The Cairo bulletin., 1908-02-07
SYNOPSIS OF ENGINEERS or DE-
TAILS FOR GETTING e-FooT
STAGE.
TO COST S64,OOO,OOO
Board Asserts That Freight Can Be
Handled as Quickly as BY
RaiIroads--cost Of
Maintenance.


the Ohio river from Pittsburg to Cair
las been proposed In the report of TIL
! engineering board now made public
says special from Washington t
the Evansville Courier. The schem
recommended by the board is com
prehensive and would cost the go,
eminent, according to the most, care
full, detailed estimates, the enormou
sum of $63, 731 1883. 1t would involv,
the construction of ffty-four lock
and dams.
The board, after most careful In
quiry finds that a six-foot naviga
ton at low water can be established
in the Ohio river from Pittsburg t.
Cairo by the construction of forty-fivt
locks with movable dams. at an esti
mated cost of $50, 1863, 266, and ha,
| nine-foot navigation over the same
| length of river can be established b,
| the construction of fifty-four locks
| and dams at an estimated cost OF
sG3, 7S1 ,4SS."
Cost of Maintenance.
The annual cost of maintenance Is
estimated by the board at $4,000 for
zach lock and dam, making a total OF
$4,000 for the six-foot project and
$4,000 per annum for the nine-foot
project. These maintenance esti-
mates do not take into consideration
any dredging which may be found
necessary in the pools.
The conclusion reached is that
the Ohio river should be improved
~ means of locks and movable dams
q provide depths of nine feet from
oittsburg to Cairo"
In its argument in favor of the I'M
provement CT the Ohio river the
pecial board says:
Pletore the advent OF railroads the
,reater portion of long-distance inter
hange OF commodities among the
leople OF the couhtry was effected by
means OF waterways, both natural and
lftifioial- TzIIs ~, ,r...,,.--4
ipon the natural waterway transport
alton was forced to accommodate IT.
self to the internationally navigable
itages of the rivers
From the beginning the railroad
vas a reliable system OF Transports
ion and this reliability caused a gen
rial transfer to it from the intermit-
emily navigable streams of the ship
nents of the more expensive of com
nodities-commcd ities that could
tand high freight rates and which |
demanded sure delivery in reason.
BILE time
The Packet Trade.
Whether or not the transportation |
the higher grade or freight was |
AIKEN entirely from the river depend
i upon the frequency and duration
{ its navigable stages. For instance,
N the Ohio river such transportation
IS shown by the packet trade, is con.
inued with fair remuneration from
afro to Evansville. Evansville to
.ouisville and Louisville to Cincin-
lati. insofar as commerce that
originates on the river and designed
III liNtI DOlulS Ia tOHtpIltNs /
There seems to be no proof that
ne proportional decrease in the use
. streams for general transportation
5 due to any other cause than the UNI
'eliability of such streams for suca
purpose in their unimproved condi-
ion. Unreliability of river transpor.
alton has prevented the proper de-
felopment of wharves, loading and
devices and the larger
hippers If finished products have
prepared for shipping only by rail
dding to the disadvantages that the
river transportation is
creed to bear
Time to Deliver Freight.
There seems to be a misconcep-
ion as to the time required to deliver
Gods by river In comparison with
hat required to deliver them by rail
can safely be stated that under
resent conditions when a navigable
tage can be relied upon shipments
less than carload lots are gener-
lily delivered by, river in less time
ban similar shipmens are delivered
y rail and that on a reliable stream
early all classes of freight offering
4 any quantities are delivered az |
asst as quickly by river as by rail-
Through the exertions of the
-ans-continental railroads there have I
cen established In the middle south
Id the central states manufacturing
that now supply many 4
the wants of the Orient and Pacific
,ast. The commodities are shipped [
: rail from such cities as Pittsburg. 4
leveland. Detroit. Cincinnati. Chi.
.go and st Louis to towns on the {
aeific coast for use there or for ex-
lrt. Z
THE greater amount. both in value !,
I'd tonnage enumerated in these
tipping lists. is. or can be. produced 4
the Ohio valley and a great in
ease IN the trade should be looked
T in consequence Of the marked re- 4
iction in freight cost from the point =
manufacture to market. both on
Q Pacific coast and in the Orient :
bich will occur when the Isthmian !
nal is completed and a reliable {
aterway is created in the Ohio and 4