The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-08

| from the reservoirs OF our Blcnylllc Water Com
| pany. nall the water brought into this city by
covered iron ways were brought In by an open
canal Il would be sufficient 10 float an immense
amount OF tonnage II thcw were no escape
Of this water except the small amount trick
ling through the locks or eyaporatcd by
the sun, this escape being made good from
the reservoirs, Il II that Il would be- sufficient
TO bear up an almost inoalsulable weight lfupon
such canal there were no need ot arm banks.
liable 10 be trod1cu down by draught horses and
requiring constant repair. but the work Of tmns.
portallon were done by an overhead electric cable.
NJ In the ease Of many Of the electric ttamwnys II
will he seen what small amount Of water Is nee.
| e-sary nnd at what an in-lrnlAcini cost canal
can bc built Tor ten miles, with capacity suilici.
cnt Ia do an immense traffic
only ten miles Of canal II needed 10 nut Blr.
| minrhan IN connection with the hcadwatcu Of
the Warrior There Il no difficulty about levels,
aud thcra {. every opportunity 10 construct arii.
dcial reservoir To supply the canal with the ncccs
| nary water OF course thoro must be locks aud
dams 90 Improve the river branch aud Ia connect
the canal with the Government Improvement Of
the upper Warrior There Is said To be- no ongl.
nccrinE difficulties In the way Of this projcci. and
that the facility Tor building Il Il far greater than
that OF the Chesapeake a Ohio Canal. which
brings 20 Gcoryctown from tho Cumberland coal
fields W many millions of tons Of coal annually.
II i a canal easier 10 build than that which for.
mcrly extended along the James River from Rich.
mond 10 LynchbuW.
From recent visit 10 North Alabama we learned
that the mcn aud the means arr rcady ~ build this
canal. not only from the Warrior To birmingham.
but ultimately from birmingham 10 the Tonnes.
see. Tho distance from birmingham ~ Gunicrs.
vile, along the valleys Is about one hundred
miles.
whether the northern section Of this proposed
WORK Il built or not the southern section alone
irom Birmingham tn Tuscaloosa Il illl Of the
gmndcsl possibilities ior Birmingham aud Tusoa
lo1si. hnd all The contiguous mineral regions aud
especially Cor Mobile
The purpose OF the canal 4 10 ofcr birmingham
aud her products the very cheapest transportation
10 tldcwatcr Tho PEOPLE Of the mining region
understand that they have mo- monopoly la the
manufacture Of lrun products and that year by
year The margin u profit VIII h. pressed by compc.
tltlon lower aud lower. Ncry soon the cost u
transportation win settle the question of compcti.
ton and supremacy To them Il Il present vital
question whether they shall pay four aud i've dol.
Ian ton fright upou pig iron to even the nearest
commercial pout or whether they can lay II down
upon the scaboarl nj Mobile AT one dollar per ton
90 even les II iseltally a vital question. or will
b. vcry soon. with the coal mines whether thcy
shall pay three dollars per ton irvight 10 the go or
lay their coal down N Mobile at u cost Of hity or
se,cnty-hvc ccuua ton.
This canal schcmc nncrs them Immediate relief
u presents the vcry chcaucst mole Of cirriavs ioi
! bulky and woighy products What II offers u
Mobile must be apparrnt al glance II would
make this ely the active. populnus aud wealthy
port at the whole oi Alabama. great export city
a rrcHt manufacturing city. aud her growing capt
L..
II cotton which should psy tribute n Mobile ani
would draw 10 her haIbot tho nvot Of al nation,
-nbHe Rsgiar
This Is all very eloquent Of the adyant
ages that Chattanooga Is presently to hay,
aud enjoy Of uninterrupted navigation OF
the Tennessee River aud cheap frcighis
This, too, IA 10 be- the great advantage o
that cluster Of progressive towns In Nortl
Alabama, the names OF which arc now II
the mouths Of capitalists everywhere
sheffield, Decatur, Florence and Tuscum
bia They all hayo the advantage OF tn
Tennessee River, which II was proposed
great many ycau ago should be connccic,
with the Warrior River and also will
the Mississippi at Memphis by canal
But at that limo there wcrc no railroads
aud the inventive genius Of the countr
did not dream Of electricity as the powc
Ia light, heat aud force which II Is proyin
itself to be. With the multiplication O
railroad lines aud the chcapcning q
ircighis ON them Il Is doubtful II Il woul,
pay 10 build canal from the Tennessee b
the Warrior River. Hut there can be N
doubt IL would pay the iron men OF Biz
mingham to build ten mile cana
10 connect that city or manuiactur
ing district with the Warrior Rive
and thus find an outlet and chcal
ircighis to the sea a, Mobile. As The Rg
is0 suggests, the time may como when
difference In ircighis will mako a dcsirabl
profit to the iron mon who are now grow
ing rich with tie aid OF a war tariff am
advantages Of auX, ore and coking Coz
only enjoyed 10y two or three other point
in the South. 1t will be well, therefore
for them TO take limo by the iorelock On
put themselves on a par with sheffield a
20 water transportation. II would ais
soryo the good purpose Of a competition
that would compel the railroads to reason
able rates II At any time they were Ia
elinod 10 pool their issues aud make mi
nopoly rates. What The Register says
true and timely and every Alabama
b should feel proud 10 contribute In any an
every legitimate way to make Mobile III
great shipping point Of the State.
II Tur intelligence from Rome, printed J