The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-12-19
RIVER AND RAILROADS.
Additional Notes from Col. MaxwelFs
Report.


The river interests of the city, which
gave so much evidence of heallhful i'm
provement in the years 1S76-77 and lo15.I6,
have shown still further indications during
the past wear of having entered upon a
period of larger usefulness to the city, and
of more saisfac ory results to this depart
ment of our business.
In the two previous years there was an
increase of freights, both in the up-river
and lower-river trade, larger passenger
traffic, better accommodations, and gen
eral vgor manifest in the river business.
The past year has shown thai these were
not the results of influences which were 10
eXpend themselves in two oseasons, but were
rather the commencement of reinvlgor-
ated business, the early fruits of new STATE
of things, the origin of which dated back
to the completion of the Louisville Port
land Canal. So pronounced have been
these evidences OF permanently improved
condition that it has impaired new life to
the management of steamboat lines, in
creased the value of steamboat property,
and given larger stimulus to boat build
ing
The line to Memphis consisted of five
boats. We had one boat running to st.
Louis, making, as nearly as practicable, a
| trip every two weeks, and this was supple
mented by the boats which piled between
| Pittsburg and ST. Louis. We had also the
regular mail line hence to Louisville, send
ing boat out daily. and to Madison daily.
To these should be added regular boat up
the Tennessee River, and another TO Evans
Vile. The usefulness of the lines to Pitts
burg has been further increased by the ar
rangement completed between the boats
running to that city, by which five boats
are to ply between Cincinnati and that
point, leaving here each Of five days in the
week. We have two boats to Wheeling
To Pomeroy three boats lave been running
regularly.
Two boats have formed daily fast line
to Huntington, in connection with the
Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. One vessel
has departed three times week Ior Ports
mouth, another as frequently for Maysville,
and still another has been running daily to
Chilo.
An increased passenger business has been
one of the marked features of the year.
The number of steamboats, which have
arrived and departed shows material in
crease over the preceding year. The total
number of arrivals for the past year was
2,942, in comparison with 2646 in lo76-H,
and the departures were 2,942, compared
with 1858 in the preceding year.
boats and barges plying between Cincin
natl and other ports for the year was 342
with an aggregate tonnage of "a, S6S, in com
parison with 1926 and tonnage of 81 ,720 il
iS76-77, and 316 and a tonnage of 78, AL il
lS75-76.
The business in boat building shows de
cided increase over the previous year, th'
whole number of vessels built al this Gil
having been %, with an aggregate tonnag
of 6,704, in comparison with IA vessels ant
tonnage of 4, 434 in the previous year, am
8 vessels and tonnage of 1851 in 1o75-7t
showing an increase over the year 1857 Q
g vessels and tonnage OF 2,27O. Of thi
number in the past year, lS wer
e steamers Gncluding ferryboatsl wit
6 an aggregate tonnage of $3.50
The Engineer Corps, have very satisfat
S tory results to show for their years work
f According to the report of Col. VIM i
Merrill U. s. Engineers, in charge of tn
> works on the Ohio, in addition to he con
y mencement of the movable dam No. l, s
J. Davis Island, miles below Pittsburg, tn
! old Riprap Dam, at the Trap, - miles b.
:, low that city, las been replaced by sui
I stantial crib, ballasted with stone. Tn
It crib has smooth surface on the chann
&c side, and turns or holds the water at g
= :, feet stage. The works at this point, I'll
continued length of which is 6,44o feet,
l. their results are most gratifying, and me-
~ with the unqualified approval of river me
. At the foot of Blannerhassett's Island, Il
II dixie has been placed in thorough repair, /
a an expenditure of 1907 cubic yards
# stone. The snag-boat, E. A. Woodru
y has removed and destroyed q wrecks al
l. 6sl large snags, and, by days labor al
II chartered service there have been remove
l. during the very low water period, 49,
: rocks, wrecks, and Is snags. She dredg
o Ohio and Oswego have, at Raccoon
n land. excavated 2,145 cubic yards gravel;
h. Green Bottom Ripple, 12,623 yards of gra
- ell; Cullum's Ripple, l3, 245 yards of loo
ie rock and 1058l yards of gravel; and
" Cumberland Dam, 16,488 yards of loo
is rock.
1t is pleasant duty to be able to repor
~ manifestly improved condition IN the ra
y. road interests centering at this city. E
MS hausted by the long, bitter and useless wa
- relative TO freight rates, the roads, befo
as the commencement of the late year, HI
ed come 10 an understanding which has Dor
.le much good fruit during the past ye;
-. This did not accomplish all that could
AL desired at once. The arrangement wi
RS. reference to East bound freight was not C,
mo- ried out faithfully, but iuset causes in m
,v ton for the final accomplishment of an a
iustment which would end in benefit ali
Ise to roads and shippers.
ur The year 10 the Cincinnati Southe
~ Railway has been an even'ful one in ma
" respects. The approaches to the bridge
ID the Ohio side were completed, and beth p
,ly sengers and freights have since been land
ri in Cincinnati. The road, during past ye
~ has been operated to Somerset, Kentucl
ed and with business results that have l
he only been satisfactory but, under the
q cumstances, such as seem 10 promise
realization Of the hopes Of the very s.
les. guine friends of the ENTERPRISE. A seat
of problem, however, remained to be solv,
ro Nearly one half the road was still uni
w ished, with the money exhausted, q
mt about $4,000, 900 needed to carry the prof
Inn through.
he The Cincinnati g. Eastern, during
,tb year. has completed i's ;r ;rack 70 Wap pom
full way, in order to avail itself OF the val