The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-03-14


transportation system on the War
rior river.
g. The total present demand for
coal at Mobile and New orleans is over
1000, 600 tons per year. The present re-
quirement for bunker coal will prob
ably be increased as soon as the per-
raanence of the supply is assured. and
there will probably be a further in
crease due to call for export coal to
Cuba.
10. We consider that equipment
should now be provided to transport
1000, 900 tons of coal per year and
that this capacity viii need to be in
creased the market develops.
IL. 1t should be possible to give
service to the extent of $4,000 tons
per month within three months after
the existing equipment is acquired,
and to have the entire system in oper-
alton within six months
IL. We realize that this project is
peculiar and differs in three essen
tails from the normal problems of in.
land river transportation:
(a) The business to be done al
ready exists in proper volume be-
| tween the terminals.
CD There are no problems aris-
ing from winter operations; no tie
ups and destruction from ice.
Co The equipment largely exists
and is partly now idle.
49, The sum necessary to establish
this work is rather over s2.000,000,
and, while we recognize that the
course recommended is radical, we
consider that the war emergency JUS
titles it,
THE ROUTE
The Alabama coal fields are trav-
ersed by the Warrior river, which
has been improved for slack water
navigation with II dams and locks
the latter being 2s5 feet long. 81 feet
wide and S5s feet on stills. The min
imum width of the river is about 100
feet, the depth six feet.
The channel is crooked and required
moderate dredging in spots after
floods, and also some removal of
snags. During the two years past only
minor interference has arisen from
this cause. The distance from the head
of navigation is approximately 450
miles to Mobile
The route from Mobile to New Or
leans is through Mississippi sound and
Borgne Lake, thence either to the
Mississippi river by the Borgne canal
Or for city delivery, via Lake Pom
chartrain to a point on the new canal
at Howard and Rampant street. The
distance is about $50 miles.
The Lake Borgne canal Is seven and
a half miles long, 100 feet wide and
seven feet deep, with one floodgate.
1t connects Lake Borgne with the
Mississippi river and belongs to the
Alabama and New Orleans Canal COM
pany. This canal and the storage ia
L ~ 49,
be used under some equitable arrange
ment.
THE COAL
There are four principal veins of
coal which appear on both sides of
the river. Their product has various
charact eristics and value depending
on the analysis and the care in min
ing.
A few mines have been recently
opened on the river, but are not yet
fully developed. The larger mines on
which the proposed supply would
have to depend, at least temporarily,
arc on the railways near the river and
they are abundantly prepared &c fur
nish the coal needed for bunker, in
dustrial and domestic uses.
The bunker coal is generally washed
and it's quality is equal to that now
supplied at Norfolk, Va.
The railroad haul from the most
convenient mines to the river is in
all cases short and if an equitable
rate is fixed the cost would not be a
serious charge on the operators. Any
difficulty. however, in securing access
to the river tipples can be met by
building short railroad connections.
A small amount of miscellaneous traf-
fc has been developed in the river, and
it is probable that the downstream
l. ALL
ETC.. would soon reach respectable pro-
portions if good river service was SUI
tanned.
An indefinite but large return freight
tonnage is quite possible. 1t can only be
created by good management, proper
terminal facilities, regularity OF move
ment and financial strength of the
Transportation organization.
The equipment which has been found
most suitable for the river is of the Ohio
river type. The barges, however, are
only "a feet wide, and two Ohio river
barges 26 feet wide cannot be placed
side by side in the locks. thus making
1t necessary to build the additional
barges required.
There are now on the river six tow
boats. 81 open barges OF about 500 tons
capacity, and, at New Orleans. six self
propelled barges 800 tons capacity.
These tow boats will each move 2200
tons of coal from the mines to Mobile
in five days, but are admittedly some
what underpowered.
The open barges should be strengthened
at small additional expense.
The six self-propelling barges OF the
Alabama Transportation company are
fairly well adapted to the conditions be-
tween Mobile and New Orleans, but
should be supplemented by suitable tugs
and barges now existing In the district
that are stronger than those used in the
river before described.
The principal market at seaboard for
Alabama coal is New Orleans, where
500 900 tons of bunker coal, and about
1. SOC. 900 tons Of coal for railroad. indus
trial and domestic use are now required.
The coal for bunkers and for west
bound railroad and other coal must be
handled through the Lake Borogne canal.
The remaining coal at New Orleans
should be handled through Lake Pom
chartrain to the city basin, most ia
vorable point for local distribution.
The Mobile coal demand amounts to