The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1907-12-26
DEEPENING THE MISSISSIPPI.
Planning to Increase Its Commercial
Usefulness,

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Planning to Increase Its Commercial
Usefulness.
A vast amount OF grain, meat and
other products of the west and north
west now go to New Orleans by
steamboat, but the Mississippi does
not yet begin to perform the service
It might render If it's channel were
suitably deepened. From many quar-
ters there come complaints that the
railroads cannot carry all the freight
a demand for a large use of those
splendid highways which nature has
provided, the Mississippi and its
navigable branches. At a conference
Of public officials from twelve or ff-
teen States, held in Memphis two or
three weeks ago, a set of resolutions
were adopted calling on Congress to
make certain improvements which
would promote this object. President
Roosevelt has given the matter his
hearty approval already, and is ex-
pected to say a good word for it in
dis next annual message.
The work recommended by the
Memphis convention consists Of two
portions. One would improve the
communication between Chicago and
st. Louis by deepening the Illinois
River, into which the Chicago sewage
canal now discharges. An outlet would
thus be afforded for lake steamers to
the Mississippi, and hence to the Gulf.
Just how much use they would make
OF the route is a question not decided,
but there seems to be a good deal of
talk about the matter. Competent
judges say that the task of deepen
ing the Illinois presents no special
difficulty. That section OF the pro.
posed waterway is 367 miles in length.
The other extends from st. Louis 60
New Orleans and is $50 miles long.
New Orleans is about 100 miles up
stream from the Gulf of Mexico, but
is already easily accessible from that
body Of water.
The Mississippi undergoes great
changes in level in the course of a
year. At the lowest stage (between
September and january there are
places where it would be hard for
even a light draft vessel to pass up
Or down, but for excavation by the
Federal authorities. The government
maintains a nine-foot channel at such
times, this work being conducted
along the shadows which intervene
between deep pools in the river. The
Memphis convention asked for pro-
vision for a depth of at least four.
teen feet, Or an increase of five or
five and one-half ON the situation at
the most unfavorable periods now.
The demand certainly seems a modest
one. though the difficulty of regulating
such a torrent as pours down the
valley at certain seasons makes a few
experts wonder If the proposed depth
a be permanently maintained. II
suitable foundations for storage dams
here and there can be found, there
will be little trouble. Otherwise, a
serious problem will be presented to
the men who undertake the work.
A leading scientific periodical, EN-.
cheering News" believes that trans
portation in such boats as could use
a f~ourteen-foot channel would be
cheaper than If it were conducted by
lake steamers. The latter are deep
and narrow, their shape being gov
erned largely by the necessity for
enduring terrible storms. The water
is sometimes as rough on the lakes
as in mid-ocean. On the other hand
the river boats are fiat and broad.
They are well fitted to carry big loads
where the water is shallow. They
frequently run up to a sloping river
bank for freight. and dispense with
a regular wharf.