Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-11-22
MISSISSIPPI waterway
Improvements Now in Progress Are
of the Utmost Importance
to River Trade.
Mr.. BARTHOLD SEES A BRIGHT FUTURE.
The Deepening of the Channel Be-
tween ST. Louis and Cairo, Now
Assured, Means Much to he Busi-
ness Interests of ST. Louis, New
Orleans and Intervening Cities.

ST. Louis, Nov. 20.-A New Orleans
| special to the Globe-Democrat says:
Congressman Bartholdt, of st.
| Louis, who arrived in this city last
night, after having made the trip
down the river with the Mississippi
river commission, of which he is a
member, has given out the following
interview:
First Trip Down the River.
"This is my first trip down the riv-
er, and l am delighted at the condi-
ton 1 have found the banks to be in.
1 had very much desired to make the
trip before, as then l would be able
to better appreciate what is needed
when suggestions are presentedto the
levee and improvement commission of
congress-, of which L am chairman,
but it was never convenient before
this.
Was Deeply interested.
"Being a st. Louisan, I was deeply
interested in the work being done be-
tween ST. Louis and Cairo, Ill. That
work, you know, is the deepening and
contracting of the channel between
those two cities, and which, when
completed, will give US deeper water.
ST. Louis is determined to have eight
feet of water, and she will get it.
Later we hope to have IA feet, and
1 sc thoroughly believe in the ability
of ST. Louis to get VIVA she want
hat | am also confident she will get
that depth, too.
Of Benefit to- Both Cities.
"Now, 1 wish you to distinctly I'M
derstand that simply because l speak
of St. Louis / don't mean to imply
hat the deepening of the channel will
rebound only to her good. 1t is OBJ
vious to every thinking man that
every foot of water which can be
added between ST. Louis and Cairo
benefits New Orleans also. In the fu-
ture, the interests of ST. Louis and
New Orleans will be even more close
ly allied than in the past.
Means Draft Vessels.
"The deepening of the river be-
tween ST. Louis and Cairo means that
in the future we will have vastly larg-
er packets plying between these
places. I feel confident that some time
small-sized ships will go to ST. Louis.
Everything is possible, and il is
merely a matter of time before you
will no longer see the old style, fat
bottom, Stern-wheel boats on the riv-
er, but in their place you will nave
vessels of propeller build. These will,
of course, be lighter of draft than
the larger ocean vessels, but they will
have draft sufficient to afford consid-
erably more tonnage than the steam
boats are enabled to supply. They
will be faster, too.
The New Barges and the Old.
"A few years ago people would have
said that there could be no improve
rnent-that is, no radical improve
rnent-in the style of barges employed
in bringing down grain and other
through freight. Look at the whale
back barges; they are as far ahead
of the ordinary barge as a modern
vestibule train is over the old-style
railroad trains. But 1 do not believe
that the wha1ebacks are the solution
of the problem of fast and cheap
freight transportation of the Missis-
sippi river. No, sir; it is merely the
beginning, and still greater improve
ments may be looked for in the near
future.
""The work between ST. Louis and
Cairo is turning out splendidly, SO we
found, and eight fee of water be-
ready assured"