The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-02-11
QUESTION OF TRANSPORTATION BY
RAIL AND WATER

5. Wilkinson at Lacrosse, Wis,
Lacrosse Commercial Club.
and too unsafe to be attractive to
been led to give their shipments to
lent facilities, and paying higher
rates of freight.
The cost Of loading and unloading
freight by manual labor, is heavy
item Of expense 1t has been estimat-
led that this terminal expense under
existing methods, is equal to ESQ
miles Of haulage OF the average rail-
way shipment, and to 1000 miles OF
iment; or in other words, the cost OF
handling at the receiving and dis
charging ends of the shipment, is one
half of the freight charge for these
distances. This is far too much, and
can be cut in half, or less than half,
by installation at the port terminal OF
adequate wharves equipped with mod
Iern freight handling machinery and
devices for quickly and economically
loading and unloading freight on and
Off boats and barges, and its trans
shipment between the waterway and
the railway. Reduction of terminal
expenses would benefit the shippers,
land quick dispatch in loading and UNI
loading cargoes would be saving to
the vessel owners and it would enable
them to make lower rates to Offset.
Every hour a vessel is tied to the
whart is dead loss. 1t is the run
ming time that counts for profit.
Importance Of Terminals.
In the establishment of port ter
minal, it is of first Importance, that
the city must secure and own its river
frontage. 1t is the connecting link
between the public waterway and the
land on shore, and it is necessary to
control it, in order TO preserve the
public character of the stream. SPACE
sufficient to meet the growth of COM
merce, and increase Of shipping for
all time. should be secured at the
earliest moment River frontage will
never be cheaper than it is now. If
the city does not get hold of it, some.
body else will In time it will become
a priceless asset. 1t is figured that $50
tons per season of seven months nav
igation, is the maximum of average
tonnage that can be handled over a
lineal foot OF wharf To handle $780,
900 tons during the season would re-
quire 1000 lineal feet of wharf, and
so on.
To provide ample space for the in
crease of shipping, sure to come, is a
serious duty imposed upon your city.
How to provide space to meet the
constantly increasing demand for
more and more terminal territory, is a
problem that is sorely taxing railroad
managers today, and the same will be
true of river terminals, as time passes.
A very distinguished railroad man
|ager, honored the country over for his
wisdom and forethought, said, in one
of his enlightening addresses:
THE problem of terminals is the
greatest problem of the country, the
problem of transportation agencies, OF
financiersy of the communities direct
ly affected, and of all industries that
depend directly, or indirectly upon
cheap and speedy carriage of the com.
modities which they buy and SELL
While this was said with particular
reference to railroad terminals, it ap-
plies with equal force to water ter
minals.
River frontage adjacent to the com
mercial wharf, when properly improv-
ed,(can be advantageously leased for
commercial or industrial purposes, un-
til required to meet the demands OF
shipping.
Harbor Requirements.
There are many factors involved 10
a river terminal, on which the COM
mercial prosperity of the waterway is
dependent. In general there are TO II
fundamental requirements, which
should be standardized and expertiy
designed and planned, to meet the
special environments and conditions
of the port First, the harbor line
should be established as far out In the
stream as possible, the farther the bet
ter, as 1t will give valuable space
when filled in; then,
(a) A substantial and permanent
concrete retaining or quay wall, built
parallel with the stream, with smooth
face and wooden tenders, out far
enough to give sufficient depth of wat.
er at lowest stage, SO vessels may lie
close alongside to receive and dis.
charge cargo, passengers. etc, and
high enough to be well above high
water and on level with adjacent
streets and railroad tracks. This
when filled in behind, which in most
places can be cheaply done with san
pumped from the river, would forE,
the wharf
(b) Safe fireproof warehouses OF
ample capacity, built on the wharf, for
storage of incoming and outgins
freight:
(c) Modern electric freight handling
machinery installed in the warehouses
and on the wharf, adapted to quickly
and economically loading, unloading
and transhipment, of all kinds of car
goes. whether bulky, or package
freight, to eliminate expensive man
ual labor;
fdD Belt railway physically connect
- H. NO, e,-,,-av with all railroads