The Washington herald., 1907-10-04

goods VIII be sent 20 New York and fEoTn
thence around Florida 10 the istnmus.
II this great inland waterway is built a
great proportion Of this commerce will
go directly south from Lake Michigan,
through the canal, down the Mississippi
10 tEe Gull. A glance at the map will
shov what economy Of distance that
chaLse would mean.
The city of Chicago, acting under its
legal alias, the sanitary district of Chi
cago. has already done the hardest part
OF the work Il has cut its drainage
canal through the great rock divide south
Of Lake Michigan. and has opened the
gap for connection with the waters Of
the Mississippi This work has cost S52.-
C5J00. This portion of the canal extends
from the west fork of the Chicago River
TO Lockport, on the Desplaines River
within sight Of Lake Joliet. Lake Joliet
is FIVE miles long, and IS about seventy
five feer below the level Of Lake Michi-
SAN The sanitary district proposes to
cut its canal into the little lake. From
this lake flows the Illinois River. which
has "a fan Of 100 feet 10 It's confluence
with the Mississippi To make the four
matter of river improvement then, and
the cost from Lake Joliet 10 the AIissis-
sippi is estimated AT $4,000 600. How
many millions it viii cost 20 deepen the
Mississippi TO fourteen feet is q problem
In an effort 10 keep the Father of Waters
within its banks. and 10 assure eight
feet from the mouth of the Missouri to
St Louis. and nine feet from 81. Louis
10 the mouth OF the Ohio at Cairo, the
government has already spent $l2C)1,0g0,
and $4,000 90 more is required.
What can be done with the Mississippi.
even with no more than nine feet depth.
is wonderful II the fourteen-feet depth
is secured it viii become the greatest
commercial highway in the world River
and canal transportation is so much
Slower than rail transportation that il
viii never compete In hauling fast freight
but it is so much cheaper than the rail-
ways that slow freight VIII go by water
when there is water enough 70 carry it.
The Mississippi Valley, through the
Ohio, the Lakes, the Tennessee. and
Cumberland rivers. drains practically all
of the iron ore lands Of the country. and
could care for the transportation of the
ores. How much that means IS indicated
by the establishment Of the steel city
on the shores of Lake Michigan IN In
diana. just because Of the advantages
OF water transportation. St Louis hopes
10 become q steel city, and the whole
valley hopes Tor the euc0ura cement of
iron industries
The Mississippi River has not kept pace
with the growth of the country. The rail-
roads have proved 20 be TOO swift and
the commerce Of the great river has fallen
on from year 70 year. The greater nor
ton which it now carries originates in
the Ohio, much of It from the coal fields.
The steamboat life which Mark Twain
describes is as dead as are the CALLERS Of
Caesar and Pompay. The commerce Of
the river is carried in barges. The pas
senger traffic is practically q thing Of
the past Where once the mighty steam
boat lines stroye for the mastery the field
Is now deserted, and a regular line from
ST. Louis 70 New Orleans is q thing OF
the past But do not s1Orn the barres
One tow boat the powerful Snrague
recently carried from Louisville IN New
Orleans a tow Of ifty-six barges loaded
with coal, $4,000 tons Of coal This was
four times as great a load as the I.usi-
taEIa could carry. 1t would have REQUIRED
a train Of coal cars nearly hundred
miles long pulled by 800 locomotives. TO
have hauled this coal az one time With
this fact, remember that the average cost
Of the transportation on the Mississippi
Is only about one-twentieth Of the rail
way freight cost Der ton per mile.
Freight traffic on railroads has increas sed
$50 per cent in the past twenty years
The railroads have not been able to keen
up with the increase, and there have been
car famInes and vexatlous delays and no
end Of trouble because there has been
too much freight Il is maintained that
the great inland waterway project would
not work 10 the injury Of the railroads
as the increase IN freight continues. bur
would be an immense saving 10 the
people.
The only quarter from which objection
is likely to be heard i'm the preliminary
stages OF the discussion is from the engI-
ueers. The army engineers, who VIII
have the last word, cannot talk now
They must wait until they have investf
gated. They have made their report on
the waterway from Lockport to St Louis.
and are awaiting further orders from
Congress But the question will come
from the engineers: Are you not asking
too much? Why not be content with
nine feet? The Ohio asks no more. and
the Ohio has great freight traffic. The
Mississippi is difficult 10 control. but /;
has nine feet OF more now from Cairo to
the gulf.
To this objection the far-seeing men
who are behind the movement and who
planned for fifty years IN advance. will
make reply, in substance: THE desirabiI-
ity Of the -the-gulf waterway WAS
apparent 10 the first white man who ever
crossed the Chicago divide Joliet and
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