Davies talks about that in his unfinished book (available from the C&O Canal society). A C&O Canal boat could pull 115 tons with two mules, which is about 4 boxcars. Ll1324 (talk) 18:15, 22 April 2015 (UTC)