The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-07-25


States Is the text OF part OF one Of the
reports on transportation by water sub
mitted to the President by Herbert Knox
Smith. Commissioner OF Corporations OF
the Department OF Commerce and Labor.
The commissioner. in his letter OF trans
initial to the President, says. in part:
Increasing commerce demands that our
waterways shall be made an active part
or our transportation system. Our in
land rivers are not so now.
Waterways themselves and their con-
ditions must be 50 improved that they
Ehal carry a share Of the nations traffic
proportioned 20 their real possibilities.
and shall so supplement the rail system
as to prevent the recurrence Of disastrous
traffic congestions. Waterway traffic has
its inexorable limitations. Waterways
also have their enormous possibilities. II.
guided by the facts. we direct our atten-
ton TO those lines OF effort where success
is possible we shall utilize these posi-
bilities
Coast Line Is 5,7OO Miles.
"Our coast line is over $500 miles, or
with the indentatlons Of the coast, over
$1,000 miles The Great Lakes shore line
OF the United States is 276O miles. or.
with the indentations 1929. These lakes
are connected with each other and by
canals with the Atlantic Ocean. St Law
renee River. and the Mississippi River,
there being however. a channel OF but
fourteen feet depth to the St. Lawrence.
and this through Canadian territory,
seven feet TO the Atlantic through the
Erie Canal. and still less depth to the
Mississippi
There are over go streams IN the
country used TO a substantial degree for
navigation. with an approximate navi-
gable mileage OF 26.40O. but with very lit
tie direct connection with each other ex-
cept the Mississippi system. About $500
miles Of canals have been constructed
More than one-half-2444 miles. costing
over $4,000, O0O-has been abandoned. State
canals. however. still operate IN New
York, Ohio, Illinois, and Louisiana, with
a total mileage Of nearly 1850. and there
are also sixteen private canals Of some
Importance in operation, with a total
mileage Of 632
Lacks Organization.
Transportation by water now suffers
from one far-reaching disadvantage which
we can largely remedy. namely. the lack
OF organization of our waterway system
as a whole. At present we can hardly be
said 10 have a general waterway system.
Our great total mileage OF waterways Is
split Up by certain physical Characters
tics into a number OF largely unrelated
parts.
Part OF the waterways consists OK
ocean routes Of unrestricted depth and
width.
Part consists OF lake routes OF unre-
stricted depth except IN certain very i'm
portant connecting channels.
''The rest consists OF river and canal
channels OF varying and always restrict
ca depth, Of narrow width, devious
courses. and with more or less current
and Instructions. Most OF the rivers are
navigable at present only for light-draft
boats
''At ordinary stages OF water about 40
streams have a total Of at least 2,e00 miles
OF 1o-foot navigation; 70 streams, includ-
Ing parts OF some Of the 40 mentioned,
give about 800 miles additional from 10
10 feet, total Of $500 miles Of river navi-
these totals do NOT mean that there arc
any such continuous stretches OF inland
waterways Of these respective depths
Very few OF the Atlantic rivers have
more than 100 miles OF a depth Of feet
The Mississippi system has about $500
miles OF 6-foot navigation.
Canals Are Disconnected.
Our canals also are largely disconnect-
ed with one another and OF varying
depths. Excluding the short government
canals like the st. Marys Falls Canal.
there are thirteen miles Of canals in Cd
Grafton with 10 feet depth. about 100
miles Of TO 10 feet Cmostly @. and about
100 miles Of 10 feet depth. Our interior
waterways are indeed. largely discon-
nected. But added to this is also a great
difference in vessels using them. so that
they are not generally interchangeable
over different waterways
For example. on the Mississippi the
shallow depth and the constant backlnr
and turning at tho innumerable bends
make the stern-wheel paddle the only
method generally successful: and. on the
other hand. this latter Is. OF course. who'll
~ unsuited for the open sea. Again
naval architects assert that. even were
the large bulk frelghters OF the Lakes
brought TO tidewater It would be prefer
able, and almost necessary, to transship
there; that these freighters are NOT
adapted TO ocean conditions.
vessels differ still further according 20
the nature OF the freight. Many arc
adapted Tor given traffic only. There
are grain, ore, coal. fruit. lumber, and
bulk freight Much more than three
four.hs Of the traffic on the MisussIppi
system Is carried In bulk by barges ana
RATS. over 50 per cent Of the Great
Lakes business Is bulk traffic. A very
important part OF the coastwise traffic
especially coal, is bulk cargo Such YES
sells are thus usually confined 10 routes
where such freight is offered.
Much Through Freight.
"a great part Of the country's traffic Is
through freight. Our waterways are now
divided by differences in channels. &c
and by diversity IN floating equipment.
The rail system Of the country is stand
ardized. physically unified. and its con-
troll is largely centralized. II is we'll
adapted to handle such through freight.
A share. at least. Of this through freight
Is essential for the success OF either svs-
TEN. There has been bitter competition
between rail and river lines.
But the inland water system. divided
and disorganized by the conditions de-
scribed, is greatly handicapped especial
~ as to through traffic Under a general
plan our inland waterways can be made
much more OF a commercial unit. They
must be placed in such position that
they can secure. even against rail COM
petition, a far greater proportion than
now OF the country's traffic River and
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