The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-04-01
TRANSPORTATION
ION j. 5. WATERS
OVER NINE THOUSAND VESSELS
ON MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND
TRIBUTARIES WITH VALUE
OF s23 900 900.

Washington. March S1.-The Blu
reau OF Census has just issued bulle
tin Oh transportation by water, pre-
pared under the direction OF William
| NJ. Steuart, chief statistician for mar,
utactures. The bulletin contains a
summary of the main features of a
census of transportation by water
which covered the year ending Decem.
Der 81, 1906, further details of which
are reserved for separate reports on
the shipping on the Atlantic coast and
Cult of Mexico, the Pacific coast. the
Great Lakes and ST. Lawrence river
the Mississippi river and its tlibuta.
ries. and all other inland waters, re.
spectiyely.
The bulletin includes the statiotics
for all American vessels or craft Of
) tons net register or over operated
on the coasts and inland waters Of
the United States Porto Rico, and
the Hawaiian Islands, or between the
ports Ct these and other countries. All
craft are included except those owned
by the federal government, those EN-
gagged in fishing, and stationary
wharf boats and house boats used
largely for residential purpose,
The statistics cover 1891 craft
with an aggregate gross tonnage of
1888, 429 and LICE idle craft with an
aggregate gross tonnage of 1896, In
1889 there We're reported 304S5 active
craft with an aggregate gross tonnage
of S.359135 and Il 400 idle craft with
an aggregate gross tonnage Of 233-
G39. OF the active craft. the value in
creased from over 5000, 600 900 in 1883
to over $500 100000 in 1906. In the
same period the gross income in
creased from about sl62,0Q,000 toI
about 1926. 900 600. or 50 per cent; the
number of employees, from about ia,
900 to about 141 ,999, or 23.S per cent.
and the wages paid, from about SAL,
600 COO TO about S72000,0O0, or 727
per cent
Most important Division.
BY far the largest port of the Amer |
lean shipping. 26.032 vessels with an
aggregate tonnage of more than A.
500. 600 tons. operates on the Atlantic |
coast and Gulf of Mexico The next |
greatest number. 1922 vessels with a |
tonnage of over 100000. is shown for |
the Mississippi river and its tributa |
ries. But so many OF these vessels |
reported from the Mississippi river
are coal barges and scows. that In |
spite of the large number and great !
tonnage the value is only about $685. |
0o0, 900 and the income only about |
ST. 900 600 The smallest number of |
vessels on the Great Lakes, 1890, rep |
resented a value of over $40 000, 900 /
and derived an income of over 500
100, 900. Shipping on the Pacific coast
showed a great proportionate increase
md did business valued at about s49.-
,00. 600.
Busiest Canal in the World.
The busiest canal in the world Is
he st. Mary's Fall canal connecting
AXE Superior with Lake Huron In
SOC the net tonnage of vessels pass
ng through this canal was three ]
lines as great as that through the
;uez canal and more than seven times
IS great as that through the Kaiser
or KEEL canal This is the i
more noteworthy since the St Marys {
Falls canal, on account of the severity
# the cold, is open TO traffic for only
bout eight months in the year. while
he others are open twelve The in. ;
.reased use of the ST Marys Falls ca
lal has been tremendous In 1880 |!
My 12i4279 tons went through: in
$50. 7,51G,022 tons; and in 1906, A..
1852 tons. an amount 3.2l73 per F.,
,ent. greater than in 1850 and 4492
Ter cent. greater than in 1889. Ii