New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-11-25
Terms Of 6abscFiption.
ons ysax, es; six month";, o. 50.


Pa A1Vef Vet0uo k61IIs
We reproduce an article from the St
Louis Democrat ON the river versus rail
which contains some palpable errors in
figures which the intelligent reader may
correct:
Numberless articles have been written to
prove that railways can successfully COM
pete with water transportation, but the fol-
lowing statement of coal shipped In one day
from Pttsburg to Southern points concln-
sively proves that were One-quarter Of the
capital invested in Western railways ex-
pended on improving our rivers, the service
they would render to the country they
drain could not be supplemented by score
Of competing railways. On the sixteenth
instant there departed from Pittsburg forty
ing 900 bushels of coal.
Now, 4,66,000 bushels of coal, eighty
pounds per bushel, equal 1877 .04O tons As
one car can curry but ten tons, it follows
that 1904 cars would be required to move
this freight A coal car costs about $500.
which, multiplied to 1904 cars, gives
$9,S52,OOO as the simple cost of the cars
alone which would be required to move
forward this amount Of coal. Two hundred
and fifty tons, or twenty-five loaded cars,
forms the average load for q locomotive to
pull one hundred miles, when it lays over,
and its place is taken by another one.
Thus it would require seven hundred and
forty-eight locomotives to move this coal
all ut one time one hundred miles, and for
every one hundred miles another similar in
etallment of locomotives would be required.
Locomotives cost 1000 each, therefore
the cost of each installment would amount
to sli.s6O,ooo. From Pittsburg to New
Is distance Of two thousand miles by
river, and to New Orleans most of the
coal shipped from Pittsburg is taken.
Therefore, were it attempted to move the
above amount Of coal by rail from
Pittsburg to New Orleans all at one
time, a. IS done by river, I,l22, 900 locomo-
tves would he required to keep it moving,
taking up the trains at each one hundred
miles of the journey and pushing them all
along over the next hundred miles. The
cost of IL, 900 locomotives at 10000 each,
would be ~, 44O. OOO, 900, or more than the
present national debt. Now add to this the
1895, 900 which the freight cars cost, and
the sum total required to furnish sufficient
railroad rolling stock to embark with 4, 676.-
600 bushels Of coal, and to keep it in con
tinual motion until dist ance Of 1900 miles
has been accomplished, would be So, 449,-
359 900. Now what is the cost of this feet
of boats and barges! There are 46 towboats,
and as they only average about 100000
y
not cost more than $50, 900 apiece or $3.50
pop. The fleet of barges amounted to say
400, or ten to each tow, which is q liberal
These barges are rudely-con
structed open boats and cost not over $4,000
per barge. But put it at that and we have
e92O, 900 for barges, and s., 100000 for the
whole feet
1t may be objected that we have only
considered one phase Of this subject. and |
h0f q mil l.
day, with NO such detentiOns in their |
freightiDg business as is imposed by low
water on our river freighting business,
could carry away this accumulation during
the time when Pittsburg boats were idle
rom inability to move. Let us see. We |
will say that an air line road existed be-
tween Pittsburg and New Orleans, and
that the air line distance was reduced to
'ne thousand miles, which is about correct
ss the crow flies. II one railroad alone
existed, two freight trains of twenty five
'ars each per day would he all that they
would be likely to send. Most railways
END out but one through freight train, but
uppose this particular road sent out
w0, or fifty cars per day. This would
mount to fifteen hundred cars per month,
n twelve months and fifteen days would
V required to move from Pittsburg to
Sew Orleans what single feet Of boats
will do in two weeks.
In making these figures, we have not al
uded to the 81, 600 necessary to be in
ested in that $500 miles of track, bridges,
tati0ns, water tanks, ETC., necessary to
stabliah what 10 recognized as great rail
ray thoronghfare. We have only figured
pom tho amount of rolling stock REQUIRED
0 accomplish the same object in the same
me as can be accomplished by river, even
hough only two weeks Of navigation are
ut against twelve months and two weeks
ervice by rail.
It will be seen, therefore, how utterly
lie it 10 for any railway to hope ever to
ompete with water service.