The Cairo bulletin., 1910-09-27

and sheds are open for general traf
flc and a municipal board operates 10
miles of belt line railway, giving co
ordination between the waterway, To-
cal industries and trunk-line railroads
At San Francisco there is an excellent
system of wharves under state con
troll, kept open for general traffic The
water terminal situation in these two
cities is by far the best in the coun
try.
Mississippi River System.
The terminal situation on the rivers
of the Mississippi system is quite diff
ferent from that of the coast or the
lakes. In one sense the entire river
is protected harbor; most OF the
boats are of very shallow draft, and
many landings are made by Simply
running the bota against the unim.
proved riber bank as at plantations
and small towns.
The two chief facts that have af-
fected the condition of river terminals
are (a) the comparatively small
amount of traffic available (due to
conditions set forth in Parts | and II
Of this report) and (b) the extreme
seasonal changes in water level. The
result is that terminals on the Mis-
sissipp system are relatively in a
very backward condition.. AS rule,
the Improved" landing place is sim
ply the sloping bank of the stream,
usually called the "levee,1 frequently
paved with stone at the more impor.
tant ports. The connection between
vessel and shore at these improved
levees is usually made by means of
WHARF boats, practically hating piers,
which rise and fcS with the change
,of water level. They serve also as
, warehouses.
Pittsburg.
This Is chiefly an industrial harbor.
There are about 30smiles of river
frontage in the city limits, compare.
lively little of which is improved .
There is very ittleswarehouse space.
and no belt railroad. There are four
wharf boats, owned by water lines,
maintained at the so-called public
landing" which is three paved blocks
owned by the city :, Three.fourths Of
the traffic of Pittsburg, lrarbor is coal,
both for use locally and for distribu-
ton downstream. There are large
number of mills on the bank which
use water transportation. Here, as in
many other ports, while there is a
close physical proximity between the
rail lines and the water terminals,
there is almost no cqordination be-
tween them.
Ownership city owns most OF
the available frontage, in, allAbout eh
miles, About one-third WI Ahe total
frontage is controlled by railroads
whose entertainments and Festles often
make access to the water imprac-
ticable The report Iof the United
States chief engineers for 1909 states:
Manufacturing plants, and espe-
cially railroads along the banks OF
the river tat Pittsburgh have rendered
useless for general harborage pur-
poses large portion OF the harbor
The total city recelpss for use of its
wharf property for 1905 were SCI,
92479. The frontage leased by the
city brings an average ofsl to So per
foot per year.
Cincinnati.
There Is frontage of about II tc
IA miles in the city. The paved pub.
lie landing consists o. Two blocks, at
which are three wharf boats, owned
by water lines. There are about II
coal elevators, but very little, other
trans-sbippng machinery. There /.
no coordination of rail and water
lines, despite very close proximity. Or
the contrary, the Louisville and Nash
vile Railroad has attempted to ex
tend its viaduct across the public
landing in such way as would Sc,
riously obstruct it, to which plan thert
has been vigorous opposition from la
cal commercial bodies.
Ownership-The eity,owns only tw'
blocks tthe paved public landing), with
some street ends. Much Of the front
age is owned by industrial (chieny
coaD companies and by railroads. The
city receipts from the water from
for 1908 were sGil0 and expenditures
s5202.
Louisville.
There are about 51s miles OF front
age here. The harbor is at the head
of the Louisville and Portland Canal
which parallels the river, around the