Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-10-09

only thrss-nfths OF mill. that IL three.
nftsaths OF cent per ton per mile where
a. about the best the railroads can Do 70
two mills or one nfth Of q cent par miis.
II IL predicted that with 9 deeper ehas-
mel Il will 3e nossibis to move a ON Of
freight mile on the Ohio or MlsBissippi
Rivers at the Incredibly low ch,rgs Of
one-twsnty-dfth Of a cent.
President Roosevelt makes his present
trip on q typical American river steamer
"a representative Of a novel class Of
craft that are likely to remain In service
In considerable numbers on the Mississippi
and Its tributaries even though the chan
bel may be greatly deepened as years 30
By. II Is not too much to say that the
Siaamars OF the American inland rivers
are peculiar and unique. r3ey are Of q
standard design made necessary by the
exigencies of the service In which shey
are engaged, for sney are continually
sncountsring shifting bottoms. snags and
shoals and must consequently be of tbs
llghtest draught. Some OF the more mod
arn packets are side whselers but q gocdiy
proportion OF the steamers on the rivers
have the old familiar stern hasi, set 90
high that as its broad paddle blades
strike the water thsy DO not S.uk to any
great distance below the surface and are
thus not endangered by sh2Ss ~ sshsF
ohstructionA
In the earlier days when the nrer
cleaners were exclusively Of wooden sba-
Etruction, strength was often sacrificed
10 secure liKhtness Of draught but Of
late years steel bulls have made their ap-
psarance on the rivers and the result has
been to secure stability to surprtans
degree 10 a type II steamer that de-
spite her length Of perhaps I'D feet
win nost In water littls more than three
feet deep. Such a boat as has been
described will carry four thousand bales
Of cotton and will travel one thousand
miles each week, incidentally making not
less than $50 landings each week Ia TAX
ing on and discharging her cargo By
means OF a landing stage or suspended
gsngplsnk such vessel can discharge
passengers and freight even when the
depth of water will not permit her to
approach close - shore and II IL seldom
that the opera tons Of such craft are In
terfered with even In the low wster sea
son.
An important and spectacular feature
of the commerce Of Our inland water
ways Is found In the coal trafhc. The
water borne shipments Of fuel originals
IN the upper reaches Of the Ohio River
and traverse this stream TO Cairo, Ill,
and thence down the Mississippi TO New
Orleans aud other Southern ports II ls
primarily ia behalf Of this frame that the
business interests Of Pittsburg are so
earnest ia advocating. as part Of the
general Improvement schsme. the canal
Kstiou OF the Ohio River and the estab-
IAhment Of d nine-foot stage Of water In
the river. Under present conditions tbs
rivers are nayigabls TO this great trafnc
little more than ope-half the year and
vast feets Of boats representing an In
vestmsbt OF millions of dollars can fire.
qusntly be seen tied to the banks for IN
terYelE Of days or weeks waiting for
heavy rainfall or a spring freshet 10 ratse
the water 30 that they cltn proceed 70
aAnar MRmeammAsan.
II N 20 cateA p&rsas - sNs snat IN this
river traffic acres or coal are shipp@d n !
q single feet 1t Is nothing upasuaii % |
zee hfty or more coal boats or bargeE In |
q single tow and this cargo Of perhaps /
one and one half million bushels Of coal /
may b spread over an area Of more than 1
Gys acres 4 single steamer with - /
Efnss Of say 2Eoo h0rss power viii move