Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-07-03

Proposed New System OF Iron Boats
and Barges-E0reign Capital to
be Obtained to Put 1t i'm
Operation.

Philadelphia Press, Goth: Mr. Charles P.
Chouteau, of st. Louis, who has been spend
ing few days in this city, has just left for
| New York, on his way to Europe, where he
| hopes to interest foreign capitalists in his
| plans for new system of boats and barges
| for the Mississippi river. Mr.. Chouteau, who
! represents one of the largest corporations in
| the west, will meet on the other side of the
| ocean Mr.. George FL. Rea, president of the
| Mississippi Valley transportation company,
and these gentlemen will work together in
making the necessary negotiations, and they
will, In all probability, be successful. Mr..
Chouteau claims that the greatest obstacles
| thus far met with in utilizing the Mississippi
| have been due more to the defective con-
struct.on of the vessels than the natural pc
culiarlties of the stream itself. Ill-made
wooden bulls, poor engines, and unsuitable
machinery, now SO greatly increase the cost
OF transportation that no marked progress
can be made, and Mr.. Chouteau believes that
1t Is more from these causes than the dangers
OF the river that the average life of vessel is
only seven years, and the entire amount of
money invested must be renewed every six
years. For these reasons, and on account of
the excessive rates of insurance, the average
boat of two hundred and twelve tons has to
earn thirty-one and two-thirds per cent. of its
original cost every season, simply to cover
maintenance and the cost of replacement.
One of the features of largest interest in this
connection, is the cost of running the imper-
feet engines used on western river boats,
which require proportIonately more than
twice as much fuel as ocean vessels. lnves-
tlgation shows that ocean steamers will make
trips of nearly six times the length of the
voyage from st. Louis to New Orleans and
back, using no more coal than a river tow
boat in its one round tip. The expense de-
fects of the present system of navigating the
Missouri are well known, but Mr.. Chouteau
seems to have been the first one to take hold
of the subject in all its details, and attempt
the work of replacing old and costly methods
with such as are better suited to the river.
He desires to introduce an entirely new type
OF iron steamboats, and barges, which, it is
believed, can be operated with so much
more safety and economy that larger
profits than are now realized can be
obtained at much lower freight rate. He
urges that, by the use of iron, judicious de-
sign and careful workmanship will give
greatest strength with least weight, while the
vessel can be divided by bulkheads, so that it
will be almost impossible for it to sink. The
same radical departure from existing models
marks his suggestions for the new design of
towboat, which is to be of just sufficient size
and no more to carry the machinery and fuel
necessary. These boats are to be of iron also.
He estimates that barges constructed In &C
cordance with his plans will last, with ordi-
nary care, more than forty years, the average
COSG OF REPAIRS, Inclusive OF pdlQGln2, 6UC.,
during that time not exceeding two-and-a-
half-per cent. per annum. No insurance will
be needed on the hulls, as it will be almost
impossible to sink or burn them, and the
cargo will be so secure that the insurance on
1t will be merely nominal, or even may be
assumed by the transportation companies, as
1t now Is by railroads. More than this, these
iron vessels will pass through the water so
much more easily than wooden hulls as now
built, that it Is safe to assume that five iron
barges can be towed with the same power now
required for four wooden barges of like dimen-
slons and craft, equivalent to an increase of
forty per cent Estimates of the cost of trips
on the upper and lower river, with well built
iron boats and barges, including every ex-
pense, except insurance and wear and tear,
show that at four cents a bushel towboat
and three barges, loaded to four feet depth
on the down trip, can clear one thousand
three hundred and ninety-6ve dollars net
profit each round trip, which it can make in
ten days, or eighteen trips a season, while
towboat and FIVE baroes, loaded to seven feet
on the down trip to New Orleans, would earn
nine thousand five hundred and ninety-seyen
dollars net profit each trip, carrying grain at |
three and halt cents per bushel, taking
twenty days for the round trip, and making |
twelve trips every year. These facts Mr.. |
Chouteau will present to the European CAPT. |
talists. His main OBJECT is to show the great
opportunity offered to any company which |
will replace the imperfect boats, barpes and |
engines with the more perfect Inventions in
use elsewhere, and the designs which he Of |
fers are more In the way of suggestions than |
anything else. !