Perth Amboy evening news., 1914-09-14
ALL
THAT IS NEEDED,
SAYS STEEL MAN
w. C. Witherbee, of Witherbee-
Sherman Co., an EnthuSi-
astiC Waterway Booster,
Talks on the Steel Industry.
SPECIAL to the EVENING NEWS.

Special to the EVENING NEWS.
Troy, N. Y, Sept. 14:-In an
interview with an EVENING NEWS
! representative, w. c. Witherbee, Of
the Witherbee-Sherman Company,
which concern is considering a Pro
position to locate one of their great
blast furnaces at Sewaren, declared
that while the steel trade is not
prosperous at the present time, he
believes that all needed is confidence
by the American people to bring
revival of general trade prosperity
and the resumption of normal condi-
tions in the industry which he repre-
sents.
Mr.. Witherbee is one of the most
enthusiastic waterway boosters and
has a commission from Governor
Martin S. Glynn, of New York, as a
member of the New York state dele
cation to the Atlantic Deeper Wa
| terways Convention during which
visit will be made to Perth Amboy.
He believes that the expansion of
waterway facilities are most import
ant factors in bringing business pros
perity, and is great booster for
, the New York barge canal, the New
! Jersey ship canal and other water
! way improvements in the vicinity
! of Perth Amboy that may benefit
| the industry which is to be located at
Sewaren, and on which his company
! now holds an option.
| "The iron and steel business has
not been prosperous the last few
| years" said Mr.. Witherbee, ''but
with the return or confidence this
and all other lines will greatly i'm
prove and new projects be set on
foot. The entire eastern country
must feel the beneficial effects of the
! barge canal and deeper Hudson riv-
er" Then he limited at industrial
extensions that are under way or pro-
jected by himself and business asso-
ciates. These enlargements include
great blast furnaces at Perth Amboy,
N. j., and along the Hudson river, To-
cations that will be the centre of
trade with the arrival of improved
waterways. Options on large tracts
of land have been secured and now
these extensive industrial enterprises
only await the return of national
prosperity" said Mr.. Witherbee.
"All that is needed is confidence"
said Mr.. Witherbee. 'This country
is as rich as it ever was and the re-
sumption of trade in all lines will re-
turn with confidence.
"Our plans include the building of
extensive dockage at Port Henry.
These docks will be patterned after
those in the Lake Superior iron ore
district, where it is possible to run
an entire train of freight cars which
are unloaded into pockets that empty
into the barges."
"The transportation question is an
international one. Three years ago
Canada began the survey for a larger
canal between Montreal and Cham
bly,, sixty miles long, that will con-
meet Lake Champlain with the west
ern country, and this will bring i'm
mense freight shipments this way
into the Hudson at Troy and thence
to the Atlantic This must be fol-
lowed by the development of busi-
ness along the upper Hudson. West
ern barges bringing freight to the
East will return loaded with coal.
The barge canal terminals at Troy
and the ocean going vessels that land
on the upper Hudson, together with
the shops and mills that will locate
there, will furnish the return
freights so much needed to make the
western freight business profitable.
Ore from Lake Erie, which does not
come this way because the present
boats are so small, will also furnish
additional business for the barge
canal and deeper Hudson when thou
sand-ton barges are in operation.
The Chambly and Montreal canal
will also help paper and pulp manu-
facturers.
"The deeper Hudson and the barge
canal will be the cruising grounds
for hundreds of private yachts said
Mr.. Witherbee. THE spectacle will
be a most engaging one and will
bring New York state business.
Il believe the cheaper crude 3il
ard the gases from the cheaper
grades of coal will eventually be
used to furnish the power for larger
freight barges. The Deisel type of
oil-burning marine engines has been
found successful" said he, and then
he explained the use of low-grade
coal-burning engines with which he
successfully experimental on MS
houseboat last season. Although the
houseboat was not properly equipped
for using this kind of oil, it worked
successfully and demonstrated that
with suitable apparatus the bigger
freight barges could be run at low
cost.
when thousand-ton barges take
the place of 140-ton boats we will
see Lake Erie ore coming this way"
said Mr. Witherbee.