Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-05-02
Especial Correspondence of the DESERT Nes by Frank G. Carpesr0

+ way is hinged mast so fixed that II can
be raised and lowered at the bridges.
Each barge has u rudder sometimes so
large that It Is moved by a horizontal
cog wheel pushed around By the sailors.
On many of the barges families OF
Doatmen live, You see the washing
hanging on the line, the women cook
ing at the sterns Of the boats and little
ones playing about over the cargo,
THE PASSENGER BUSINESS.
The Rhine has an immense passenger
business during the season This il
now at its beginning, and 1t win con-
time until late In the fall. There are
two great passenger companies which
nave regular daily services to Mainz
and Cologne ana Dusseldorf. They are
doing we'll, paying regular dividends OF
9 per cent and over Their stocks are
considered safe investments and they
are bought and sold on the exchange.
II Is not the foreign travel, however,
that makes the boats pay That is
enormous, II is true, but II is nothing
In comparison with the local traffic. The
Rhine il one almost continuous village.
There are towns everywhere near the
river aud back from IT, except in the
most mountainous parts, and on holl-
days the boats are crowded, and, as the
fares are cheaper than those Of the rail-
roads, the everyday travel Is great. A
difference I'M weather makes a big diff
ference In the profits Of the companies.
This is especially so as to the foreign
traffic. A cold Whtsuntide means
there VIII be no traffic from London
and a cold season may cut down the
dividends more than per cent. There
are now about 100 steamboats, on the
Rhine, and the average number Of pas
sengers exceeds a million a year.
Travelling is comparatively inexpen-
sive, and, strange 10 say, il costs less 10
90 up the stream than down il. 1t takes
only a day to see the most beautiful
part OF the river, and you can have
round trip ticket at reduced rates. Each
passenger is allowed a hundred pounds
OF baggage free, a small charge being
made for loading and discharging the
trunks. All the steamers have eating
accommodations on them, and the food
ls quite as good as on similar boats at
home, At | O'Clock there is table
dhote dinner, which costs 70 cents, with
reduced rates for children Breakfast
and supper are also served.
HOW GOODS ARE HANDLED.
Nearly all the Rhine towns are grow
Ing and are steadily improving their
port arrangements. You see cranes on
the landing places at many small towns,
all the cities have wharves and the
busy scenes upon them shows that this
part Of Germany is industrially alive.
The port AT Cologne is formed by an
island In the river This has been walled
In with great stone blocks and paved
with cobbles. Bridges connect II with
the railroads and the cars are brought
right 70 the boats and loaded and UNI
loaded with great steel cranes. There
are custom houses on the island with
bonded warehouses, and the facilities
are such that scores of barges and boats
can be handled at one time.
As | walked along upon this island |
saw a barge unloading South Carolina
pine. The boards were built out over
the sides Of the barge 80 that II seemed
to be pile of lumber n hundred feet
wide, 200 feet long and 10 feet high. IL
had been towed up from Rotterdam by |
a steam tug, and when | saw 1t the hy- |
draulie cranes were lifting up a hun
dred boards at a time and dropping |
them on to the cars, which were 10 |
take them TO the interior.
Near by We're other barges loading |
goods for the United States. and | was |
told that something like two million
dollars worth Of goods are annually |
shipped from here to our country
Another big Rhine center is Dussel- !