The Meeker herald., 1907-11-30

Tho presidents trip down the Mis-
sissippi river. and his notable utter
ances in reference to = deep water
way from the lakes to the gulf, with
the announcement that he had COM
mitted himself to the general prin-
ciple involved in the project for A.
foot channel from Chicago to New Or
leans. have given the project q boom
which 1t IL predicted will not subside
until the dream Of the middle west
has become reality.
The present crusade for the deep
ening and Improvement of the chan
nels Of our inland rivers IL no new
born scheme. The subject has been
agitated with more or less energy at
intervals for many decades past. How
ever. several circumstances have late
" combined to enforce more serious
attention TO the matter ON the part Of
the whole country than has heretofore
been accorded It. For one thing. a.
. result Of the agitation regarding
excessive railroad rates. the people of
&40 Univ oAt0 0AAoDao8ARRA VAAl0y0 A6VV
naturally been tempted to turn for re-
Lief to ths great highways for water
bosns comnerce lying practically neg.
lsctsa 1t their doors. Even more
pcteat q 4 factor In arousing ssnti-
nsat q the subject II the growing
realisation Of the possibilities open
70 such system OF waterways A. 4
feeder" Of the new Panama canal
commerce. With adequate channels
for our inland waterways. steel from
the mills at Pittsburg. wheat from the
farms Of the middle west and manu-
features from the shops at st. Louis
could be delivered In the markets Of
the orient at cheaper prices than
could be quoted by the merchants of
any rival nation.
The possibilities of the field and the
pressing need for action led President
Roosevelt some months ago to ap-
point the inland waterways commits
sion, the members of which accom-
panied him for personal inspection
Of their new field of labor. The chair
man Of the commission Is Congress-
man Theodore Il. Burton, Of Ohio,
who has been for years past chair
man Of the rivers and harbors COM
mittee Of the United States house of
representatives and who ia probably
the best posted man in the world on
the whole subject OF river and harbor
improvement. Associated with him
arc Senator Newlands. Of Nevada:
Herbert Knox Smith, United States
commissioner Of corporations; Sena.
tor Warner. of Missouri; Gen. Alex
Ander Mackenzie, chief Of engineers
Of the United States army (now in
charge Of all government river and
harbof improvement work.: Senator
Bankhead, of Alabama; w. ]. MCGEE;
Clifford Pinchot. head Of the United
States forestry service and expert on
waGer supply. and F. H. Newell. whose
vito experience at the head of the
United States reclamation service
especially qualities him to grapple
with such problems.
That the mighty Mississippi and its
principal tributaries must be improved
10 the edict Of Uncle Sam but Just
how this is to be carried out is yet to
b determined. Indeed. to devise ways
and means h one of the duties of the
board Of experts. The supreme ques-
ton concerns the depth Of channel
that is to be striven for. Some of the
most optimistic advocates Of the i'm
provement Of our inland waterways
are clamoring for a navigable channel
II feet in depth. throughout the great
or portion Of the Mississippi's length.
Especially Is this deep channel
sought by the champions Of . lake to
gulf waterway. Ever since the com.
pletion Of the Chicago drainage cana,
these enthusiasts have dreamed Of a
chain Of inland waterways whereby
freight could be moved by steamer
and without breaking bulk from Buffa-
10, Cleveland and other ports at the
eastern end Of the great lakes to New
Orleans and West Indian harbors, and
perhaps to even more distant destina-
tioas. The drainage canal would be
connected with the Mississippi
through the Desplaines and Illinois
rivers and In one estimate that has
bssa made the engineers hgure ut