Evening star., 1896-07-04

tnem with the SeabCard. For these and
other reasons its commercial capacity is
almost universally supposed to be many
times that of the Potomac. But the re-
verse Is true, for the commercial capacity
OF the Potomac, meaning depth Of naviga-
ton, Is four times that of the Mississippi
From Washington, which is the head of
navigation, to the mouth of the river the
Potomac has a channel at no point less
than twenty feet at low tide. The Missis-
sippi, on the contrary, between St. Louis
and Cairo, during the months Of August.
September, October and November the sea-
son of the year when needed for shipments
OF grain, has such low stage of water,
so shallow channel. and so many sand
bars, that 1t is almost useless for CONNER
clal purposes So alarming is the condi-
tlon or the river that in February last a
deiegat1on OF prominent citizens of ST.
Louis appeared before the House commit
tee on rivers and harbors to urge a new
plan of Improvement In their arguments
they gave the depth of channel for a series
OF OF years. The figures for the last year are,
however, sufficient to show the situation.
VIZ: Depth of channel from St. Louis to
Cairo in 1885, August / to 10. O feet. All
gust 10 to 81. feet; September 1 to Is, 7
tees; t .; september 10 to 80. feet; October
TO 81, feet; November 1 to 80, no naviga-
tion on account of low water; December
to 20, feet.
The Depth of the Potomac.
In very marked contrast with the above
are the facts relating to the Potomac taken
from letter in 1880 by Lieut.. Col. Peter
e. Hams, the government engineer then in
charge CT the improvements on the Po
tomac.
In reply to your oral inquiries in regard
to the depth Of water available for vessels
between the mouth of the Potomac river
and washington, DC, have to state that
from the mouth Of the river to Kettle Bot
toms about thirty go feet can be carried at
low tide. Over the Kettle Bottoms there is
an availa BILE depth of about twenty-one (2D
feet at low tide. OR about twenty-five and
one-haf C22 1-2) feet at high tide. From
Kettle Bottoms to Maryland Point there is
ample draft for the largest vessels From
Maryland Point to Deep Point there is
about twenty-one CID feet at low tide, or
at high tide. At Deep Point there is a
shoal on which there is depth of nineteen
Q3) feet at low tide, or twenty and one
half GO ID feet at high tide From there
depth of from twenty-four to twenty-seven
"a to 2O feet at low tide. Along the
wharves in Washington there is about
twenty (2O feet at low tide.
THE depth in the river could be increased
to twenty-four (2D feet at low tide by deep
ening on Kettle Bottoms and between Mary
land Point and Deep Point, the cost of
which would not, in my opinion. exceed
about 100000. This is not an estimate. but
a guess"
This Is evidently very conservative esti-
mate Of the possibilities, for the former
president Of the Alexandra board of trade
who for a period of twenty years was en-
gagged in Potomac river transportation, and
who was very familiar with the facts, said
he would for 100000 agree to provide
channel Of twenty-nine feet throughout the
whole length Of the river.
Short Line From the West.
Viewed from another standpoint the mer-
its Of the Potomac are equally strong in
contrast. By reference to the accompany
ing diagram 1t will be seen that the air
line distance from Chicago the grain
transportation center Of the great west, to
deep tide water at Washington Is shorter
than to any other point on either the At
lantic or gulf seaboard The contrast by
air lines shown on the map is very striking,
but If made by actual railway lines the
showing would be equally favorable to the
Potomac.
The Exports of Grain.
In this connection it is interesting to note
the grand transformation scene which has
recently occurred in the shipments of grain
from the west, to the seaboard Until re-
Gently New York controlled the lions share
oil the grain export trade Of the United
States. the grain going there by way of the