The Cairo bulletin., 1914-02-11


lntacd is entirely harmless, being
composed of Soda, Magnesia and
calcium Carbonate L. S. P. Advt.
which produces the lesser part of
he revenue. In this country, We
lave periodic car shortages, and at
such times the movement of one of
he commodities producing the low
,st ton mile revenue, coal, Isl ef
prime Importance, and high class
lrticles must wait until the coal is
moved. Imagine the relief to the
illinois railways We're ii possible for
hem to haul the coal to some point
IN the Illinois river Tor delivery by
'arge to Chicago and st. Louis. This
would be possible We're the siXty-siX
allies OF old canal between Lock-
,ort and La Sale put in modern
cndition. Then the railroad ter-
ninals at these cities would be re-
ieved Of hugo amount of hardly
profitable tonnage and the commo.
lities producing large revenue
ould move freely, with plenty II
quipmcnt and motive power.
Cooperation between rail ana
waterways are mainly Expense of
obstruction and maintenance, slow
lovement of freight, limited area
erved. lack of handling facilities
md low rail rates.
The first objection is easily ans
cred, 1t ie, of course, cheaper to
'uild and maintain a single track
ailwaY than canal, Attt It sinrfr
rack cannot attempt to handle the
rattle that is possible on a canal
ven Of moderate dimensions. The
COMPARISON is wrong. The yearly
onnage per mile handled on GER
ain sections Of the Rhine Is fifteen
twenty times as great as the
onnaga per mile OF the German rail-
Ways. A canal admitting six
undre1 ton barge. and taking fir
cen minutes 10 a lockage will han
, twenty-four thousand tons in ten
ours, or the equivalent of six hun
ed forty-ton freight cars or Of
tAousand eight hundred AMI
orty such cars in a twenty-four
,our period. If the canal is only
pen TWO hundred days in the year
Illinois and Michigan canal, is
apable of taking same size barge
nd operates full capacity sixteen
ours per day, the yearly tonnage
fould be seven million, six hun
red and eighty thousand. No sim
10 track railways could handle
his.
On investigating the second ob-
ection we find that the average
movement of loaded freight ear,
according to American Railway AS
otiatiou figures. is twenty-five
tiles per day. Sixteen hour running
3t even three miles per hour on Tho
anal would give a total mileage
about double that. Recent eNper-
anccs show that even on the anti
ujted and decalent canals of the
United states, water shipments ar
Two at destination in less than the
average railway time.
The question of limited area ser
led is merely one affecting the Ill
innate development. There is suf-
'icient tonnage originating on our
ivers for shipment to other points
N the rivers, TO keep busy a fleet
surprising that of the Rhine.
In addition to this. a system Of
equitable perpendicular rates would
bring a huge volume of commodities
To the waterways tor a part of the
longer hauls. Proper facilities
would make this advisable where
thu water could be used for hun
dred miles or more.
The handling facilities would
coon be provided in the wake of
Of any waterway development. Far
sighted | cities and corporations
would provide them in advance Of
development, rs has been done in
Germany, and reap rich rewards. II
Is beyond the bonds of possibility
that the nation which has put in