Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-12-03
THE lEIGHTTEST AMERICAN COW
MERCIAL REVOLUTION.


Much interest has been excited among
those interested in river navigation in
the patented plan oC lighterage at the
Balizc, devised hy Captain w. p,
Walker. The design is simple aud pal
pably effective, and none who have
considered its perfections, doubt its sue
cess. While a great work is to be done,
and the burdens to he lifted up are vast,
the power applied is iIlimitable. Il con-
sists simply in the difference between
the weight Of air and Of water. A ship,
on either side OF the vessel that would
pass the bar, becomes an eek
haUsted receiver and its lightness
lifts up Great Eastern, and its
engines propel the monster across
the Swallows into the oceans depths.
Devices of somewhat similar character
have been often used, but the marine
camel, orlighter, Of Captain Walker con-
stitutes perfect machine for purposes
proposed TO be accomplished.
Cost what it may of toll and money,
the mouth Of the Mississippi must be
deepened, OF the necessity for deep
water, as proposed by Captain Walker,
must be obviated. To cut a canal
through soft alluvium and wall its
SIDES with stone or timber, when there
may be no stable foundation below, IS
asserted, for perhaps 3 thousand feet, is
no rrfffirorr ras1- canal ,,sr-frr, l,lr, ~
the largest steamships from New Or
leans TO deep water in Barrataria
Bay, would make New Orleans
the greatest city on the continent.
The whole commercial and agricultu-
raj wealth Of the valley of the Missis-
siPpi, if such s ship canal existed, would
follow the rivers course, and the riches
Of Europe, Mexico, the Indies and Of
South America would flow in and
through this greater than Suez canal.
1t signifies nothing il such a canal
would cost incalculable sums. The
wealth Of this valley is now taxed count
less millions annually because it has no
means OfprOper exit from New Orleans
10 the sea, aud the trans-cOntinental
roads from New York and Bos-
ton to the West never intend
that any means Of escape through
New Orleans shall be perfected. Con-
gress sympathizes with the East and
with those Eastern railway owners, and
therefore two or three hundred thousand
dollars are constantly wasted on dredge-
boats that were designed simply to
de nothing and To keep the West and
South and New Orleans quiet. These
facts for many years have been palpable
even to the dullest observers, and there
fore, chambers of commerce and COM
mercisl communities and grain-growers
OF the valley Of the Mississippi, from
Lake Michigan to the Gulf of Mexico,
and from the Allegheny to the Rocky
mountains, have grown weary of the
persistent fraud of thirty years dura-
ton, and now ask Congress to give
effective relief TO myriads Of grain-grow-
en plundered to poverty by railway
corporations. II the marine lighter of
Captain Walker accomplish as cheaply
and readily as he thinks the purpose
proposed, there is little present need for
the proposed Suez canal from New Or
leans to the sea. Every end contem-
plated by the canal is as readily and
cheaply attained by the marine camel
which lies down in the desert of the
deep and rises up with its tremendous
burden imposed and moves steadily away
with steady footsteps toward the great
marts Of the world trade If this be ac-
comPlished railway lines from evecy
pOibg west or northwest OF MeEdphis
viii converge here. The river becomes
in fact an arm OF the sea, and Memphis
another Venice at the head of another
Adriatic. Argosies Of the worlds wealth
would he gathered here by an agency
which renders the Mississippi a perfect
highway to the sea. Whether We resort
TO eanals or perfect a system of lighter
age "a proposed by Captain Walker, the
result will be a wonderful aggrandize-
me8t Of cities, and of agricultural COM
mU mites on the banks Of this mighty
nv -ar