New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-04
FRENCH INLAND Ma VIGA77ON
CONTEMPT .TFD IMPROVEMENT OF
CANALS WILL FACILITATE INTRO
DUCTION OF AMERICAN COAL.
Paris, Aug. %.


On the initiative of the Paris Chamber of Com
,ne-,a ..aad4as,1,, seconded by the Chambers of
Commerce If Tvons Marseilles. Dion, Bordeaux,
Orleans and Rouen new ana elaborate Pldil 1ol
the improvement and extension OF Ile 'oo'e9 Va III
land navigation in France has peen oIaMH up oS
the engineers of the Ministry OF fuoiic WE h'' HP
proved by the special Parliamentary commission
and in the coming session be submitted to the
Chamber of Deputies The project Is compete ana
will cost over Sa0V0OO0. one-half OF "hlcn Is 10
be borne by the State and the other nan oE c''eS
Immediately interested. The expense and the con-
struction will extend over perloo OIL t"elte years
1t IS believed in commercial circles that the con-
ternpIated improvements of the canals ana naVl-
gable rivers will facilitate the lntrouuctioH ii'o
france OF American coal
1t has been found that the transport oi nedNy
materials such as coal, iron. copper. sulphur and
building stone can he effected much more
cheaply bv canaIboats as to more than compen-
safe for the greater rapidtty OF ra''ioaus' III
deed strong reaction has set IN IN ldSoi ~ ''
and even the railway engineers IN thelr oii.0i@i "
ports declare that almost every instance OF an IN
crease of canal traffic has been accompanied os
increase of railroad traffic The two systems
in France instead of competing with each o'iiTi %
was enormously supposed to De 'He 'oS -,
years ago. are now shown TO be nutua'N oeiiv
fetal Railroads traverse the country IN an OIL
rections. while the canals and naFlsdpie i
only pass in certain directions
NJ FleUTy has adduced figures showing that o'liE
about 260 miles of canals run paraIIel VII o,.'V
miles OF rails, which + only one-SeVeh'-l u I7
total mileage OF the French railroads Inc Pio-
posed plans are based upon the idea mat Cdlldl'
TO interfere with railway transportation
hut. on the contrary. are to cooperate win It,
The magnitude OF the canal and river Navigation
improvements will be appreciated by the state
ment that the scheme drawn up by NJ Ne trey
Cinet and adopted by Parliament IN lS9 Nhloh VIII
be completed in 1904 has cost the country 957ov'H"
francs. or $l93@h.@o If, as Is CONSIDERED nAels,
the new project estimated cost 81 sI-oV'o''vV
be adopted the total sum devoted to lnlaho nav
cation in France since 1879 will amount 10 s31''-
o00cr0 The unanimous opinion OF the Chambers OF
Commerce throughout the country IS that this
enormous sum IS fully justified by the vital I'M
portance Of the commercial and Industrial inter
ests dependent upon inland navigation
The new scheme briefly outlined is as foNo"s-
Seven navigahle routes are to be improved, eight
new ones are 10 be made and eleven ports are 10
be improved The waterways TO be improved are
a. The system Of canals from the EscauIt 10 tue
coal districts of the Pas-du-Calais and TO the
North Sea. at q cost OF 81. 10000; ~ canalzatlon
Of the Seine. costing 100000 (3D the Rhone'
81 300 90: a. canals of the Midi s2.an0D' o. the
Garonne. between Castex and Bordeaux, Fop"''
81 the Orleans Canal 81 10000. and O canal from
the Rhone the Rhine at Bouragne. S""""'
Naviga BILE waterways be constructed are: % Inc
Northeastern Canal, $26,2O0O00: () Northern Canal
$1,000 900. 81 Loire between Nantes and BTlare'
and between Nantes and Anglers $2-s'oeH: (i) canal
from CombeuX 10 orleans 10000; O. canal rom
Mouths 70 Sancoins 50 SO 600 90 canal from the
Loire to the RhonA t34 go go @ canal from Mar
settles 10 the Rhone SIS 5000. 50 canal from the
Rhone 20 Cette. $4,000 The ports to be improved
are. Dunkerque s. 90000O BoulOgne. Seh""'
Dfeppp $4,000: HaYre. s4r0 600; Rouen. {2S"'"n'
Saint Nazaire & 400 40. Nantes. S,F0""1 Bor-
daaux s. 10000. Bayouue, $4,000 Cette' $6"oTn:
MarseiIes. 100000.
As Will he seen from the foregoing plan. the IN
qF IRAN 9-
and cheaper water communication with ceHuh'
F,uropc a5 well with the Atlantic and Medi-
,arrsrcan seaports II gratifying 20 find that
according 10 the reports Of the United States. the
british and the German consuates at Mar
settles the 5000 tons nf American coal recently
rIaced there on a sort OF trial with the Paris
LYONS Railroad Company, with the gas works hnf
with the A1essaEeries and Transatlantic haVlgh-
t'or, cofnpanies gave full satisfaction as faf az le
0raltty Of the coal went. and that tho pre1udlces
against American coal beginning 10 disappear
nc II becomes better known The proposed inland
NAVIGATION improvements will make It possible Tor
American coal TO be shipped 10 the interior OF
Franco and even to Geneva. without change OF
bottom and under favorable conditions 1or opnilfe
tIton with British coal II is also hotea thHt inc
consumption Of coal in France IS increasing eac"
year a. the ratio of over 3,5750o tons and the
total annual consumption OF the country Is no"
estimated at 54popD tons The product of the
French coal mines IS only 100000 tons, so that
100000 tons or more than haIt o. the E'at'E
,S., ts ., b. Unmarried c I. b.