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Why did canals have towpaths?
When first constructed, barges had no motor to propel them , Hence to move along a canal horses were used. The barge in the canal ; the horse on the tow path ; a rope was attached between the barge and the horse, and the horse moved forward. Because the barge was in a 'soft' medium' ; water, the horse did not have to put in too much effort to move the barge. There would be a bargemen to steer the barge , and an hostler to guide the horse. In this modern era, barges, whilst looking like old time barges, do have a motor, so the use of an horse is no longer required.
What did people do before trains?
They rode horses, drove horse-drawn wagons, and sailed ships including canal barges. And mostly, they walked.
How did people travel on the Erie Canal?
The first Erie Canal was 4′ deep and 40′ wide with small barges. The barges were pulled by mules so it was smelly.
Is the Erie Canal still around?
The Erie Canal is still used mostly for recreation and fishing. But there are some barges of corn and wheat for ethanol production using the Erie Canal.
What is the name of the type of boat that travels on the Erie Canal?
3 types: passenger & cargo, packet, and freight boats. (derived from The Canal Society of Ohio (http://www.canalsocietyohio.org/)) Packets hauled passengers only.
What is the portage railroad?
It was part of a canal system across Pennsylvania. It carried canal barges up and over the Allegheny mountains (the same barrier that the "horseshoe curve" solved.
Are the Erie Canal and Suez Canal similar?
The Erie Canal is located in New York State and connects New York City to Lake Erie. It takes very small barges through the canal from Albany, NY to Buffalo, NY. The Suez Canal is in Egypt. It takes ocean going ships. It connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.
What is the purpose of using a barge?
A barge is a large flat-bottomed boat. Barges are designed mainly for use on a river or a canal for the transportation of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and must be towed, sometimes by horses.
What types of boats were used on the Erie and the Chemung Canal?
The Chemung Canal was very similar to the Erie Canal. It connected the Finger Lakes region of New York with the Susquehanna River. Both canals used barges or packet boats.
Is the Suez canal the longest canal in the world?
It is the longest big-ship ( as opposed to sub-sized barges) canal of its type in the World. It is a sea-level canal and does not require locks. it had movable bridges for traffic control at one time- but these were not, strictly speaking, hydraulic locks.
How did barges move along the canal?
In the U.S., barges were pulled by beasts of burden, such as mules. Steam propulsion did come along, but by that time railroads were all the rage, and the canals fell out of favor. See Sources and related links for a picture.
Also know as the birth canal?
The vagina is also known as the birth canal.
