Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-11-30
WATER TRANSPORTATION.
Highly Interesting Facts
and Figures.

ana Figures.
Eprross DrxocsAr The libsr 81 views
con tanned in your editorial in regard to the
proposed Central Water Line" connect
ing the navigabls waters Of the Mississippi
Valley With the Atlantic, BY means Of the
James River L Kanawha Canal, encourage
ne to present through yeur columns. 10
ysur readers, some ether considsra'ions.
bassd, in the main. upon authentic data
and practical experience, illustrative net
only Of the great benefits to b derived TO |
The West and to the whole country BY ss-
cusiag The esnplstisn Of this great central
line; but. in many respects, equally con-
s'usivs - to the advantages and feasib'liiy |
Of one or more lines Of water conmunieaaen
connecting with the Lakes.
To consider this subject properly, and to
comprehend, to its full extent, the system
of internal navigation. the whole subject
must be looked ., from Western point OF
view. How to ohsspen the cost and to iui-
nish adequate facilities for the accommoda-
ton Of tho already vast and constantly in
ereasing amount Of freight wanting trans
p,rtatiou back aud forth from the Missis-
App, Valley 10 the ssAboard, should BE- Ahs
primary csnsidsratiss and net how, most
probably, to invest 10 the stocks Of This
o. that proposed improvement
In The former, which 10 the only proper
and liberal view q. b taken Of the qusstiss,
sseh additional lins Of proposed improve
asnt. practicable aid mssitsrisus in itself.
will By iss ceapslitisn and By increasing
the facilities, and thereby ehsapsning TIE
eest. help on the grand dssign Of chssp
transportation; and should therefore Be
welcomed and aided BY The friends Of The
others. - 40 auxiliary. and nss ssaght to
- disparagsd - rival.
Viewing the matter 10 this light, there
should be no osas Jealousy between the
friends Of either enc 81 the proposed lines,
and any Of the others. The only question
shsald b what gill b aeesoplishsd BY
them oil, and hew msch will cash enterprise
eentributs toward IL.
Asa practical and preliminary question
- be determined. the 6rst question must b
how 70 ast'in the necessary msass to Dc
The work. and 10 the solution sfihis, IL be.
comts imperfect 70 know how far the ne,
earnings Of their several enterprises, when
completed, will meet the interest. and repay
the csst Of construction. For, howcve,
advantageous these improvements may b.
demonstrated 10 bs-howsvsr largely the
whole country may be shown to be interest
ed in them, 10 to be feared that un ies.
it can also he shown that the government,
OF the United States can give the required
aid without increasing tho burdens of taxa
ton upon the people. it will he very d,fIicul,
to obtain It,
A basis of calculation, and one folly
within the limits ofthc fact, ii may be safel
stated, that the amount Of freight annually
passing East aud West. to aud from tn,
Mississippi Valley to the vicinity Of the At
lan,ic ssasoard, reaches t,senty fire million
eflens, and at cost, on an average, at on
dollar Per hasdred pounds, or. in the aggrs
gate. .drs hundred millions Fl dollars. Thi
10 the tribute annually paid nov land .
course. constantly on the increase to &c
the surplus products. whether Of the soil
the pssducts Of manufacturing snterp, isss
or OF the mines aud the forests, from ID,
section Of the country whore they are no
waited TO the section wanting thsm. An,
all OF this vast sum. except the profit mad
On The transportation. which does not CT
,oe0 enc fifth Of the gross amount, 10 DE- a.
oss. N0w, by 40 much 80 this enormou
sum can be reduced by chsapsning trans
tAtisn. - the wealth Of the country annual,
increased and while the growing Yves
will receive the larger share Of this saving
II will. TO = considerable extent, DO shar Q,
by every interest in the whole country.
The following tabular and comparativ
ssa'c nsnt Of the four principal contempt q e.
lines OF water communication, will sxhibi
ant illustrate. to seme extent, the genera
advantages Of the whole system, rs we'll .
the particular claims Of each enterprise.
The charge Of z mills per ton per mile 70
canal transportation 10 made up Of ~ mills
the officially reported cost on the Er,s Cana
sincs the enlargement, and ~ mills tolls
There 10 norsassn Why the charges on canal
Of either Of the three routes embraced il
the comparison should be greater, but goo,
reasons why they should BE- lsss-such a
the smsller lockags and less number .
locks on the two linss connssting with tn
lakes, and the much shertsr time the boat
will BE- laid up On the james River 4 Kan
awha Canal. The ether rates are baset
upon veil established data.
Beginning With the msst Northern Line
the rates end se0parison from this poin
will b - follsgs:
fan WIscousiN AND rox siyps aourP.
froa Dsvsapsrs - Prairie du Chen. BY
see Asssase.Ppt. i7e nilss. q ) miils per
From rrsirie do Cafes, ~ shsWlseessia
aad Fog Nvss lnprovsasst 70 Green
Nay. Ivy miles. o. m'sls PER zoe. tolls
rssa Ors.s HAv y Buffalo. BY lake. 500
maees. at N mile per tee per mile. +. o
Fsen Bsnsie = AA6ssy. ~ saaal, so
oiies; ~ mills per tsa per mile. tolls
Fro. Albany 70 New Yeri, iso miles. i by
~ hadsea river, ~ nins per ses per
ons.... ................
Add sWe traasfsrs. ~. ....... Z
From davenport u New Ysrk Der ten. q I
Divide oy -. 0ivss NE cost per hundrel
0lklo.
Thrss.dfhs ~ Ais sun, o. q 2.lo ssots
would BE- the eest Of transpertiug . bushs
Of wheat from Davenport 70 New York. +
this add IL cssts, the amount Of ocsal
transportatisn . Livsrpesl, at II mills pc
mile. will make from Davenport to Liver
pool for bushel Of wheat 81 9 ~ costs. :
The csst from ST. Paul b. the same rout
Of sane rate 70 enc cent more, the differ
sncs being made in the increased distsnc
on the Mississippi river.s
Rorrs ranoucH ILLINOIS RlvKH, n1xNkPr
AND rERU TO CHICAGO.
From Davenport TO Chicago, 700 miies,
b. canal. Il mills per ten per mile,
sciis included. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 81 4
From Chicago 10 Buffalo, 200 miles by
lakes stast miils per ton per mile -. s.
FROM bad.io to New York, - abcve
uaasters included. .... II
From Davenport to New York per ton. :. q 0,
Or 80 cents hundred, aud 81 cents TO
bushel Of wheat. Add to Liverpool, 1.
cents, and the cost Of tsaaspertiny q bushe
q wheat from Davenport to liverpool vii
be- 81 ceata, Or about ens-haif the prssen