Mules and horses were used
to power canal boats
. Attached to the boats by a rope, the animals walked along a towpath next to the canal, pulling the boats behind them as they went. Teams of horses or mules worked in shifts. When they were off duty, they rested inside a stable located on the boat.
What is an Erie Canal mule?
Mules were
a popular draft animal on the Erie Canal
. An offspring of a male donkey and a female horse are generally less stubborn and more intelligent than a donkey and hardier and longer lived than a horse. Many barges had a small compartment to stable mules in the front of the barge.
Why did they use mules on the Erie Canal?
Many of these boats were pulled by horses. They traveled about 80 miles in 24 hours. LINE BOATS hauled freight and usually traveled about 2 miles per hour. Mules were used to
pull these boats because they did not scare easily and would not drink contaminated water
.
What was the purpose of the 363 mile Erie Canal?
The Erie Canal provided
a direct water route from New York City to the Midwest
, triggering large-scale commercial and agricultural development—as well as immigration—to the sparsely populated frontiers of western New York, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and points farther west.
Were mules or horses faster at pulling barges?
Canal transport was still fairly slow, however. The
mules could walk about three miles an hour when they were pulling a heavy barge
. The keelboats, which used a small sail, weren’t much faster.
Did horses pull boats on the Erie Canal?
Many of these boats were pulled by
horses
. They traveled about 80 miles in 24 hours. LINE BOATS hauled freight and usually traveled about 2 miles per hour. Mules were used to pull these boats because they did not scare easily and would not drink contaminated water.
Is the Erie Canal still in use?
Nearly 200 years old and still going strong. New York’s
canal system has been in continuous operation since 1825
, longer than any other constructed transportation system on the North American continent. Over the years, it has been enlarged three times to accommodate larger boats and more traffic.
How many years did it take to complete the Erie Canal?
The canal was completed in only
8 years
at a cost of $7,000,000. When completed on October 26, 1825, DeWitt Clinton (by then Governor of New York) boarded a vessel, the Seneca Chief, in Buffalo and headed to New York City.
Why is there 15 miles on the Erie Canal?
Fifteen miles was the common distance a mule or horse would work before resting. This is “
a falsehood made up to explain a falsehood
,” says Dan Ward, former curator at The Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse NY.
How did people travel the Erie Canal?
Passengers
traveled on packet boats
, which were large wooden boats that looked like a box. These packet boats were pulled by horses or donkeys that walked along the edge of the canal. … Erie Canal packet boats traveled two miles per hour and cost passengers between two to four cents per mile.
How deep is the Erie Canal now?
| JUST THE FACTS | Canal dimensions, 1862 Enlarged Erie 7 ft deep x 70 ft wide; lock 110 ft long | Canal dimensions, 1918- present Erie Barge Canal 12-23 ft deep x 120 -200 ft wide; locks 310 ft long | Cost to build $7,143,789 | Return on Investment 10 years |
|---|
What city was most changed by the Erie Canal?
The Erie Canal transformed
New York City
into America’s commercial capital.
How many Irish died building the Erie Canal?
While there are no official records of immigrant deaths,
somewhere between 8,000 and 30,000
are believed to have perished in the building of the New Basin Canal, many of whom are buried in unmarked graves in the levee and roadway fill beside the canal.
How many tons could a strong horse pull on the canals?
Commercial horse-drawn canal boats could be seen on Britain’s canals until the 1950s (although by then steam and diesel powered boats had become more common). The canal boats could carry
30 tons
at a time with only one horse pulling – more than ten times the amount of cargo per horse that was possible with a cart.
What is a lock in a canal?
Lock,
enclosure or basin located in the course of a canal
or a river (or in the vicinity of a dock) with gates at each end, within which the water level may be varied to raise or lower boats.
What were conditions like aboard passenger barges along the Erie Canal?
Many Europeans, and Yankees leaving New England, boarded packet boats. (Marco Paul’s Travels on the Erie Canal, 1852.) Deck space was limited, so
passengers often passed time on the roof when the weather was fair
. They had to duck, or even flatten themselves on the planks, when passing under low bridges.
