Evening star., 1922-09-21
BY j. c. ROYLE.
Special Correspondent Of The Star.

Copyright. 1872
NEW YORK, September I'll
Whether or not the railroads are de-
1ivering the goods. either actually or
fguratively, the waterways of the
country are carrying their full quota
OF freight. They will continue to 90
so long after the usual close of naVi-
cation for the winter. Reports from
ell the important inland shipping
centers received within the last
twelve hours indicate that every
available vessel will be in operation
until ice or low water forces suspen-
sion of service.
In view of the present railway car
shortage and the fact that the rail
strike still is far from settled on
many roads. three great basic COM
modities, coal, steel and grain, are de-
ever before on transportation by wa
ter.
Unusual Tonnage Carried.
The tonnage carried over inland
waters in the next three months will
lie the greatest ever handled in
similar period. Great lakes shipping
will be taxed to capacity. Two hum
dred thousand tons of coal are en-
route to Duluth today. and coal snip
=
above 100000 tons a week until
navigation closes. Word from Du-
luth states that every vessel Will go
back loaded to the Piimsol mark
with iron ore. grain or general con1-
moditieS.
Farmers who have been holding
their grain for better prices now are
releasing it in response to develop
mentS in the near east. Iron mining
operations in Michigan and Mime
sofa are being expanded to capacity
AS fast as miners can be secured, and
furnaces near lower lake ports are
roaring for raw material. Embargoes
on some rail shipments are sending a
flood of general merchandise into the
holds of lake boats for Buffalo. Cleve-
land. Chicago and other ports.
From st. Paul came dispatches to-
day showing that pressure from in
dustrial leaders was being brought
TO bear to secure reOpentng OF the
upper Mississippi barge line to per
nit simultaneous coal and grain
movement.
Barge Freightage Large.
The barge lines of the Missouri and
lower Mississippi are being offered
more freight than the vessels avail
able can move. The Federal Barge
Line out of St Louis. today has nifty
one cargo vessels in service with a
combined carrying capacity of S6.s0o
tons They are carrying cargoes
composed largely of grain and gen
eral merchandise. with about 80 per
cent of the tonnage moving down
stream. In the fiscal year ended
June 80 the Federal barges carried
over $4,000 tons of freight. and they
will pass the million-ton mark In
the present fiscal year, according TO
word from st. Louis
New Orleans reports that grain
traffic on the southern reaches of the
Father of Waters would be much
heavier were it not for necessity for
light loading caused by low water
from Cairo to Memphis. The Warrior
River Barge Line tonnage Is increas-
ing at the rate OF 1900 tons month.
with steel and coal the principal car
goes. Coastwise shipping out of New
Orleans is above normal fer the sea-
son of the year. 1t is estimated that
the Mississippi river barges have
saved shippers on the lower portion
of the river ss50.00O in freight rates
as compared with rail charges this
year.
Steel Companies Use Rivers.
The big steel companies of the
Wheeling and Pittsburgh districts are
making extensive use OF the Monon-
gahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers for
the transportation of coal and con-
veyance Of materials between plants.
During the rail and mine strike Mo.
nongahela river shipments OF coal
were largely responsible for keeping
the steel industry active. and for .he
first time coal moved north over the
Ohio from West Virginia mines to
PENNSYLVANIA steel plants.
The Carnegie Steel Company. Jones
& Laughlin, Pittsburgh Steel. Ma
tional Tube. American Steel and
Wire and wheeling Steel are among
the great companies which have
brought river traffic to an effective
stage. Some of these companies are
carrying coal by water at the daily
rate Of 5000 tons each. The Jones
& Laughlin Company is arranging to
reopen it's Ohio and Mississippi steel
delivery service. interrupted during
the summer by low water.
Several new barge lines at Pitts
burEh are preparing to enter river
traffic this fall. One million-dollar
company has just been formed to
engage in trade from Pittsburgh to
New Orleans and intermediate points.
Pittsburgh has leased its big exposi-
tion buildings at the 3uncture of the
Allegheny and Monongahela as wa
ter terminal