History
The Marne-Rhine Canal was built from 1838 to 1853. The main problem it solved was going through the Vosges Mountains and especially climbing up its eastern side to its lower point, the Col de Saverne. This was first solved by means of a ladder of seventeen locks, allowing an overall level change of 44.45 metres over a distance of 4 kilometres. In 1969, these locks were replaced by the Saint-Louis-Arzviller inclined plane.
Before the advent of self-propelled barges, the barges were hauled by two to four horses or mules, until the beginning of the 20th century. Then came the tractors, first on railways then on tyres since 1933, with electrical motors first and later diesel engines.
The greatest energy is needed to start the move. Thus, the traveling via the locks ladder was very laborious, tiring, expensive and long.
With 314 kilometres and 17 locks, the travel from Vitry-le-François to Strasbourg took six to nine days. Just using the locks ladder of Arzviller needed one whole day.
Additionally, due to the narrow width of this section, the crossing of two barges was barely possible.
One person was needed to man each lock. These seventeen lock-keepers had to take care of the locks seven days a week and about twelve hours a day. They lived near the canal in houses owned by the state. Their duty was:
- to allow the boats to pass through the locks;
- to ensure good functioning and safety;
- to maintain the valves, the toothed racks and the canal's surroundings.
In winter, the canal was emptied, to allow the locks' upkeep.
The seventeen locks wasted a lot of water (about 600 cubic metres per boat and per lock plus the leaks). In summer, the water need was greater than could be compensated for by the surrounding available small river and ponds.
Read more about this topic: Saint-Louis-Arzviller Inclined Plane
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