Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-09
ON CANALzAND RIVER
RETURNS OF DOMESTIC TRADE
MOVEMENTS.
Information Gathered by Army En-
gineers, State Officials and Trans
portation Companies.

Statistical returns Of domestic trade move
ments on rivers and canals in the United
States have been made the subject of
monthly reports in the Summary of Internal
Commerce issued by the treasury bureau
of statistics for the year 1902. A large
proportion Of this information was gathered
from the engineers in charge Of river and
harbor improvements under the auspices of
the War Department. In other cases state
authorities and transportation companies
have furnished data from which the re-
suits have been tabulated.
On the Ohio and Monongahela.
Among the streams Of the United States
the traffic on the Monongahela river is pos
sibly the heaviest, owing to the prominence
Of the coal trade For the twelve months
ending with December, 1902 the total coal
traffic passing through lock No. 8, in adj
dition to the quantity mined in the first and
second pools, was reported as amounting to
g. 100 COZ tons. This may be compared with
the total amount of coal shipped from do
nestle ports on the great lakes to other
domestic ports during the year 1902, amount
ing to 1852, 1868 net tons. The total Monon-
gahela freight movement, in both direc-
tons, reached a grand total Of $3.50, 6S6
tons In 1902.
The point of largest recorded traffic on
the Ohio after leaving Pittsburg, is that
of Davis Island dam, short distance below
Pittsburg This dam, both In construction
and in operation, is one OF the country's
noteworthy achievements of engineering
talent. 1t affords the coal and iron trade
O., this portion Of the country deep-water
navigation on which to accumulate the
products of the mines and industries to be
fioated down the Ohio river whenever
sufficient depth Of water In available. The
total tonnage passing this point during 1902,
as reported by the engineer in charge, was
S.S73,9 52 tons. The month Of the largest
business was July, when LIB, 800 tons were
shipped.
Another point at which traffic on the
Ohio ia euaged is at Louisville, KY. Here
the Ohio river trade passes either through
the locks of the louisville and Portland
canal or over the falls of the Ohio, in case
that the water is Of sufficient depth; so that
the movement Of these two channels gives
the total traffic. at 3ths point for a given
period For the twelve months ending with
December 1902 the traffic through the canal
amounted to ;2s4, AZ tons, and that over
the falls of the Ohio to 783, 551 tons. making
grand total of 1,997;973 tons.
The Great Kanawha.
Next in. Importance to the tra;c of the
Monongahela and Ohio rivers is that of the
Great Kanawha river. consisting primarily
of coal and lumber. During the year 1902
the total tonnage moved through lock No
II on this stream was 977 ,101 tons.
Next in Importance Is Green river. KY.
through lock No. 1scof which 392.s47 tons
passed. xs,za
The Big Sandy river, in the same locality
is credited with 25l,511 tons passing lock
No. 1.
The Little Kanawi1a had a total freight
tonnage OF 6g7O6 tons for the same period
The Des Moines Qowa) Rapids canal car
ried So. 791 tons.
The Canal of the Cascades IN Oregon re-
ported %, 3OS tons Of traffic. The Barron
river, KY, Al .231 tons through lock No. l.
The Black Warrior river, Ala, through
lock No. 3, had a tonnage of 16,1O5 TONS
and the Coosa river. of the same state.
through lock Mo- 8, 1926 TONS mostly lum-
Der In both cases. go
On the Kentucky river. lock No. 4. 4s6e5
tons of freight were shipped and on the
Muskingum river, lock No. l. 81 $3.50 tons in
| 1902. "a
New York State Canals.
The tonnage moved through the New
York state canals is reported by the state
superintendent of public works. as amount
| ing to 3,179,362 tons in 1902 OF this amount
c,225. 9sG tons moved eastward and s53.376