Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-24
INITIAL TRIP OF
BARGE MAY MEAN
TRAFFIC Revival
New Orleans Boat Will Pass
Through Here in July With
Lumber and Freight.
CAPACITY Is 1000 TONS
Will Journey to st. PaUi-Is Expected
to Be Impetus for Greater
Use of Mississippi.

river and delivered to points between
Rock Island and St Paul. instead of
as heretofore. when the lumber was
brought from the north and delivered
to southern ports. The timber will be
transported on a 1,000-ton Bernhard
producer-gas engine barge, the initial
trip of which is thought will be re-
vival of heavy river freight traffic,
which will be continuous throughout
the open river season.
on July this huge barge will leave
New Orleans with 200 tons of freight
and proceed north up the river. At
\atoheZ, Miss. 500 tons of lumber to
be delivered at Rock Island and points
between here and St. Paul will be
taken on board.
The barge is expected to arrive in
St Paul July % and leave there on the
29th bound for New Orleans with a
thousand tons OF flour.
Warts to Show Use.
John E. Bernhard. water transporta-
Orleans. is conducting the trip. In a
letter TO the United States engineers
office. he states that his main desire
in sending this big barge up the river
is to show that the Mississippi can be
of great service to the United States,
il only proper attempts are made to
navigate it. On the Rhine river, he
says. in comparison, there is more diff
fculty in navigation than on the Mis-
sissippi. and last year the tonnage on
the stream in Germany was $4,000, 900.
He further says: TT is my conten-
ton that if We only use the Mississippi
river as we should. that all the money
necessary for improvements will come
flowing from the United States treas
ury to the local engineering Offices"
During the early part of June Mr..
Bernhard wrote TO the local engineer
ing Offices asking for data regarding
the portion of the river under control
of the Rock Island headquarters, stat
ing at that time his intention of send
ing the 1.0OO-ton steel barge up the
river to st. Paul.
In the reply Mr.. Bernhard received
from here. II was stated while a sufi- |
GENTLY high stage of water to insure |
a channel of six feet could not be guar |
anteed at the time the boat was to go |
bilities were in favor of it,
Included in the reply also relative to |
he data regarding the stages of the |
liver was the statement that on the |
Rock Island rapids at few points the |
current was about six miles an hour.
and that this point in the river was
being canalized.
DESTROYS Of Success
The local engineering officials will
watch the trip with much interest.
n the letter sent to Mr. Bernhard il
I'VE are extremely DESTROYS of the
uccess of your proposed venture and
will do anything possible to aid you
20 bring a 1,00O-ton barge down from
Il. Paul in midsummer, although per
ectly feasible, will inaugurate trans
ortation boom which this river badly
eeds and will be the greatest incen-
I've to the millers of Minneapolis, Wi
Ona and La Crosse TO follow your
cad. Our snagboat will make an in
pection trip shortly in advance of
our boat. will sound all the crossings
nd furnish you with the results. so
.
ely on. We will have special surveys
T bad crossings made. il necessary.
nd will mark the best water.
Our big dredges will be in opera
on at the time and our division tug
oats and fast launches will be on ,
and so that you will not be at a loss
} know where to go. and IL the water !
there. as II almost certainly will be,
OH cannot fail TO get in.
While the upstream trip with the
argos light will be made without diff
Guilty. II you will let this Office know
advance of your coming we may be
Die TO assist you further.
we are operating two large dredges
Dove st. Paul TO make lock and dam :
o. l. which Stacks the water to Min =
lapolis. to be ready on the opening of :.
e lock while the business men OF
e latter city are making progress with
cir barge line. docks and facilities ,
r handling and transferring freight =
viii Be Noteworthy Trip.
Not only will this trip be noteworthy
that IL will revive heavy river traffic. II
( IL is also important because of the
ange since years ago. when barges Il
oceeded down the river loaded with fc
nber from the north.
The river at one time was black with
sse vessels journeying south. Seldom
ever did barges proceed up the river
tn southern lumber. so IL the initial G.
p is successful. in all probability 1t A
II mean that Rock Island will re- 81
We the southern yellow pine and
Ter timber cheaper than heretofore,
the rates for transportation OF the "A
ne will be greatly reduced. =
rhe barges are OF new types. They II
propelled with I5O-horse power
zines. which give them a speed OF ,