The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-07-11
BARGE SYSTEM.
Improvements to be made
in the Barges.
Hot Wheat will soon be i'm
possible.


ton. The chief objection which has SO
| far been raised is the alleged fact that the
contents of such barges become heated and
unwholesome before arriving at New Or
leans.
To remedy this defect. if such exists, has
been the study of those interested in the
system, and it is now thought that plan
has been devised which will serve the pur
nose, which consists in perfect system of
ventilation.
Captain Lundy, president of the st.
Louis and New Orleaes Transportation Co.
gives the following;
DESCRIPTION
of the remodeled barges. He says: "A
passage way is constructed between the
hull and the exterior or the barge two feet
wide clear around, enabling man to make
the entire circuit. just over the openings
are trap-doors, which fasten securely in
stormy weather to keep the water out of
the space between the hull and the outer
portion. There is also space underneath
the hull and the bottom of the barge, next
to the water, which is sixteen inches from
the bottom, and through which air is re-
sing through all the time and the corn is
kept fresh and dry, and Capt. Lourey says
it can remain in one of these ventilated
barges all summer on the water, ii neces-
sary, and would not receive the slightest
injury.
There is also an arrangement by which
water, should the barge spring a leak, can
be pumped out instantly. The pump is en-
cased in large wooden spout, the whole
so arranged that it can be removed when
not needed and space is in demand,
At one end OF the barge there is also a
hatchway which can be used to load pack
age freight without disturbing the balance
of the cargo. At the other end of the
barge there is funnel-box running from
the deck to the grain room. There is a
strong suction going all the time. carry
ing fresh air through the grain room. With
the hatchway open at the far end and the
ventilators on the sides, there is constant
current of air, which precludes any possibili-
ty of heated corn in future. The barge sys-
tenn has worked very well without these
improvements, it being the rarest occur
renee that any corn has become heated be
tween st. Louis and New Orleans; and
even in the few cases discovered it has
been proven beyond the shadow of doubt
that the corn was shipped away from st.
Louis in damaged condition.
Capt. Lourey has ordered all of the bar
ges in the line with which he is connected
to be Immediately
PROVIDED WITH vENTILATORs.
The company now has 43 barges, and
more in process of construction. Each one
is capable of carrying ZOO tons of freight,
including so, 900 bushels of grain stored in
the hulls 1t is now no unfrequent sight
to see steamer leave the st. Louis wharf
with six of these immense barges connect
ed and forming one tow.
The ST. Louis Republican, discoursing o
the Improvements and the barge trade gen
orally, says:
A glance at the deck of this barge was
enough to fill the heart of. any true St.
Louisan with pride. Arranged in rows
were barrels of mess pork, 1866 in number. |
This was shipped here from Chicago, and
is being transported to New Orleans for
southern use. The barrels bear the brand |
of one of the largest Chicago packing
houses. Then there were 1000 sacks of
flour, part of the Minneapolis consign |
ment for Glasgow Hundreds of bales of |
hay were piled up, the greater portion |
coming from Iowa and Illinois. Hogsheads |
of tobacco from the state of Missouri were |
included also in this load, to say nothing |
of quantity of Iowa oats. For all these |
exports through bills of lading are given
right here in st. Louis. The total tonnage
in the single barge alluded to last, would
require one hundred and twenty freight |
cars to move it, or equal to six trains.
And yet one steamer-the Oakland, for in
stance-can tow down the river thirty six
times the amount which
ONE ENGINE ON THE RAIL
can haul. Besides the grain, flour and to
bacco there was miscellaneous heavy arti- |
cles piled up in immense quantities, such
as iron, oil, cake, etc.
Another great and important advantage
the river route has, is that when grain ar
rives at New Orleans, in transferring it to |
the elevators there it is blown, by means of
perfect ventilating system recently estab- |
lished
To still further show the advantages of
st. Louis great river route, it may be sta
ted that out of 10000 bushels of spring
wheat shipped recently from st. Paul for
export by way of New Orleans, the weigh
er at the latter point reported only about
66 40 100 bushels loss, and but 1-2 bush |
els actually damaged by the barge. The
loss from western points to New York by
damage and waste is generally on an aver
age of per cent.
While the sun was pouring out its rays
and making it excessively warm on the
leyee it was cool and pleasant and decided |
ly airy in the barge yesterday, and it will
always be the case with the ventilators, no
matter how warm the weather may be.
This is supposed to be the middle of the
usually dull, dead summer season, but one
would not realize it to see the immense
amount of freight being shipped by the
barge companies. Gould's system of rail |
ways, to say nothing of the other systems
centering in St. Louis, are bringing in the |
grain and other products from all direc- |
tons, and when the new crops are ready |
for market hustle activity at the freight |
yards and on the levee is apt to be such as
was never before witnessed in ST. Louis. |
The barge system has verify worked a
complete change or revolution in the grain
movement in the Mississippi valley. With |
these improvements which will warrant |
the shipper and farmer in sending the
grain.
TO THIS MARKET FOR SHIPMENT
to foreign countries, the day is surely not
far distant when st. Louis will become the
largest grain receiving point in the country. I
With the present railway facilities being
greatly enlarged, new roads being built,
valuable connections formed and the pres
tige which St. Louis has acquired as a I