New Britain herald., 1924-02-08
RIVER CARGOES
 BOOM SH|PBU|LD|NG
Inland Boat Construction Took
 New Life During Past Year

Pittsburgh, Feb. s.-1Oil has united with steel for greater use of inland waters as a means of transportation, and to this can be traced the interest ing fact that shipbuilding in the Mis- sissippi basin last year was more than one-third the total tonnage of the United States, including ocean ports and the Great Lakes.
 The figures, compiled by industrial authorities in Pittsburgh, show that approximately 400 steel barges with freight capacity of approximately 1000 freight cars; 5 steam towboats, and ten packets were added to the existing fleet of several thousand barges and several hundred boats. Much of this river craft is used in carrying steel to mills and furnaces in the district, but a considerable pro- portion is allotted to the steel carry- ing trade from Pittsburgh to rail dis tributing points along the lower Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
 Two years ago, during a period of railroad congestion, steel manufactur- ing companies sought the Ohio River as a means of getting their products 10 southwestern consuming points. So gratifying was the success of the ex- pertinent that it has grown into an expanding industry. It was not, how ever, until later that the oil industry. attracted by lower transportation costs and time saving, turned its attention to the inland waters. Tank barges, holding from 5000 to 10000 barrels of crude and refined oil and gasoline, are beginning to appear in squadrons, taking the place of tank car service on tho railroads for long distance hauls, but they are coordinated with motor trucks and railroad tanks at river terminals for back country distribu- tion.
 The Standard oil company of Louis jana, which two years ago set up a barge delivery service between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, extended the line to Memphis from which place final distribution was made inland. Early this year is pushed the service to Louisville, some 1.200 miles from New Orleans. Two stcamboats have been assigned to the task, one for oil and gasoline barges to Carlo, the mouth of the Ohio and a smaller one to take the barges to Louisville.
 The Pan American Petroleum & Transport company, which recently absorbed the Mexican Petroleum com pany, investigated river transporta- ton, and placed contract with a Pittsburgh shipyard for a fleet of tank barges. Some of the barges have been launched, and the Pan American will shortly begin barging oil and gasoline from its ocean going tankers in New Orleans to Pittsburgh and intermcdi- l ate cities for local service stations. | This all water haul will be more than 5000 miles.
 The Inland Waterways company of Louisville has established semi-month- | ly barge movements between Louis- 1 vile and Pittsburgh. This gives n new outlet for oil from the Kentucky | fields. while return haul Is provided | the towboats in steel laden barges | from the Pittsburgh and Wheeling | mills.
 The United States Steel Corporation through is subsidiary the Carnegie | Steel company, sent some 500 freight car loads Of steel down the Ohio by | boat, while the Jones X Loughlin Steel company. the pioneer in the movement. added largely to it's total. The National Tube company and American Steel X Wire company, other corporation subsidiaries, also were represented in the shipments. In similar manner the Tennessee Coal & Iron company, the southern subsidiary of the corporation, in using the War