New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-07-12

Il
| Thst yeeA win Aoat in wHter, and thu
ir6n wil1 sinE, y one Of tie earliest pieces D
knowledse acquired n boyhood. Ana 4
may be that as the child Is father to the
man, Ideas thus previously acquired have
enduring eject upon individual men, and
consequently upon the mass of society.
At any rate, long after the practicability
and superiority of an improvement has been
Thoroughly tested, men still keep aloOf, re
luctant to depart from the s.good old way
Hov many years was it after the Missis
slppl steamer had plowed the Father OF
| waters that the old brOad-horn still held
place, taking months to do what is at this
time the work Of days. And now that the
practicable superiority of iron water crafts
over wooden vessels is fully manifested,
how long will it be before liver men, steam
boat owners and builders, apply to their
own interest the fact that in every requi.
site of excellence the iron hull of a river
going as well as sea- going vessel is far
ahead of the wooden steamboat now in use!
we are not aware that even beginning
has been made in the great work of recon
structiOn in Southern waters that must
eventually end in the substitution of iron
STEAMBOATS, for wooden ones.
We have said that the superiority of iron
steamboat hulls over wooden ones has been
thoroughly tested and made manifest This
Is shown by the experience already acquired
OF sea-going steamers, which perform long
voyages over the great oceans of the world.
In the Northern and Western seas of Eu-
rope, stormy and boisterous at nearly al,
seasons, iron vessels have been in successful
use for more than a generation. and their
superiority has resulted in the almost entire
abandonment Of wooden craft But. what
Is still more to the purpose, the interior wa
tiers OF Great Britain have, for still longer
time, been navigated by iron steamsrs to
very great extent, and the increasing proof
OF their superiority and success is such that
wooden crafts are fast disappearing.
Their superiority is claimed from no hasty
test for they have been used on British in
ternal waters for many years.
This last instance cited proves conclu-
slveiy the sOundness Of the position taken
IN favor Of an entire. though gradual. re-
construction of the steamboats, that navi-
gate the Mississippi and other Southern
waters. And it will not be hard to show
that, in addition to the reasons that NAV
have Influenced the adoption of iron vessels
in British waters many viii be found for
their adoption in American internal navi-
CATION. e....
The navigation of the Mississippi involves
species Of danger from which the streams
IT Great Britain are free, mainly because
hey belong to an older civilization. The
ormation of snags and sawyers constitute
IN impeachment to navigation of very for
character and we are within
'ounds in saying that every year. without
reception. valuable boats involving the loss
f many thousands of dollars are DESTROYED
rom this cause. These snags and sawycrs
re the trunks of large trees loosened from
he banks OF the river by the rising and fall
ng OF the waters, and when precipitated
nto the stream, after travelling more or
ass, at length hitch one end into the bed of
he river, while the other end. rising to or
ear the surface. presents formidable spe-
Ill |
majority Of cases penetrating the vessel. !
nd causing total wreck.
This danger in the navigation of the Mis-
sSippi and kindred waters. is to a great
xtert, peculiar to these streams and will
| all probability last for many genera
Ons.
Various attempts have, from time to time.
cen made 40 to strengthen the boats navi-
lting the Mississippi, as to obviate the
Anglers arising from snags and sawyers,
ut so far without success. But it is evil
emit to, every one who has ever paid any :
tentiOn to the subject, that what might
very difficult to accomplish with regard d
wooden hulls, would be of easy attain
ent with iron vessels. For apart from the
ct that an iron hull is, in the nature of
ings. stronger than wooden hull. it is ?
e more easy to improve the impentrability
the forward part of the vessel 1.-THE only
lrt exposed to danser) as TO render its
'strnctiOn. or even slight injury, by snags
together impossible
We have no means at hand for comparing 2
it'll accuracy the relative cost of wooden
ID iron hulls. But, for the arguments 4
Ike, suppOsing that the original cost of an 1
IN hull is One-half more than the cost of 1
g constructed OF wood; the durability of
e iron hull would be so much greater than
e wooden one, that the first would be far
1 i
king into consideration, tlfat the iron hull, :
ing less liable to destruction by fire or
Ter dangers of navigation, the insurance
'uld he materially lessened. as well as
Ter incidental expenses, all of which
'uid have q tendency toward the reduc- Fl
II of freights. The reduction of the cost at
transportation thus obtained, it is hardly s,
cessary to Say, would be the great means
fostering and extending the river trade. =
Of course enhancing the prosperity and
,wth Of the river towns. New Orleans, of
lrse, would reap its full share of all
.se benefits. as the great merit of the
,uld have the effect of awakening our r
and steamboat owners to the
sat question of the substitution of iron
ambOats Oh the Mississippi and tributa-
5 as fast as practicable. of
We can not resist the conclusion that the
sent is a most OppOrtune time to call
bic attention to this subject. The close
the war found the means of river nayi-
ton, to a great extent, in a dilapidated
ldition. The annually increasing river
de will necessitate large increase of
means of transportation, not only to re- g.,
ce what has been destroyed. but to supply ~
emand that, it is evident to all. will in a ID
eff season exceed that of all former times. ID
is stated on good authority that the aver
duration Of a wooden steamboat is not
7Ond six years. If besides the additional
ambOats necessitated by increased trade.
vessels existing were as fast as superan. W,
tied, replaced by iron STEAMBOATS,, the
structiOn would be complete in no long
IN of years, without any inconvenience
ateyer.
II considering the dangers incidental to
Mississippi navi gation, it should be
hot