Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-15
FLORIDA CANAL.
Barge Lines the Solution of the
Cheap Freight PrOblem-Necessity
of their Increase and FxteDsiOn TO
the AtIantIe-GrOVVth of the Grain
Trade.


westward to New Orleans, we designed to show
the vast superiority of this route over all other
possible canal routes across the peninsula, and
also to exhibit barge transportation as the
coming method of commercially draining the
great valley. because It will prove the cheap
est and most efficient. In reference to the
first. we have shown that it Is the shortest line
from the Mississippi to practicable harbors on
the Atlantic. and that in point of economy.
without comparison, costing only fraction
over seven millions of dollars. while the cost
of a ship canal exceeds fifty millions. Neither
is it possible for costly ship canal across the
peninsula at any point further south. to com
pete successfully with barge canal through
Okef1nokee at such small cost and when we
consider that a company chartered by the
State Of Georgia, and looking for further char
ter by Congress, already controls the summit
level water supply of this cheap barge route, we
are brought to the conclusion that all proposed
canals across the Florida peninsula having in
view westward extension to the Mississippi,
must ultimately be merged into it, ship ca
nal further south on the peninsula might, in
deed, be great advantage to heavy sea going
vessels having now to pass the dangerous
straits OF Florida. hut with a short line barge
canal through Okefinokee. stretching far north
on the Atlantic and bringing the commerce of
the Mississippi into the safe harbors Of Bruins
wick. Savannah and Charleston, there would
be little need OF such vessels proceeding to the
Calf through the ship canal or any other route
Granting, however, that the growth of
the country will be such as to warrant
ship canal. even at so great cost.
it would not diminish aught Of the trade and
Importance of the barge canal. To say nothing
or the advantage of its connection with the
Mississippi valley, the barge canal VIII reclaim
in Ia nVlfic
than sufficient to pay its entire original cost,
and find abundant means for its operation in
the redeemed and settled up countries in their
heavily timbered forests and in the products
brought down by navigable rivers in its course,
even if it should never transport
barge from the Mississippi river
It, length of six hundred and twenty
miles spans the semiuropical State OF Florida,
skirts the southern boundary Of Georgia. Alb
serbs the east bound freights of Alabama, Mis-
sissippi and Louisiana, and would he paying
investment absolutely excluded from the hene-
fits of all trade with the Central Mississippi and
the Northwest What it offers to those regions
therefore is the gratuitv of great natural ca
pacity and convenience of location. 1t will not
need the trade of the Northwest. but that trade
will need ii, as we shall see further on.
In regard to barge lines as the most economi-
cal and efficient means of accommodating the
future great trade OF the Mississippi valley, we
have already alluded to their sOringing SUD
denly out of the necessitv OF competition with
the costly Northern railways penetrating the
granaries of the Northwest, and perhaps we
cannot better fill a part of this space than TO
quote the following in reference to their grow
ing i'm Dortanee:
Transportation by barges on the Mississippi
river, says the New Orleans Times. has be-
come the solution of the great problem of re-
storing to the river its position as the great
highway Of the West. The palatial steamers
that float on its waters and once mouopolized
the freight and passenger traffic OF the Missis-
sippi valley, having found themselves unable
to compete in cheap freights with the rail-
ways, and still less unable TO compete in speed.
we're placed at a great disadvantage, and
forced tt abandon all transportation business
except that which the railway could not reach
or did not possess the ability to carry.
This city, for years without railway reach
ing out to the rich and rapidly growing regions
OF the West Northwest. and finding commerce
diverted more and more from the river route,
seemed to have left but one hope and that was
to restore to the river the capacity to transport
freights more cheaply than could be done by
the railways. The success OF this problem has
been found in the barge line.
Now, small, cheaplY handled. but power
full steam tug, with a very small crew, will
move upon the river in one tow six enormous
barges, carrying at least 10000 bushels of
grain each. of an aggregate Of a quarter of a
million bushels as a single cargo. The ma
chinery for doing this business is so simple
and inexpensive when compared with The
palstial steamboats, of the old style with their
costly appointments and their numerous crews
that once would have been required to do the
work. it IS readily seen how vast a reduction
or expense has been accomplished. The barge
system is, however, merely in its infancy. and
without doubt 1t has capabilities that have not
VT been reached, so that it is fair to suppose
that the minimum of cost for transportation on
the river has not yet been arrived at and still
further reductions will in time be realized.
The impo -tanca, then, of the barge lines
can scarcely be overstated. and it will be of in
terest to know something of the extent of their
operation for the coming seasons business
Two important companies have recently been
consolidated with greatly increased capital and
greatly enlarged facilities for doing the work
Besides the present f1eet Of the combined pro-
portions, which consists of thirteen towboa's
and eighty nine barges. the company have con
tracts made for an additional fleet, which will
swell their total tonnage to twenty three tow
boats and one hundred and sixty barees, with
q capacity Of 1900, 600 bushels of grain for
single trip. and a capacity for an average sea
son, according to estimates, of 10O.O00,O00 bush
els. The people who are at the head of this
enormous enterprise do not propose to make
these preparations for nothing. They are going
to do the business they are prepared for They
know Just what they are doing, and have the
capital to carry out their designs"
According to the official report Of General
Gilmore the leading object to be secured
through this barge canal is the cheap and safe
transportation. in unbroken bulk. of the sur
plus produce OF very large proportion of the
Western and North western States by means Of
the Mississippi river, and q secure land. locked
water route 10 a convenient harbor on the At
for consumption in the Atlantic States. the
necessity for larger facilities for such trans
portatiOn becoming more serious and impera
tive every year, in proportion az the population
of the agricultural States and the area of land
brought under cultivation increase.
That the surplus grain crops Of the West and
Northwest can and will be exported to Europe
by way of the Florida peninsula barge canal at
less cost than by the Northern railways. or by
any other Northern line of transportation ap-
pears Enthusiastically in the fact that any and all
possible water routes along the great lakes and
the st. Lawrence river and the Erie canal are
habitually closed to navigation for five months
in the year, and that in the very midst Of the
market season for exporting grain; while the
Northern railways even il not bound up by
SHOWS as often occurs. are compelled by their
obtain on water transportation.
Thus it appears that in May. 1881, Mr.. White
reported to the New York Board Of Trade and
Transportation the result OF his examinations
of the facilities for expectation, as follows:
The rate per bushel for freighting from ST.
Louis TO New Orleans by barges is about cents
NOW, August 1st, it is only cents and can be
carried at profit for ~ cents, while the pool
rate by rail to New York from st Louis less
mileage than the river TRANSFORMATION TO New
Orleens) is 20 cents per bushel. The rate of
freight from New Orleans to Liverpool is
about s pence per bushel, and from New York
to Liverpool 4A pence"
So that grain is carried from st Louis to T.iv-
erpool via NV Orleans for II cents per busheI
York costs 2916 cents per bushel These differ
ences in cost Of transportation created the
mammoth barge lines floating upon the bosom
of tbs Mississippi, and are now compelling
hundreds of exporting vessels to leave New
York in ballast for New Orleans in order to
load with grain for Europe
IL these vessels find 1t profitable to double
the Capes OF Florida, going one way in ballast,
risk the danger of the straits, paving heavy
insurance, for cargoes of grain in New Orleans
what must be the Importance and profits of q
canal delivering those cargoes In a safe Allan
tic port, secure from the ice-clogs Of rigid win
ter, the shipwreoks Of Tortugan reefs and the
long endured burden Of high insurarcs risks
But Mr.. Whites Investigations did not end
here. They revealed that the shipments of
grain alone had more than doubled during the
previous year" while there was a CORES pond
ing increase OF flour, cotton. cotton seed. oil
cake. wool, meats etc, Indicating a bulk of
freight to be moved from the great valley, that
would. in all probability. have remained long
out of market but for tho fortunate introduce
ton of the Mississippi barges, eight or ten of
which, carrying each fifty thousand bushels of
grain, can be token in tow by one little mex
pensive steamboat.
The general increase of grain alluded to in
$780, with corresponding other articles CON
tinued in 1881, and in 1882, with favorable sea-
sons, will DO still greater, taxing to their ut
most capacity already organized lines Of
transportation, aud exhibiting further evidence
of the necessity for speedy opening Of the At
iantio and Gulf Barge Canal, in order to meet
the exigencies Of the future. L. c. B.
How AN EMPTY STOMACH SAVED A
LIFE No regiment from New Hamp.
shire suffered more in action than the
I welfth, and narrower squeak for life