The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-09-02


and that the "alluvial lands adjacent
to the Mississippi will never support
heavy traffic, the river people who
believe in the Mississippi are going
to work on the long through lines
and show the doubters thing or two
There is more than boats concern
ed. Terminals of the most approved
type are to be erected; and everything
is in line to produce river traffic
of the most modern type.
The New Activity General.
There is hardly port or a tribu-
tary along the Mississippi which does
not show some of the activity of this
revival. Even on the little Forked
Deer river there is excitement over
the prospect of barge to carry COM
pressed cotton to New Orleans; and
the valley of the Arkansas is support
ing new company of it's own. Kan
sas City has set itself to support a
packet line to st. Louis and the upper
river Is trying out gas producer boats.
But all this must take back seat
in the face of the new concern just
incorporated in Delaware and having
its headquarters in st. Louis. of which
w. X. Kavanaugh is the head. Ten
million dollars is the modest sum
which is to be put into the river
traffic business by this new company,
and it is to be raised on common
probably the only Transports
ton concern in America which has
no other sort of security.
This new company is modern
traffic concern of the largest type.
It's head is an old river man, and is
also widely interested in railway
stocks. He believes that the time has
come for enlisting the aid of TIE val
ley in a big movement to establish
traffic. and he has gone strongly ahead
for that purpose.
The most amazing thing is that the
existing channels are to be used and
even the Missouri is to be essayed by
a type of boat designed to overcome
all the difficulties of navigation on
that stream. When the plans for the
new company began to mature the
American Bridge company was called
into consultation. That concern at it's
Ambridge plant manufactures steel
barges of a certain type Interested
in the new venture it agreed with
some show OF enthusiasm that it
would deliver new barge, when once
well started, every six weeks.
Every six weeks" Mr.. Kavanaugh
exclaimed in disgust 1--WE want one
every day"
He won't get it. But they have
promised to increase the plant and
deliver one each week. That will be
pretty fair, as sign Of revival of
traffic. Mr. Green, young engineer
of the American Bridge company, has
been for some time busy on plans,
seeking a model better than the old
American river boat and better for
our uses than German types. Out of
this he has evolved barges of several
sorts, to be used on the different
branches. There will be a snag-proof
"armor-clad" for the Missouri, ca
pable of slowing away about 500 tons
of wheat on three foot draft and car.
rying it, in defiance of tradition. from
the mouth Of the James river In Da.
kota to st. Louis or even to New Or.
leans. 1t can pass over every oppos
ing bar, and can drive every snag fntc
the bottom of the stream. 1t has a
bottom harder than the Missouri's. II
is built with watertight compartments
with angle beams set close in the
bow and stern, and with half inch
hard steel plate over the shoulders
and counters where snag collisions
come. With this type of barge 1t is
expected to tow eventually even t.
Fort Benton; but it is pretty certain
they will help to bring out next year.
grain crop from Dakota and Ne
braska.
+ The Kind of Boats to be Used.
/ For the Mississippi larger typ
5 has been designed. capable of loadins
2 thousand tons of -four on four fee
4 of water at st. Paul and at st. Loui
taking on an additional three thousan
tons of cargo. going down to Ne,
Q Orleans with four thousand tons o.
} seven feet Of water. This depth 1
almost always available between s