The Thibodaux sentinel. (Thibodaux, La.) 1905-1912, 1909-06-19
ADVERSE REPORT Is MADE
Board Does Not Favor Four
teen-Foot Channel.
SEVERAL REASONS ARE GIVEN
Mould Cost $12s, 200, GOO and ss,-
100000 Yearly. Ocean-Going
Vessels Not Adapted to
River Navigation.

. nd
Washington. The proposed 14-feet
deep waterway project from St.
Louis to the Gulf received q. blow.
when the board of Engineers report
ed to Congress that such waterway
is not desirable. The waterway
is not desirable. The waterway
would cost s12S,000,000 for con-
struction and $8,O00,OO0 annually
for maintenance, the engineers say,
The report was based on survey
of the Mississippi river by special
Board of Engineers, created by act
of Congress. The conclusion reach
ed by both the special board and the
regular Board of Engineers are prac-
tically the same.
The report of the regular board
that it is not desirable to construct
navigable channel fourteen feet deep
from St. Louis or from Chicago to
the mouth of the Mississippi, was
based on the conclusion of the spec
ial board that only commerce or
isinating from sources that do not
at present ship by river would justi-
fy the great cost of fourteen-foot
waterway.
1t is claimed that the present de-
mands of commerce between st. Louis
and the Gulf will be adequately met
by an eight-foot channel from st.
Louis to the South Of the Ohio and
channel of not less than nine-feet in
depth below the mouth of the Ohio.
The boards belief is that an eight
foot channel from Chicago to st.
Louis corresponding with the present
eight-foot project from St. Louis to
Cairo is the least that would ade-
quately meet the demands of COM
merce. 1t adds that such a waterway
would be desirable, provided it's cost
is reasonable. Present and pros
pective demands of commerce be-
tween Chicago and the Gulf would
be adequately served, the board re-
ports, by a through nine-foot channel
to the Gulf Estimates for the chan
mel have not been completed, but
promised to Congress by next De-
cember. Mr.. Marshall. Chief Of En-
gineers. informed Congress a trans
mltting tns report. that he codM not
state de1nftely whether either Of
these channels was desirable until af-
ter accurate estimates were made.
The special board found that by
means of constant dredging depth
of eight feet is now practically main
trained in the channel from st.
Louis to Cairo, and of nine feet from
Cairo to the Gulf. River regulation
Is counted on by the board to make
permanent an eight-foot channel
from st. Louis to Cairo. By dredg-
ing fourteen foot channel may be
obtained.
3 The board rejected as opposed to
all reason, all propositions requiring
the abandonment Of the already good
open river navigation, or the sub
stitution of a lateral canal for any
part of the river below Cairo. Dredg-
ing and bank protection, with the
addition at certain localities of con-
tract works, as an auxiliary will achi-
eve permanence of channel, which
can not be obtained by dredging
alone, the report declared.
In considering the commercial
phases of the question. the special
board reported that although 1t had
sought to obtain from commercial
organizations facts as to the pros
pective commerce, which requires a
fourteen-foot channel, it has receiv-
ed very little definite information. 1t
added that no actual large future de-
velopments of commerce are yet in
sight.
The position was taken that ocean
and lake vessels, such as would re-
quire q 14-foot channel instead of a
9-foot channel, would not be an econ
omic means of transporting products
on the river.
Due to the necessity of building
an ocean vessel of sufficient strength
to resist storms, its costs in the Unit
ed States was estimated at $41.5O
per ton freight carried. The Mis-
sissippi river steamboats, and barges
capable of transporting 10000 tons
of freight on an s 1-2-foot draft can
be built for about $12 per ton OF
freight carried. II was estimated.