Grand Forks herald., 1917-03-29
ATTEMPT MADE
TO REVIVE THE
RIVER SHIPPING
Steamship Lines will Estab-
lish Schedule Between st.
Louis and New Orleans.

st. Louis. Mo-, March 2s.-Attempts
to revive freight and passenger traf-
fic on the Mississippi river between
st. Louis and New Orleans are being
made by two companies. One com
pany, which has been operating q
barge in the st. Louis-New Orleans
trade since last summer. handles
freight exclusively. The first trip of
the barge this season was made March
been worked out.
The other company operates be-
steamer. which made it's initial trip
February IA carrying both freight and
passengers. The boat has freight
capacity of 1000 tons and is provid-
ed with accommodations for 100 pas
sengers. 1t will leave here every Is
days.
The freight. company's barge has
capacity Of 1,4eo tons, complete
s1ses sgp,epsS 49Pei'eG With 5s
| four Diesel engines 4. The company
| has under construction two additional
| barges of this type and expects ste
| have them in service about the mid
i.dle of May. ~. = & f:s
! According to its. general manager.
this company is operated under the
shipments fright to- the door" and as
sumes full, responsibility until deliver
les are made. All shipments are COW
cred fully. by insurance. -,.Z.-s
The traffic: manager of the, second
company, says shippers were some
what skeptical as. to the success of
plans for the. revival Of the st. Louis
New Orleans traffic because several
attempts in that direction have failed.
Despite the condition the first trip
showed a clear profit.
I'VE do, not. expect to be swamped
with shipments Immediately" he said,
but as soon az proper terminal facili-
ties are provided. to allow us TO get
freight to. the. river with a ninimu m
afno of switching. and, co-opera-
! ton between shippers and carriers is
established a. steady stream of traffic
is assured
If conditions warrant 1t, he added,
other steamers will be put in opera
ton. ......... 5'-s. -.
Men who have made a study of riv-
er problems say that the most impor-
tant thing to be done If river naviga-
ton is revived on a large scale is to
loading and unloading facilities.
st. Louis has appropriated 5000, 1000
for such dock: and New Orleans has
elaborate docking facilities. In most
towns between st. Louis and New Or
leans. however, little in this direction
actually has been done, but public
interest in the topic has been aroused.
The old time river packets that now
run up and down the Mississippi river
are forced at most points to load and
unload with the methods in use in
ante-bellum days. Negro deck hands
carry the cargo on and off the boat.
package at time; and the fuel coal
is taken on board in wheel barrows.
This system of loading freight is ex-
pensive, and as a result a large part
Of the freight carried by the river
packets IL for towns that have made
quate railway facilities.
For several years the Missouri river
| has been navigated as. far as Kansas
City. A Kansas City boat and barge
line maintains regular service in the
open season between Kansas City and
st. Louis. and Kansas City has large,
mechanically equipped dock.
| While river navigation is not any
thing like 1t was many years ago, 1t
is by no means extinct. Regular trips
are made between st. Louis and st.
Paul: between st. Louis and Ten
nessee river points: up the Illinois
river to Peoria; and south to Cairo
and Memphis. This is. in addition to
the st. Louis-New Orleans service.
which was resumed last summer.