The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-02-14


larged to the capacity of bearing boats OF 800
tons. would have thcoretc power OF trans
nortation of 21,6OQ,000 tons. The report
then sets forth
waAy TnE t1SE WILL CONSTITUTE.
When this route Shall have been cOmpetc6
its friends claim that it will present the short
est, cheapest. and best line of navigation
from the Mississippi to the Atlantic.
The distance from the Mississippi! at the
mouth of the Ohio, TO Hampton Roads by
this route, is 1885 miles.
The distance from the Mississippi, by the
Illinois and Michigan canal. the lakes, and
Erie canal to New York, is / ,019 miles.
BY tue Fox and Wisconsin Improvement
and lakes to New York it is $50 miles.
Bv the most direct route to Chicago, and
'hcnce by the lakes to New York, it is ,75l
miles.
Bv the Ohio river, Wabash canal, lakes,
and Erie canal to New York il is !, AIS miles.
BY the Ohio river, OHIO ctlla, lukes, and
Erie canal it is l ,G3S miles.
Thus the distance FROM the Mississippi
river to Hampton Roads by the Virginia
central water-Iine is less by 81 miles than the
shortest water route from tie Mississippi to
New York, and is JSG miles less than by the
longest water route.
The distance from Hampton Roads to New
York by sea is 3lG miles. Ey the inland
water route over the Delaware and New
jersey canals it is $43 miles. The Virginia
route, therefore, furnishes il shorter distance
TO New York from Us low point on the
Mississippi as the mouth of the Ohio than
most of the water routes Of which the
Erie canal is part.
The distance from the mouth Of the Ohio
by the Mississippi river and Gull to New
York is 2,S.6, or ,5+3 miles greater than the
Virginia route to Hampton Roads, and ,2GU
miles greater tEan by the same route to New
York.
Tie Virginia route will lie better than that
nv the lakes and Erie canal. because the
northern route is closed for five months III
the year, and at the very time when there is
the greatest demand for transportation. 1t
is also free from the risk and danScrto which
navigation is subjected by hostcrous wea-
ther on the lakes during the fall mouths, he
cesstatng different kind Of vessel for navi-
eating the lakes from those navigating the
canals.
1t is better than the New Orleans and Gulf
route on account of the greater length OF
great risk attending the navigation by the
Florida Pass.
Ii has the advantage over both the north
ern and southern routes of rot only being
central and free from risk and from closure,
but because it Les wholly within the terri
tory of the United States, and will open an
internal navigation from the Ohio, Nissis-
sippi, and Missouri rivers and their branches,
by way of the Chesapeake bay and the cast
ern canals 10 Baltimore, Philadelphia, and
New York, that will be secure from the at.
tacks of an enemy in time Of war, thus af-
fording safe and cheap means of trupsport-
ing supplies from the interior to the seaboard
cities which would be impracticable by any
other route.
REQUIREMENTS OF WESTERN TRADE.
The great necessity of the West is for a
shorter and cheaper channel Of transporta-
ton to the Atlantic seaboard not liable to
Drotracted interruption from any cause. The
railroads cannot carry heavy cheap articles
over long distances ut ireights which these
articles will lear. The charges on wheat
from the Mississippi river to New York by
rairoad when the canals arc closed exceed
Is cents per bushel; and even by water
TRANSFORMATION from Chicago the charges.
times amount to 81 cents per buslel, or about
62 cents per bushel from The Mississippi
river: so that the farmers west Of that river
have to pay at least one hall their crops TO
get the other taii to market At this time,
with the present prices CT grain IN The East,
the rates of carriage are prohibitory, and
there is danger that the production OF grain
for exportation will have to be abandoned in
the finest grain regions of the United States.
The effect of the high prices OF freight is
to deprcss the agricultural interests OF The
States and Territories west OF the Mississippi
river. and to discourage immigration. .x.
THIS LINE WILL ENABLE AMERICAN GRAIN TO
COMPETE IN EUROPEAN MARKETS. g:
Owing to the fact that the same boats may
traverse the whole line, it is confidently esti-
mated by engineers that the cost of trans.
porting wheat from st. Louis to Hampton
Roads and New York by the Virginia water
route can be reduced to fifteen cents per
bushel. This charge would enable wheat to
be brought from the remotcst regions west
of the Mississippi 10 the Atlantic seabnard at
cost which would still leavea remunertive
price to the producer. at such a rate of
The wheat Of the Mississippi
Ealey cotiu pC 9Cn1 " LtfSi Ppot az suoi DC
that would enable our western producers to
compete with those of the Baltic and Black
Sea countries In the British market. That
market consumes now 20o.Go0,000 bushels
yearly of imported wheat, Of which this
country now rarely supplies more than
l5, 600, 900 per annun. The reason Of our
small expectation B that Baltic. and Black
Sen wheat can reach Liverpool from places