The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-26
WATER

Announcement is made that water traffic between Cincin-
natl, Chicago and New Orleans is soon to be i~naugurated on a
commercially large scale, This will mean much for the entire
valley, and especially for Memphis, one of the chief distributing
points, where freight assembled here can be sent to destination
by water, rail and motor trucks. Cheap freights are necessary
to commercial growth and development, and water freight is the
cheapest, The great Mississippi and Ohio rivers can carry all the
freights of the twenty-three or more states that margin on these
streams without trouble. There will be no crowding or CON
gestion. Over this great highway these is never a burned bridge
or a washout, a broken rail or other obstruction to impede traffic,
and II Is free to anyone who has a vessel and cares to 20 over it.
Some twenty-seven years ago a gentleman named Cahtl
organized a great corporation in St. Louis, the purpose of which
was to put in a barge line. He was OF a practical turn Of mind
and pictured the day when these barges would be carrying their
freights From Lake ltaska to the Barbados"
Each barge was to have a centerboard which could be raised
out OF the way while in the river or in shallow water, and let
down to stabilize the vessel in the gulf or other deep water. He
had great faith in the c~enterhoard, which he believed would hold
the barge on an even keel in the worst typhoon in the Oriental
seas, and enable 1t to outride the worst hurricane on the At
lantic. For some reason the project never ripened-noneyed men
were not poetical, perhaps,
Since then the Panama canal has joined the two oceans, and
the marine barge has been advocated. These marine barqes can
stem the seas in any weather, and in heavy freights, where it is
desirable not to break bulk, a through trip can be made from
Cincinnati to Calcutta from Chicago to Hong Kong.
However, ii barges can be operated SO as to carry the sur-
plus products to Underwater, much will have been accomplished
China is waking up and demanding railroads, To supply China
with railroads as well as the state of Ohio is supplied would
require six billion tons OF steel rails, without counting other iron
nnSsSsary. This means much to Tennessee and Alabama, where
iron can be produced cheaper than anywhere else on the globe,
for the reason that the ore, the coal and the limestone to nex the
tpIHSi aIS r"hu al oS pidIc III tHc SAME mountains ana above
daylight. In the most favored places elsewhere these elements
must be hauled hundreds OF miles in order to assemble them,
and instead Of being above daylight and capable Of being moved
by simple gravity, they are deep down in the bowels of the earth,
and must be raised to the surface before being hauled away,
Tennessee and Alabamas rich deposits OF coal and iron will
so to build up a vast area OF the earth's surface where these
minerals are not to be found. To haul these heavy freights with.
out the expense OF breaking bulk makes water transportation i'm.
perative. The Panama canal makes ~neighbors OF the ends of the
earth, and as the Mississippi valley is the home of surplus prod.
uets, it is deeply interested in methods of Transporting these
products to the seven seas, and to all lands on which the sun in
his daily pilgrimage shines. In order to enjoy benefit from river
traffic terminals must be provided along the route, and hosting
machinery provided to load and unload vessels and cars. The
old method OF the roustabout is aniquated. He is so expensive
as to be beyond reach. Great pumps that will transfer wheat
corn and grain from barges into sea-going vessels, and con
trivances that will move and handle solid freight must be pro
vided for the business, as is done in other countries. These great
rivers are Gods freight lines. Over them he sends annually mil
lions Of tons of water and other millions OF tons of silt, held II
suspension and carried we know not where, nor will we know
until an island in the gulf or some sea rears its head, as one ha
done in the once deep Memphis harbor. This great freight rout
is free to all who care to use it, and it is gratifying to know tina
an effort is being made to provide freightcarrying vessels tina
will seek the surplus products at their source, and carry then
away to those who need