The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-10-11

To show the importance of the barge system to
the West and South. we copy the follow Jog article
from Hunts Merchants Magazine:
THE BARGE SYSTEM ON THE WESTERN RIvERs-Irs
TENDENCY TO DIVERT TRADE FROM TIE LAKES
TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
The made quacy of the present means Of outlet
for Western produce to the sesooard; otner tnan
knowledged." For the sake OF cheappess, vast
quantities of produce must take the river and gull
route, or not go to market at all. Notwlthsfand-
ing the objections which exist, and are universally
enter tanned, to that route IFS trade is rapidly in
creasng from the very necessity Of the case.
Within the last three years 1t has received SO
great an Impetus that improvements In the facill'
ties for transferring produce from vessel vessel
and for towing it upon the water, have become
indispensable. The barge system has accordingly
been substituted for the old one of placing the pro-
duce on large steamboats,. Steam tugs OF immense
strength are employed. They CARY no freight.
They are simply the motive poser. They save
| delay by taking fuel for the round trip. Landing
| Only at the large cities, they stop barely long
enough to attach a loaded barge. By this econ
| omy Of time and steady movement, they equal the
'P Tbe .MsSs - u.ys, wIrp ten barges 10
IKE that OF freight cars. The bsrges are loaded
10 the absence OF the steam tug. The tug arrives
leaves train of barges, fakes another and ora.
ceeos. The tug itself Is always ct work. II
does not lie at the levees while the bsrres are
unloading. Us largest stoppage is made for fuel.
The power OF these boats Is enormous The toos
plying on the Minnesota river sometimes tow
$1,000 bushels Of wheat. The freight of q single
"trip would fll IS railroad cars. steanboats are
Obliged to remain in polt two or three DAYS for
the shipment of freight The heavy expense
which iris delay and the necessity of large crews
involve. s grave objection TO the old system Of
transportation. The service Of the steam tug re-
CURES bntfew men, and the cost of running Is re-
latively low. The advantages which are claimed
lor tne barge system are exhibited by the follow
s.oppase at l.mins points. hours IS hours.
Tonpsse. n,1 |@sn
t 1saly s5per r .......s SD $1,000
ohsinsi cost...-.. 90 $4,000
In addition to the ordinary precautions against
nre, the barges have this unmstakable adyan
tage over steamboats,, they can be cut adriftfrom
each other, and the fire restricted to the narrow
EST limits. the barges are very strongly built
and have water-tight compartments for the move
ment OF grain In bulk. The transportation of
grain from Minnesota to New Orlesus BY water
costs no more than the freightage from the same
point oy railroad to Chicago. After the erection
OF floating elevator at New Orleans. boat load
OF rain from st. Paul will not be handled again
till il reaches the Crescent City,
The dimensions OF the vessels EMPLOYED on the
river between st. Louis and New Orleans are as
follows:
Szieet 81 feet scfse Iiee s,o5 i Sa,s COZ.
BARGEs.
Il = feet Sect efss l I;s feet 60 49,. tons.
The fovboats have two engines each the
cylinders are y inches In diameter, with 20 inch
stroke. One towboat will draw 5000 tons of
freight. The time from ST. Louis to New Ofleans
the average, eighteen days.
The Mississippi Valley Transportation Com |
pspy has five towboafs and th'rty.seven barges.*s
Iley are crowded With busi:ess. They handle as |
al rb -
ness 3 rapidly and largely developing. The barge
system VIII soon supersede ell other methods Of |
on western waters. Anjndispens-
able acJpnct OF IT is the steam elevator for trans
IefIiug grain from vessel to vessel 10 bulk. The |
81. Louis elevator cost s450,Coo and has ca. |
pacify OF 100000 bushels. II is able TO handle
iCoCCo bushels day. 1t began to receive grain
y, ice eciooers iee5. Before the lst Of January.
ds6o lis receipts amounted to 600 600 bushels
100000 Of which were brought directly from
Cbicsgo. The local receipts at the elevator in
1866 were l.376, 200 bushels. Grain can now be
shipped by way OF st. Louis and New Orleans 10
New York and Europe Is cents bushel cheaper
than II can be carried to the Atlantic bv the oihsr
exlstlI routes. The effects produced by barge
,yssem Is mus described by q New Orleans cor
respondent OF the New York Times:
NEW ORLEANS. Sunday, April s. 1868.
Chicago and Netc Orleans one Oh
serves now this most enter rising people are
Prospecting for commercial expansion. Chicago
Swns about one-tbird Of the whole tonnage Of the
way By the st. Lawrence to the ocean. she 1,
penetrating the upper country Of the northwest,
nc interceptieg from st. Louis the productions
y Iowa and Montana. Recently she has discoy.
req that the Mississippi IL the cheapest open way
o the markets OF the world, 30 che has sent her 9
explorers to mark her pathway to the ,
cean By way Of New Orleans. The great Illinois
;eItral Railroad has taken hold of the West India
rade, and offered such inducements to western y
Importers that Havspa sends her products bv this q
QUITE rstead Of BY New York. The Texas cattle | !
callers have adopted this route. Large capital
az been put in grain elevators and Western men
no are here to conduct this business claim con-
IDENTITY this important commerce. These explor. | y
rs from the northwest seem delighted with the | b
Innate and local attractions of New Orlesns ana 4
nth rapid rail time between the SHOWS of the :
orfh and the sunny tronois Of New Orleans, We | !.
ave crowds Of business men, with their famiIies =
.rn lsss Minnssos. alone produced iooaooo su.b..
wheat Three fourths Of this could hsvs 49,
r u fscilities Of ehsao rransportafsn hsd ees-sS