The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-21
A SAN JOAQUIN CANAL.

Among other projects which the exOrb-
tant cost OF transportation has suggested Is
the deepening of the San Joaquin River so
as to render it navgable from its mouth to
Fresno County. At the present time it
costs IS 80 per ton to carry wheat from
Fresno to Port Costa, and corresponding
sums for other articles of merchandise; If
the San Joaquin could be made navigable
for large barges carrying thousand or more
tons the freight would be less than half that
figure. The difference would make agricul-
ture IN the San joaquin far more profitable
than it is.
Tie normal destiny of the San joaquin
River was to fertilize the valley which bears
its name and to furnish ii with an outlet.
But the land through which it flows lies so
low that neither Of these objects has been
attained, and the river instead of being a
benefit is rather an injury. For ages it has
carried down from the mountains mass of
detritus and alluvium. which has filed up
its bed nearly to the level of its banks, and
has caused its waters to flow off into sloughs
and tnle swamps. In places the deposit of
superimpOsed matter has been ascertaned
to exceed 1900 feet. 1t is not surprising TO
find that in one place this overflow of solid
matter has caused the river waters TO
spread out into tule marsh 200, 600 acres in
extent. Between Suisun and Hills Ferry
there are two crevasses which drain the river
water into sloughs, and further up the valley,
as far as the mouth of Kings River, the San
Joaquin is cut at intervals by streams which
IN the spring season are feeders, but which
for eight months of the year deplete it of its
contents. That the San Joaquin was once
naVlgable at any rate from Eirebaugh to
Suisun there can hardly be question. The
present necessity is to restore its depth and
to supplement its usefulness by short canals.
AS an engineering proposition there is no
reas IN whatever why Fresno should not be
connected with Suisun by water channel
capable of floating flat-boats that would
carry 1000 tons of wheat at trip. All that
is necessary is to dyke the San Joaquin, so
as to retain all its waters within its bed, and
to cut few miles of canal here and there
to connect with it.
Railroads were never intended to carry
heavy and bulky freight. That is the BUSH
ness OF waterways. All ordinary engine, on
a level like that of the San Joaquin Valley,
will haul train of twenty loaded cars each
containing ten tons of wheat-say TWO hun
dred tons for the train-and to do this it
will have to burn a considerable quantity
of coal, to employ a full train crew. and to
provide for the wear and tear of track, loco
motives and cars But a great, broad fat
boat, such as they have on Eastern canals,
will carry anywhere from one to two thou
sand tons of wheat, and will be at no ex-
pense except the pay of four or five men,
and its proportion of the cost of towage. a
stern wheel steamer will tow half a dozen
such fiat-boats.
Most of the canals in the Eastern States
antedated the railroad era. But the freight
car has never superseded the canal boat as
carrier OF cereals, or coal. and never will.
The great bulk of the wheat sent to market
from Chicago reaches the seaboard by the
Erie Canal, though the railroads carry it at
moderate price. 1t goes by canal not al
ways because water transportation Is so
much cheaper, but because all the railroads
centering at Chicago have not rolling stock
enough to carry the quantity that must go
forward. II we had a canal from Bakers
field to Port Costa wheat could be carried
the entire distance for 81 80 ton, and the
consequence would be that the wheat
acreage in the San Joaquin Valley would
largely encroach upon the present area of
unused land, and that the profits of agricul-
ture would be increased.
Whenever a project Of this kind is sug-
gested in this State railroad agents in the
Legislature oppose it. The San Joaquin
River should be deepened at the expense of
the General Government. but the canals
would be constructed by the State. The
cost of building the Erie Canal was borne
by the State of New York; but De Witt
Clinton was not hampered by a desire to
make money out Of the job. 1t is to be
feared that modern Californian De Witt
Clinton might not be as fortunate here.