New-York daily tribune., 1846-01-22
The Missouri River.

We received some days since committeeman
from A. WHITNEY, ESQ. covering letter aD!i ''7
ed 10 him by Richard s. Elliott on the u
,,o u;..opr; River We would gladly puo'A tne al =
- NH If we could spare the roorn but must co',
o-s.,ves with brief statement of It's p'inc'Pai
contents. -
Mr Elliott who has had much experience on ana
t,owledpe of the River, (havns resided al COuhct'
gu;f. been Indian Agent &c.) makes statements "nlca
will surprise those who have regarded 1t ss Fe4iaoe
channel for purposes OF navigation The entire extent
of steamboat, navigation upon Il at those seasons o nc
year when the water deepest is estimated oy He
Company at 500 nilea. This however Is OH!
tine melting of the snow and ice in the Rocky Mountain
range has swollen the river, about the hiOnL u
To make the voyage to the Yellowstone, (23oo miles,
. ce-.sn,v and safety the boa, is required to leave
81 Louis at some time from the aoth OF ApTI III the st
m ro Roa.s have gone to the Yellowstone late IN the
,ea, Inn. no, without great difficulty and risk
The months of June and July and parts of May and
.s, are the ONLY periods during which the river can
h de,.nded upon even high as Council Bluffs Last
eason boats were unable 10 reach Council bluhs unu
hout the first OF June. The Independence lett SAINT
Louis early in May l6i3 but lay aground al one par s
dvs and did no, reach the mouth of Platte Nebraska
few miles below the Council Butts. until the Isl June
on the 25h of August last the Gen. Brooke heht ooA
and one of the best for low water on the river stared
rom St. Louis with only 90 tons freight. On the
sand bar at Lexington she lay three days and was ooed
10 get Hat boat tighten over II. The boat was unoer
superior management, but ws5 conunaaIy eesl.ns
aground. Above ST. Joseph about eighty Hles from
Fort eavenworth they obliged TO DIVIDE the loan
and leave one half with the other hall some iortynve
tons they reached Council Bluts IN total OF ABOUT NJ
teen days from St Louis She returned to tue bluHs'
and then stsrted without ton Of freight for S LOUIS
On the way down they were frequently aground ana
were ten days in reaching 81 Louis the distance rom
the Bluffs being about seven hundred and MY mics
The boats carry tackle and other apparatus especiay
for getting Of and drawing over sand'oars IN man!
naces the water when low, is spread over large sur
face leaving no channel with than - TO ieet wa
ter The channel is not only constantly changing out Is
Omen so crooked and eccentric that the boats cannot run
II even If Inc pilots could ind it, Hence, to get aground
in loy water is the rule and 10 20 over bar "lhou;
,on;ng ia rho erc,ption In consequence OF these OBJ
strctons TO the navigation the price OF freight from 81
louis TO Council Bluffs is often high ns 500 per ton
From ST. Louis Weston. Mo. treghts are forty to t
cents, and higher, per 100 lbs, greater NUMBER oi
months in the year than they are at less rates
Persons not familiar with the Missouri river cannot
realize how frequent the changes OF its channel are 1t
often happens that boat its upward trip Will near
one bank at particular point, and on its downward IMP
be obliged pass near the other Inc bed oi the re
is entirely composed OF mud and sand and Is
changing The water the river is discoored by the
mud and sand which it carries along with Il in It's RAPID
course The banks of the stream. like its bottom are
constantly chanpnc-iaing into the stream at side
and large bars forming the other These features rem
der the stream susceptible Of but little
none at all regard the depth OF water and piese
vation OF q channel.
The character Of the is much the same for the
whole distance its width and depth of water about the
sane though in many places above Council Blus, there
is often but Is inches Of water. The rapidly OF the
stream the nature of its bed and bottom lands, t3Hict
sGnds) its channel constantly yes, daily, changing
tina, il will be very difficult if possible, to make
much Improvement in its navigation and it can never be
depended upon even from its mouth 10 the Platte for
any considerable commerce. The high freigts CeXcud-
ing wheat and con) and consequent difficulties OF get
ting produce 10 market will be great drawback upon
settlement but should it take place under such disad-
vanaces they will be forced to build Railroads, or their
produce cannot compete with that which has better Ia
cilities to market.
1t would from these statements thatthe MISSOURI
can never be relied upon feasible channel Of commu-
nication with Oregon and California and Mr. Whitney
urges this with much force reason for pushing Tor
ward his magniicen, plan of Railrond TO the Pacific
Mr. Elliott thinks that If the Pacific road should be com
pleted it would not be long before road to inersect 1t
would be built from St Louis up the Missouri valley To
some point on the Nebraska river II such branch
were made it would only carry great deal to and
from the great Pacific Railroad but would also do an I'M
mense business in carrying freight and passengers be
tween the interior and Western portions oil missouri ana
St Louis From the Western line to st. Louis there s
now during the of low water, great deal oi
stage travelling by persons who do not choose TO
ter the uncertainty and delay OF river trip me dS'
tance from independence 10 St LOUIS about 3Vo es
Railroad could carry freight at the rate ot one cent PR
ton per mile three dollars per ton Tor the "ho!c as
lance Now freight is often ten and fifteen dollars per
ton and is rarely less than five dollars the most iavor
able