more competition forced the canal to lower rates, resulting in a decline in revenue. the canal saw a boom in prosperity with the outbreak of the american civil war in 1861, which continued throughout the war and for a brief time after. after the atlantic cable was completed in 1866, however, the canal began to lose tonnage again. by 1869, railroads finally surpassed the canals in terms of tonnage, and the routes financial troubles were compounded by the long depression beginning in 1873. it registered a net loss of $265,610.70 in 1875.