New-York tribune., 1903-02-09
INTERNAL WATERWAYS.
FYeures of RiUer and Canal Trade
MOUense1ttS.

Washington Feb. (SpecaD-Statistics OF
the domestic trade movements on rivers anu
canals of the United States Indicate tha' uhe
traffic on the Monongahela River is the hea'les''
the immense movement of coal on that stFedih
giving II the lead. For the twelve months end
inc with December last the total coal traffic
passing through Lock No. 3. in addition to the
quantity mined in the first and second pools
amounted according to the figures OF the treas
ury Bureau TO O. 100000 tons. Ihls may DC
compared with the total amount OF coal snippeu
from domestic ports the Great Lakes which
amounted to $685., 1856 net TONS during the same
period. The total Monongahela freight move
ment In both directions amounted to Z'oooooo
tons in 1902.
The point of largest recorded trafhc on 'he
Ohio, below Pittsburg. is that of Davis Island
Dam short distance below Pittsburg. Ihls
dam both in construction and in operation, is
one of the country's noteworthy achievements
of engineering talent. 1t affords the coal anu
iron trade Of this portion Of the country deep
water navigation on which to accumulate the
products OF the mines and industries to be
, foated down the Ohio River whenever sunl-
cient depth Of water is available. The total ton
mage passing this point during 1907, as reported
by the engineer In charge. was 2,SI3,9o2 tons
Another point at which traffic on the ONO
IS gauged is at Louisville Here the Ohio River
trade passes either through the locks of the
Louisville and Portland Canal or over the falls
of the Ohio, in the water is OF SUM
cient depth; so that the movement Of these two
channels gives the total traffic at this point Tor
a given period. For the twelve months ending
with December 1902. the traffic through the
canal amounted to 234 400 tons. and that
over the falls OF the Ohio to 763.o51 tons. max
ing grand total of !. .991.91 tons.
Next in Importance to the traffic of the Mo-
nongaheia and Ohio rivers is that Of the Great
Kanawha River, consisting primarily OF coal
and lumber In the year 1902 the total tonnage
moved through Lock No. IL on this stream was
977101 tons Next in Importance is Green
River Kentucky, through Lock No. or Whlcn
392 S47 tons passed. The Big Sandy River, IN
the same locality, is credited with 25l,0l1 tons
passing Lock No 1. The Little Kanawha had
total freight tonnage of 9.706 tons for the same
period The Des Moinee 0owa) Rapids Canal
carried 81. 7S1 tons. The Canal Of the Cascades.
in Oregon reported % 30S tons Of traffic. The
Barren River Kentucky A, ,231 tons through
Lock No. 1. The Black Warrior River. Ala
barna through Lock No. 8. had tonnage or
| 16,1O5 tons, and the Coosa River. Of the same
State. through Lock No. 8, 1926 tons, mostly
lumber In both cases. On the Kentucky River
Lock No. a. 4S665 tons Of freight were shipped
| and on the Muskingum River, Lock No. l, 81, $50
| tons, In 1902
| State canals is reported by the State Superin-
! tendent of Public Works amounting to S,I|5,-
! S62 tons in 1902. OF this amount 2,225.9S6 tons
| moved eastward and 953 376 tons westward,
| showing that the eastward tonnage is about
| two and one-half times the westward tonnage
For the year 1901 the total tonnage for an equal
season, ending with November, was 3.111,444
tons, Of which 2.276.209 tons moved eastward
and 1O66O OS5 tons westward. Coal shipments
on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal were 1S2. .o3o
tons IN 1902 compared with 229.393 tons in
1901.
trasted with those Of the Sault Ste. Marie
canals through which freight tonnage or 90
| 961 146 net tons passed in the season of leoZ
and also with the Portage Lake ship canals OF
| Michigan through which total Of 1850, le9 net
| tons passed in the same season. The tonnage
movement through the Chesapeake and Della
ware Canal. as reported by the operating com
nany has been given for only the last four
months of 1902 as 205, ,3S2 net tons with vessel
movement OF 1882 vessels.