Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1911-06-21
WATER TRANSPORTATION.

The prospective opening of the Panama canal
haS given impetus to number of projects for
water transportation in the Mississippi valley
First of ALL there is the Improvement of the river
itself in contemplation, to give good navigable
stage OF water in the river as far up as the
Illinois, during the whole navigable season A
ninefoot channel could easily be provided, partly
by dredging and partly by confning the channel
itself for the whole distance from the mouth of
the Illinois to the mouth of the Mississippi The
project OF better navigation in the Ohio river is
also made prominent. and in this connection as
well as in aid of the Mississippi, the idea of
lmpouding flood waters at the head of the Mis-
sssppi, of the Ohio, and of the Missouri is com
ing more and more into favor. Such impound-
ing would diminish, if not altogether prevent the
destruction of property by floods in the flood
season and the waters held back would be
a welcome reinforcement to the streams later
on in the season in aid of navigation
There is also the great project of dredging
the Illinois river and connecting the Chicago
drainage canal with the improvement of that
river in such way as to make good navigation
from the Mississippi to Lake Michigan. In this
the state OF Illinois has voted to help but the
legislature has been neglectful of passing the
necessary enactments. The old project of
ship canal from Lake Michigan to Lake Erie
across the southern potrion Of the state of Nichi-
gan, is also revived Another project of ship
canal from Lake Erie to the upper Ohio river
at Pittsburg is also on the taps with prospect
OF ample financial backing. The great enlarge
ment of the Erie canal by the state of New York
at cost of over $l00,000,000 is in progress and
that will be pattern for many other water
ways, partly natural and partly artificial
The transportation needs of the country are
so very great that additional relief is absolutely
forced. and these various water projects will in
themselves be their own sufficient warrant and
they will provide on the most extensive scale for
the needs of the people
The Missouri river used to be navigable up
to Fort Benton, in Montana, in the season of
nigh water. For many years it has not been
navigabe stream to any great extent, but it
could be made So and doubtless in time i will
again be navigable stream from Fort Benton to
the discharge of the river into the Mississippi
1t will be an enormous work to make the Mis-
souri, a navgable stream, but the needs of the
country will eventually compel it,
The upper Mississippi and number of it's
large tributaries must also come under the gen
eral scheme of better development for water
transportation. The fact of it is that the magn
tcent railway development of the country in
the past fifty years has obscured the desirablty
of water navigation but that desrability is Just
now becoming better recognized and when the
amplitude of possibility in this direction is real
lied, the United States will be seen to have a
natural facility OF water transportation greater
than that OF any other country upon EARTH and
this susceptible of Improvement beyond all pres
ent imagination.