The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-12-23
THE INLAND WATERWAYS,

very interesting and finely illustrated
article on the waterways Of Europe. 1t
was timely. as much interest has been
manifested in the proposed development
of the inland waterways of this country,
and the past season the National govern
ment sent a waterways commission to
Europe to study and report upon con-
ditions there. The magazine article re-
ferred to shows what has been done in
the Old World to improve the navigable
rivers and to facilitate the handling of
freight, and the results in many cases
are surprising. Towns that invested
heavily in piers, warehouses, elevators,
etc, reaped their reward in wonderful
growth of business and of population.
Like results may be expected in this
country if the plans for improving our
waterways are carried out.
In the early days freight was trans
ported on the mighty Mississippi in flat
boats, which drifted down river with the
current and on arrival at New Orleans,
or DIT pidCSS lLSi NY llNSlt VSiS NAi
loaded and then sold for the lumber used
in their construction Then came the
really palatial steamers, carrying both
passengers and freight-all striving for
supremacy III speed, the fastest boat in
line carrying on her pilot house pair of
yilded elk horns, which in case OF defeat
must be handed over to the victor. The
table on these boats was equal to that of
The first class hotels. At night there
would be dancing in the after cabin, and
gambling day and night in the forward
saloon, where there was a bar on one
side and the clerks Office on the other.
Racing was always in order, and fire.
ouently resulted in bursting the over
taxed boilers, with fatal results to the
passengers and crew.
The advent of the railroad marked the
passing of these palatial packets, the
quicker transportation taking away their
passengers, although if time was no OBJ
iect the sail up or down the "Big Mud
dv'' was both restful and enjoyable.
The flatboat was already a thing of the
past and coal and other heavy freight
was transported in barges, which were
towed Up river when they had discharged
their cargoes. The difficult navigation
was, however, one reason for the decline
of transportation on the western rivers.
On the sea coast the rocks and shoals
are permanent, and are marked by light
houses, lightships and buoys. On the
Mississippi and its main tributaries the
channel is constantly changing. In
places the banks wash away so that
dwellings have to be abandoned, and
goodly part of plantation may be car
ried down stream to increase the hold
ings of others. Where there was a
its way across the point of land, making
what is known as ''cut-of," through
which the boats pass, abandoning the
old channel. The result of this washing
away of the banks was to fill the river
with trees, which as ''snags' or 'saW
yers" are serious obstacles to naviga-
t1on and have caused the loss of many
BOATS. A snag is a log or tree which
holds a fixed position, fast to the bottom
and stands upright or on an incline,
while the sawyers bob about in the cur
rent. Then the sand bars, constantly
shifting their position, are another men
ace to the river man. For aid in the
case of running on sand bar the Mis-
sissippi steamers had a contrivance
which reminds one of a man trying to lift
himself by taking hold of the seat of his
trousers. Just forward of the super
structure, resting on the main deck on
each side and reaching above the top of
the pilot house, are massive spars fitted
with blocks and tackle. When boat
runs on bar these spars are put over
board, one on each side, the gear is ad-
iusted and lines taken to the donkey
engine, the strain lifting the bow so that
the boat may be backed off or worked
over the shoals. Under these conditions,
and with the ruinous competition of the
railways which paralelled the Mississippi
on each bank, traffic has practically left
that river. The railways put down
their rates until they had driven the
boats out of business, and then raised
chem.
The National government finally awak-
aned to the necessity of removing some
Of the obstacles to river traffic and for
nearly year has had snagboats working
between Kansas City and St. Louis. Last
year the business men of Kansas City
organized a boat company and success
fully carried freight and passengers be-
tween the two cities. There was no pro-
fit in the business for the reason that the
boats could run only in the daytime, and
saven then they had to be guided careful
iy and slowly. But the experiment prov
ed to the satisfaction of Congress that
the river is navigable and needed only
the attention that any other self-respect-
ing river should have. 1t was the strong
est influence in getting an appropriation
to pay for improvement work, and it
opened the way for the large scheme of