Jackson County sentinel. (Gainesboro, Tenn.) 1914-current, 1922-05-04
TO LINK NORTH
AND BLACK SEAS
Plan to Cut Steamship Waterway
That Would BE Great Help
to Commerce.
ACROSS EUROPE BY WATER
Germany 10 Considering Project Of
Connecting Up the Rhine and the
Danube for ocean.ooina
Vessels.

Washington, ID. C.-"Instlnctively
one links the Mississippi and the Mis-
souri, rivers; years to come may find
us regarding the Danube and the Rhine
In the same way" is the comment Of
q National Geographic society bulle-
tin upon the reports Of plan to cut
q steamship waterway from the North
sea to the Black sea.
"As for a waterway across Europe
such waterway already exists,
though travellers through q small sec
tion OF 1t might have to resort to very
mall craft. Information about the
condition OF the canallzed portion of
this, trans European water route is
not readily available, since the linking
Of the Rhine and the Danube occurs in
Germany.
New Conceptions Of Europe.
"The very fact that we classify the
lsgend-laden Rhine In one mental
pigeonhole, and the romantic, castled
Danube In another, makes the an
nouncement Of a waterway across Eu-
rope come upon us with the impact
81 fresh Idea. Just as war brought
about political changes In Europe, 80
peace is bringing economic changes.
Hence, II Germany carries out the
prejsct she 10 considering, we will have
70 think Of q Europe cut through with
o water route. just as we have learned
60 think Of Europe with Turkey al
most gone, q Poland with boundary,
and the new names of Czechoslovakia
and Jugo-Slavia conspicuous upon Its
map.
"A present water route across Blu
tepe-and others are possible with very
short p0rtages-lies', along the Rhine
b Nainx. up the Rhines tributary,
Main. to Bamberg, thence through the
Rsgnitx, into the Ludwig canal to the
Altmuhl, which empties into the Dan
ube at Kelhelm.
Where Two Rivers Are Linked.
@In your minds eye, even without
q map. you can recall two focal points
OF this route, Frankfort, on the Main,
and Ratisbon Tor Regensburg) on the
Danube. Vessels of more than 1000
tons can 20 up the Rhine and Main
to Frankfort and vessels between 400
and 1000 tons can go up the Danube
~ far as Ratisbon. Kelheim, the
Danube end of the small river-canal
link with the Rhine, Is only II miles
southwest of Ratisbon. The improve
snent Of the Danube to Kelheim would
ctSer no great difficulties. Above
Frankfort. to Wurzburg, vessels be-
tween 400 and 1000 tons can traverse
the Main.
s-The trouble with this route, even
with channels deep enough to carry
larger steamers from Wurzburg to
Nstisbon, Is the extremely circuitous
course between the Rhine and the Dan
ube. From Frankfort the route forms
m almost perfect wv and then trails
on like q careless flourish through
Nuremberg to Ratlsbon. A projected
shortening Of this route contemplates
passing the confluence of the Rhine
and the Main, continuing up the
Rhine to Mannheim, thence into the
Neckar and into the proposed canal
from that point to connect with the
Danube near Offingen.
completion of the project for this
deep waterway across Europe would
make the Rhine Danube route one of
the most important commercial high
ways of the world-ranking in econom-
ic Importance with the Panama and
Suez canals, and in extent with the
Misslssippi-Missouri channel and the
tremendous navigable length of the
Amazon. The Black-to-North-sea trip
would be a journey OF nearly 200
miles. The high water navigation head
q the Missouri. In Montana, is $500
miles from the Gulf OF Mexico. while
ocean going steamers may ascend the
Amazon for 1890 miles"