The Cairo bulletin., 1905-07-24

the boats while not in transit. The |
present method i'm use hy the coal 1
shippers, and referred to by Ccl. Msr |
rill, is the aarb0ring of coal at Pits
burg until favorable stage of wa
and then shipp ng it down river. In |
the past. coal has been held in :he |
Pittsburg harbo~ for over four months |
before sh pment was possible
As coal forms so small a percentage !
cf the value of the freight handled,
should the coal interest receive 50
much consideration as to allow them
to dictate the manner of improve
ment? In this connection it may be
pertinent to ask who will receive the
increased benefits which will be de-
rived from Oft. over Gift chan
mel Considering coal, which is the
main item Of freight put forward by
those clamoring for a Off. channel,
during the year 1904, coal in barges
at Pittsburs sold for sl25 per ton;
ar Cincinnati the average price for
coal in barges was s212i2 per ton.
Docs not 971a cents ton appear
rather high for transportation, espec-
tally when it can be transported to
New Orleans in boats drawing feet
at $1-G71& per ton-Naw Orleans is
fully 1886 miles further from place
of shipment. Tde-e are no tolls
charged
Undoubtedly the amount of freight
in and out of Pittsburg is enormous,
but cannot that portion of this vast
amount which VIII deaect to the river
after its improvement is completed, b.
| handled on GIFT. channel? Again
| considering coal, the locks thus far
| completed, which are among the larg-
est in use in this country, are de-
signed to pass towboat with ten
barges and two fats al one locking,
Such a fleet will carry fully 10000
| bushels of coal: allowing two mont3a
| IN each year for suspans on of nayl-
gat on from one cause or another
/ he sending of one fleet each day
would amount to at least i2.000Aa0
bushels In year. To transport To-,
100000 tons, referred to as the prob
able yearly amount Of freight from
| pittsburg would only require the send
ing out of six fleets instead of one
each day.
The matter of ''the system OF boats
now in use on the rive in the trans
portaticn Gf freight 10 New Orleans
deserves but little considerat on AS
the Ohio is q public waterway and
I. Tas no revenue Is derived thercfrUm
It would be more TO the purpose for
steamboat owners to build their boats
50 as to conform TO the river condi-
lions, than that the government should
: expend large sums to so improve the
river ais to accommodate certain boats
Should reasonably continuous nayiga
ton be establ shed on the Ohio, boats
will, no doubt, be es'gned to meet
: all requirements.
These are matters that that boarl
! appointed by the Secretary OF War
must consider, and should IL deciGt
that indications, both present and In
, ture, point to- the adoption Of II
J channel, of what advantage will be
the Oft channel in the % miles d
river? WIN not the cont nual move
ment of GIFT. draught of boats, with
, out harborage, be more economical
than the periodical movement Of oft
, draught boats with harborage? vii
I. not as great a number of people b.
j benefited by the GIFT channel as b,
a a 9il? The Importance of an i'm
4 provement when undertaken by tin
!. general government, should be gang
/ ed by the number Of people benefited
Z There is no doubt of the advantas
i of a oft channel but will the need
l. justify the cost?
Z Congresses in the past have bee'
r providing for GIFT channel for tn
i Ohio river from Pittsburg to beloN
8 Cincinnati, distance Of over AZ
a miles, the accomplishment of whic
i will require 81 locks and dams, TIL
minimum cost of each will be $1,000
r 900 With this end In view structure
: are building at or near the followin
localities. Curaopolis. Sewickly GleI
osborne, and Rochester, Penn; Wells
willie, Brilliant Marictt, and Cincil
; natl, Ohio; and McMechen, West vi
\ ginia. A lock and dam has bee
' completed and Is in operation at Yves
Bellevue, Pa, and another PRACTICAL
completed and in operation nea
Beaver, Pa. To June 30, 1904, $5
! 74e,G00 has been appropriated towar
= providing a six.foot channel (exclu
i've Of Dam No. -; Of this amount 81
175,4 ,4SS.34 has been expended, wit
the result Of only one structure ths
known as Dam No 6, In operation
This lock and dam was formerly o.
ened TO navigation In September {
1890. Work on the lock and dam /;
,p West Bellevue was begun on Angus
If 10, 1878 and opened to navigation q
e October Z, 1885, at cost of ovt
W 100000
Much Of the present delay in cor
y. petng the proposed structure is dl
er to Congress Instead of following u
,e recommendation Of the officers
N charge Of the works; that sufficiel
W funds be appropriated to permit Of co
ie tracing for all The structures requi
in ed AT a locality Congress continue