The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-04-13

Missouri, Arkansas, anu tennessee. Including
ships briggs, and craft Of all descriptions, there are
now 400 vessels navigating the lakes above Mag
ara Falls. The lake coast, he said, exceeded
5000 miles, upon which the government had be-
slowed only $2,400,0O0. Lake Erie had no nat
ural harbor on all its southern coast. The ex-
ports of wheat and -four from four ports upon
the lakes, viz: Cleveland, Detroit, Sandusky,
Chicago, in lS43, amounted to the following ag-
gregate wheat, 1,S94,992 bushels, and flour,
Sl2,903 barrels. worth about $4,S00OOO. The
value of all the exports from Cleveland alone in
l643 was $5,500,000.
The number of steamboats, at this time EN-
ployed in navigating the Mississippi and it's tribu-
: taries is $50, whose average burden is 200 tons,
4 making an aggregate of 10000 tons at $50 per
ton the aggregate value is $1,000, 900. The
average number OF persons employed in navi-
eating the steamboats, is about 30, which gives
total of 1880 More than 700 fat boats have
been known to pass the Louisville and Portland
canal in one year, and the whole number upon
the Western waters is estimated at 1000. Allow
ing 3 men to each boat, there are about 10000
persons in this branch of navigation. The cost
of these boats is $420,OO0 which is an annual ex-
pense, as they never ascend the rivers. The
expense of loading, navigating, and unloading
them is $96O,OOO, making the whole annual ex-
penditure upon this class of boats s 3S0,0OO
The aggregate expense of running the $50 steam
boats is estimated to be $9,036,OOO. of which the
items OF wages and wood the heaviest parts
of the expense. The additional expense of in
surance, toll, &c. with the flat boat navigation,
makes the total annual cost of transportation
$l3,6lS,OO0. In 1917, previous to the adoption
of steamboat navigation, the tonnage of all the
boats ascending the Ohio and the Lower Msss-
sppi was about $500. In 1884 there were $50
steamboats,, with an aggregate tonnage Of $4,000
and in 1912 the number of boats was $50, and
their burden 10000 tons. The number of persons
directly engaged about this navigation, in various
ways, amounts to 10000. There were con-
structed at the single city of Cincinnati in lS43
45 steamboats, whose tonnage amounted to
l2,O35, and their cost $705,O00 There were
regularly employed during 1913 at the Cincn-
natl ship yards no Workmen of various sorts. |
The whole number of boats built upon the West |
ern rivers during lS43 was l20, the tonnage of
which amounts e. a6,756. Thsspsmorial further
says that the foregoing estimates of the number
Of steamboats, and tonnage were for the year 1912
and that subsequent Information brings the num-
Der Of boats 900, and their tonnage to 10000
The number of steamboats, in the Mississippi val
ley exceeds that of GreatBritain, and the tonnage
that of the whole empire. The whole annual
tonnage is estimated at something like 100000.
The value of commodities sent to New Orleans
from the upper country from September l, 184l, to
August 81, 1912, was SS35, 764,477 36, and the
number of ships in the harbor at one time has
amounted to 900. The above estimate of the
amount of imports in New Orleans from the upper
country omits to take into consideration q num-
Der OF valuable products, such as live stock of va
rious descriptions, provisions, vegots6les. &c,
carried to market, which are supposed to be
worth $l4,000,00O or $4,000 900 more, making
S5oOOO0O0, besides the vast amount Of products
taken to the Eastern cities by means of the ca
nails and lakes.
The value of the internal trade-the trade be-
tween the manufacturing towns up the Ohio with
the lower country, and the trade in provisions
IS estimated TO exceed even the external COM
merce and is set down at $70,000,O00; making
az aggregate value of $3.50 00O,0 900, which is an
hually irelghted upon the Western waters. These
are the exports, together with the manufactures
and products made and sold within the valley.
10 this amount of $l20000,0O0, is added $780,
100000 for the imports by the lakes and the
mouth Of the Mississippi; making the annual
value Of the commerce OF the Western rivers
$220OOO,OOO equal to the whole external COM
merce of the country.
The memoriasts suppose that the West pro-
duces two thirds of the 800,0O0,000 bushels of
grain, which is the annual crop Of the country,
according to the census of 1910, and worth
$336,O00OOO.
The amount of lands owned by the Govern.
ment, within the States and Territories exceeds
3O00O0,0O0 acres; and that of the vacant terri
tories is estimated at 50,000,000 The value
of public lands sold and paid for within the eight
years, from 1884 to 1S41 inclusive, was 1913, $780,
COS, of which $5594O, 500 09 was for lands
within the Mississippi valley, and the remainder
was for lands sold in Michigan Alabama, and
Florida.
The Instructions in the rivers consist of rocks,
bars, and sunken logs or snags, which the memo
rialists call upon the Federal Government to re-
move. The most important of these are at Cap
tina and Buffngton's Island, and at lie Tort's
Falls, the Falls of Ohio, and the Grand Chain.
All these impediments, except the Falls of the
Ohio, it is thought may be removed with little
difficulty and expense. The Falls of the Ohio
present the chief obstacle to its navigation The
river falls 90 feet in two miles, over ledge
OF rocks, which toatlly precludes the passage of
steamboats,, except at times of very high water
The Louisville and Portland Canal, which was