The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1927-01-12

Inc lnIeTIldblOIE3A 1AoA '0Ss~A ~
will load the first cargo to come up
the Mississippi river to Minneapolis
this spring in tow of barges destin-
ed to open a new era of transporta-
ton history in the northwest. The
barges will be loaded with Irvine to
be used in the harvesting OF
Minnesota crops this year. The
tow viii travel the entire length OF
the river, coming straight through to
Minneapolis.
w. w. Morse, vice president and
general manager of the Upper Missis-
sippi River Barge Line Co., told OF
developments in the barge line pro-
ject Thursday at the annual meeting
Of the Minneapolis Builders exchange.
When the Minneapolis delegation was
IN Washington December 8 to obtain
en- additional 100000 of government
financing with which to increase the
upper river fleet from Is to 60 barges,
II. B. Utiey, vice president of the In
ternational Harvester Co., asked Sec
rotary Of War Dwight F. Davis that
his company be accorded the privil-
eye of loading the first barge cargo.
Mr.. Utley said the harvester firm ex-
pected to make extensive and profit
able use of the barge line.
Fsur Of the Is barges ordered built
for the barge company now are COM
pleted and are in the water, Mr.. Morse
reAorted. They have just been
launched in the Ohio river at Midland,
R4., and may be the first to be sent
down the river to New Orleans to re-
cAivs the Irvine cargo: The Interna-
tiouai has q large Irvine factory in
New Orleans, for which it imports
sisAl from Mexico. With the opening
Of the navigation season this product
win be carried from its origin straight
70 the heart of the northwest entirely
BY water.
The barges will carry from $50 to
500 TONS Of cargo. depending on the
stage of the water. From three to six
harges will make up a tow.
Mr. Morse told in narrative form the
story of upper river transportation,
beginning with the days of the early
settlers, and including the period
when more than 200 steamers were
operating on the upper river.
The revival of river traffic started
in committee of the Minneapolis
teaf Estate board two years ago,
when q study was made of the north
vests freight handicap, he said.
Rates were raised when the inter-
state commerce commission decided
that river transportation, having long
been discontinued, no longer was a
competitive factor in the determine
tea Of rail rates.
A study Of the river possibilities
was made through the army engi-
nAer's office in St. Paul. When it
was found that there was feasible
channel depth for barges, Minneapo-
lis business men, with various organ
iza6ous cooperating, studied river
transportation on the lower reaches
Of the Mississippi and on the Ohio,
and then went to Washington. They
Interested Secretary Hoover and Pres
faeut Coolidge in the project, and
48t<1 hCSt CISIy laws ACul tiS WY
er1tien, and the Inland Waterways
under General T. Q. Ash
hura. started actual plans for new
sarvice on the upper river.
With the formation of the upper
river barge company with 100000
# northwest capital, the trminal prob
lem next WAS tackled, and bond issues
and ether financing now are well un-
Or way in Minneapolis, St. Paul.
1p16Sue, iowa, and other cities and
setnsl construction started, Mr..
W tse said.
The latest step was the securing OF
the 81, 000, 900 fund with which to
lniN l5 additional barges. Mr.. Morse
said that Q study of possible freight
cafSoes was made by the chamber of
commerce Of Minneapolis and st.
rad1. and that it was found that there
is more tonnage available in the Twin
Cities than the fleet of so barges can
carry in the operating season, and
Inst ct least as large a volume of
awaits the fleet at down.