The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-06-04
RIVER VS.. RAILROADS.

RIVER VI. bAlLhOADS'
The completion of the jetties at the outlet
OF the Mississippi river have produced such
marked changes in the course of western trade
as to attract wide attention and TO cause no
little trepldation at sundry commercial centers
whose interests are threatened to be largely
interfered with
What the jetties have done for the Missis'
sppi river can be stated in word. Whereas
for years before their construction, the reliable
depth of water all year round at the mouth OF
the Mississippi river was seldom over ten feet,
with an uncertain channel at that, the jettles
now give the river at its mouth ana up to
New Orleans a reliable depth all year round
of 90 feet, with fixed, definite channel
They were completed IN 1877; but it was
not until year or two later that their relia-
billty and value ware fully recognized.
The gradual recognition of their adaptable
ty to the end proposed Is shown by few
figures In 1877 the increase OF the depth OF
water on the bars at the outlet Of the river to
90 feet tempted ocean vessels up to New Or
leans, which cleared from that port with 1,476,,
s97 bushels OF gram, besides fair cargocs Of
cotton and other southern products. In 1873
IA ocean vessels vcntured up 10 New Orleans,
and carried away ,40G, 100 bushels of gram.
Up to March, 1879, the number of ocean yes.
sells arriving at New Orleans had increased to
81, carrying away about 100000 more bush
cls of Grain besides cotton, &c.
But there was something lacking. 1t was
now fully settled that the jctties could be re
lied upon for a sufficient depth of water to the
gulf at all seasons for ocean vessels OF any
size, but there was not the freight at New Or
leans to draw such vessels to its docks. What
was wanted was some device to draw freight
down the river from above. This was found
in the organization, in the spring of 1879, of
the tug and barge system at St LOUIS and
Kansas city.
The barge system had been in use for years
on the Ohio river, mainly in the transportation
of coal, aud by means of 1t one ordinary stern
wheel steamer Of 600 to 1000 tons burden could
convey from Pittsburg TO New Orleans 700 900
bushels OF coal AT Single iodCI, Nv CoSt vi
about 60 cts. per ton-about the same our pco-
ole paid last winter to have coal brought from
Streator to Ottawa by rail! The problem was,
how to apply system OF transportation of
such marvellous cheapness to the transportation
OF grain cotton, groceries and general mer-
chandise
That problem the projectors of the st. Louis
and Kansas city barges seem to have solved.
Their barges are not only so constructed as to
be fully adapted to the safe carriage of grain
and merchandise at all seasons, but with an
expedition and safety that far outstrip the lake
propellers and railroads The most liberal es-
Innate places the time of conveying load of
wheat from Minnesota, Dakota or Iowa by
rail- lake and Erie canal to tide water at 10 to
90 days. The tugs and barges on the Missis-
sippi and Missouri rivers will land Minnesota
wheat at New Orleans in 10 to IL days. And
as to relative cost the advantage Is equally in
favor of the tugs and barges, as the following
table will show:
Cost Of shipping bushel of corn from Chi
cago to Liverpool via lake and canal