Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1870-11-05

hiiiN- btttuuCSs sAtttE ttit NOthDit'
ton of the canal, steamboats, and
barges Cmn be loaded at st. Louis,
Louisville, Cincinnati, or any other
shipping point on the Mississippi and
its tributaries, and be unloaded nj
Mobile, or on any of the numerous
rivers emptying into the Gulf east OF
the Mississippi.
A second obstacle In the way of the
prosperity of New Orleans is the bar
at the mouth of the Mississippi. The
millions Of people living on the banks
of the great river and its tributaries
demand that this important outlet
for their grain and other produce shall
in some way be kept open. Although
the National Government has as
sumed the responsibility, and made
liberal appropriations, still the diffi
cult problem has thus far baflled
engineering skill. 1t Is the opin-
ion of many engineers that the mag
nitude of the river, and the enormous
deposit at the bar, render 1t impossi-
ible to keep open q channel to the
depth of twenty feet.
Ship-Island Harbor, the only avail
able harbor near the mouth of the
Mississippi for vessels of deep draught
is only sixtyfive miles from New
Orleans by the route of the proposed
canal, while the distance to the gulf
by the Southwest Pass is one hun
dred and thirty miles. Ship-Island
Harbor Is well protected, furnishes u
depth of twenty three feet of water,
Is large enough for fifteen hundred
sail of ships, and lies in the direct
line Of trade between New Orleans
and the West Indies, the North, and
Europe. AS the proposed canal will
be the shortest, safest, cheapest, and,
i'm fact, only practicable water con
nection between the Mississippi and
the deep water of the gulf at Ship
Island Harbor, il Is believed that 1t
will, although atiording but twelve
feet depth of water, furnish the best
outlet to flank the bar of the Missis-
sippi. att, .,,
Orleans Is the distance of one hun
dred and thirty miles from South
west Pass. The cost of towage upon
sailing vessels up and down Is 81 7j
per ton. This, with the exhorbitant
DO1t tiibt SCS, IiohtS ANCW ttlt
most expensive port in the world,
with the exception, possibly, Of Cal
cutta and London. Shippers say that
when they can find no other destina-
tion for their vessels, they send them
to New Orleans.
The proposed ship canal would serve
as q cut off for all vessels drawing
less than from ten to twelve feet ol
water, saving one hundred miles
river towage. Vessels of that dimen.
sion could then sail within twenty
miles OF New Orleans. Some of the
brigs and nearly all the schooners
would avail themselves of the cheap
er route. 1t now costs "a schooner ol
500 tons SS75 TO be towed up and down
the river, to say nothing of the ume
lost. The light-draught steam hips
plying to the Florida ports and the
West Indies would also use the canal
From Key West and Havana there
would he an actual saving in distance
by the Lake Borgne route. Sailing
vessels have sometimes to wait sew.
eral days at the Balize in order tc
make up "a tow" 1t requires som.
iorty-eight hours TO ascend the rapid
current of the river.
Notwithstanding the cost of trans
shipment at New Orleans, as many
as 25, 900 bales of cotton per year have
been lightered from New Orleans t.
Mobile bay. On the completion o
the canal it is believed that cotton
can be put on hoard at Ship-Island
Harbor at less expense than the COS,
of towage up and down the river, aud
the heavy port-charges of New Or.
leans.
The shipment Of grain in bulk from
New Orleans through the Southwest
Pass q. e. the outlay at New Orleans
and on the river costs from six to
eight cents per bushel. When the
canal is completed, grain can be light
cred from the New Orleans elevator,
to ships drawing twenty-three feet o
waterin Ship-lsland Harbor, ior three
cents per bushel. Or, II II be prefer.
red, the barges bringing the grain
down the Mississippi can be t0wed
directly alongside the ships and de-
livered at cost of about one and a
half cents per bushel from New Or
leans. The saving of from three t.
P ~, - =,
OF ousleis W gram W oe eApolteu oy
.he M,ississ'ppl 'ou'e - q nia..er "
the Mississippi Valley.
Lake Borgne and the Mississippi
sound are navigable by ordinary
steamboats, and barges. a committe,
from 81. Louis, including the Presi
uen's oi the Cnaiiioer o, Noinnierce
allu o, Tue Irn,n am Associa.i1n, ASSOC. ,,, @ recent
~ eAali'neu . .ne Iouie os .ne proPos'
eu cana', WIN sPe'ial relerelice 70 ~
use Ior sne shiphieht y, era'n III oulh JUN
" .,e VII, ,.,t "ue ,,.,p' " i,p' ahu oVh'
cIuueH, witnout nes,tation, that th,
transfer couiu oe inaue III pm 'iSaanu
i1nroor WIN peIiece safety hlleit
Is no reasoii Wny carsoes VI ra,iIoau
, IRON, ,in, anu iie'Insna'I. ,n bar'r.1 u,
s,iou'" no. &c oais'en'eu " o.isvs ~
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