Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-01
PITTsBURG ON THE SEA.
Some Day the City VIII Be Port From
Which Ships Will Go to All the World
Tho Erie Canal and Ohio River I'm

Tho Erie Canal and Ohio River I'm.
| provement-Lessons Of the Past.
| WRITTEN FOR THE DfspArcH.l
| -A inevitably and inexorably as will
| come tomorrow, and next year and de.
oade OF years in the even now Of time will
come period surprising oil others in the
history OF Pfttsburg's prosperity-the per
fod In It's career when the inland city will
| become practically a seaport from which
| ocean-going ships built in Pittsburg shall
| sail from her wharves direct for foreign
ports laden with Pittsburg products-coal
from Pennsylvania hills and breadstuffs
from the Ohio Valley. Then, indeed, in a
more stupendous sense than heretofore
| dreamed of shall Pittsburg become 1.-The
smith of the land and sea-
The signs OF the times' are year by year
thrustlng themselves more pertinac1ously
and pointedly md plainly upon the attention
OF the public and coming events are casting
shadows before, with constantly increasing
significance. Pittsburg's greatest po-
tentiaiity, OF course, lies In the construction
of the Lake Erie ship canal, and this great
project has already PASSED through the
period OF discussion and its entire practic-
ability has been attested by competent au-
thorities, while the Legislature has taken
action upon it and it only remains for the
pennsylvania delegation in Congress to in
duce that body to pass measures empower
Ing the construction of the canal, which Con-
gress can scarcely fail to do in view of the
generally recognized, widespread ad-
vantage that would accrue Aside from the
great impetus to be given commerce by an
outlet to Cana dian ports of Pennsylvania
coal in bulk cargoes, the General Govern
ship canal from the Ohio river to Lake Erie
q counter balance to the advantage which
England possesses in the Welland Canal. In
the event of war, the value ofthis waterway
from F1ttsourg (where are centered all OF
the Materials for ship construction, together
with plants OF great capacity ever ready for
the quick building of iron, steel or wood
crafts) to the lakes, would be inestimable.
Improving the Ohio River.
Secondary in Importance only to the
Erie ship canal project is the improvement
of the Ohio river, which there is every
reason to believe Congress at its next ses-
sion will give a measure of consideration
more nearly in proportion to its worth than
it has heretofore accorded and make an ap-
propriati on commensurate with the vast
ness of the region which the region drains
and the ira ffic which it floats. The COM
merce Of the Ohio river has been shown by
recent sta atistics to far exceed in number of
crafts and in tonnage the commerce OF the
Mississippi and to be second to none other
in the world.
facts, which form strong promise of near
by prosperity to Pittsburg, certain late ac-
tion OF the Government must have given
impetus to the thoughts of some of our en-
terprtsing manufacturers. This was tho
awarding of a COD tract for the building of a
torpedo boat to Dubuque, Ia, firm. The
bnsuqne naxS Vsrs nsnd
town, can furnish seagoing craft, why can
not Pittsburgh" Why, indeed, with her con-
cent:ation Of materials and her ready me-
n innI fuas ehs,yI yIa1~4
The Pittsburg manufacturer has only to
look at what has been accomplished in the
past to assure himself of the feasibility of
doing such work in the future, not the
future for few years hence, when the Erie
Ship Canal and the Improvements of the Ohio
shall have rendered the demand and facili-
ties greater, but the immediate future, with
no other facilities than at present exist.
What Has Been Done.
"A sweeping glance in retrospect is
sufficient stimulus for prospective work.
Let the manufacturer who owns vast iron
and steel plants reflect that the inland
Pittsburg has built many crafts to sail salt
water. As early as 1889 two vessels were
built here which were competent for sea
voyages. In 1900, down at Marietta. Ohio, the
St. Clair, full rugged brig cleared for Ha-
vana and subsequently, sailed to Philadel-
phia ana it is worth noting the same in
land port afterward sent to sea by way OF
the Ohio and Mississippi more than 20 YES
sells of all kinds.
The building of sea-going vessels was COM
n1enced as regular business at Pittsburg
In 1901 by John A. Tarascon Brothers, James |
Berthoud & Co., who sent out that year the |
Amity and the ship Pittsburg (250 |
tons) to Havana and Philadelphia respeo- |
lively, with cargoeS of -four, after which the
made the trip to Bordeaux and re- |
turn. Quite number Of wooden vessels for
ocean service were built about the same
time at Elizabethtown on the Mo-
nongahela, but the passage of the embargo
aeadwaterSs Sc Of the Ohio, 1000 miles from the
salt waters Of the Gulf of Mexico.
The Record on Iron Vessels.
Iron vessels for sea service were first
,uilt in Pittsburg, at the Fort Pitt works. In
s45-the jefferson and the George M. Bibb
the latter named after the then Secretary
If Wary. Each Of these vessels was 2l0 feet
ong and II feet deep in the hold. The JET.
erson was taken apart and transported to
oswego. n. r, where s S,,t she wa, was committed to
burg, went down the rivers to the gulf. The
Eell-l1nown revenue cutter, the Sherman, in
ervice on the lakes, was product Of the
urret % ships. % or monitors, 1000 Mana. s
,unk and Umpqua, each 225 in length
we're built here and went to sea by way of
)oats were built before and after the last
mentioned date, seven of them being war
'essels, and CRATER number designed for
commerce Thus It Will be seen Pittsburg,
coo miles from salt water, las the rivers
un) has in war and in the piping times of
,eace" contributed to the sea flotilla, and
here is every reason why she should make
Ter future contributions to the ocean marine
by far those of the past.
The prophecy of the Rev. Manasseh Cut
er, who, in 1857, said that the time would
ome when the Ohio would "be more loaded
han any stream on earth," was long ago |
ulfilled, but the current is destined to carry
yet more stupendous traffic, and it is q
,art of manifest destiny" that Pittsburg