Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-25
TRAFFIC WILL GAIN
. ON INLAND WATERS
Improved Facilities and
Routes Expected to Boost
Tonnage This Year.
BY J. G. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

NEW YORK, January 25.-The COM
mcrce carried over the inland water
ways of the United States in 1928 will
approximate $50, O000 600 tons, accord
ing to an estimate made by transporta-
ton men after study of conditions
affecting all the navigable fresh waters
of the Nation The increase over the
SAC, 100000 tons reported by the war
Department engineers in their last an
nual report is based not only on in
creased business activity and prosper
ity. but on added equipment.
The present year will see a remark
able increase in equipment, In the
mileage of navigable channels and In
the addition Of products which hitherto
have never been carried by inland
waters. The improvement will affect,
in one way or another. business and
industrial conditions from the Atlantic
to the Pacific and from the st.
Lawrence to the Gulf, in every line
which ships its products outside its own
immediate territory.
Saves Shippers Millions.
1t will mean an additional saving OF
millions to shippers, yet it will not ma
terially lessen the earnings Of the rail
carriers. which will retain supremacy in
the carriage of goods for which speed
is an essential. The gain will come
from huge tonnage. which hitherto
has not been able to find market
reachable by cheap transportation.
Coal and coke, oil. iron ore and grain
will probably continue to represent the
bulk Of the water shipments. AS a re-
suit OF the improvement of this traffic,
Pittsburgh. Chicago, Cleveland. Buffalo,
Toledo, Duluth, Minneapolis, Kansas
City. St. Louis. Cincinnati, Louisville,
Memphis, Vicksburg, Baton Rouge, Bir-
mingham and New Orleans will take
their places among the great ports and
water shipment terminals Of the world.
AS soon as the ice is out of the Great
Lakes. at least six huge new freighters
will be put into service in addition to
the present lakes feet.
All Records Broken.
The past year broke all records for
tonnage carried on the three rivers in
he Pittsburgh district, the Mononga-
hela. Allegheny and Ohio. with gain
of 445.793 tons. BY 1929 the entire
improvement of the Ohio. giving a g.
foot channel from Pittsburgh to the
mouth of the river. will have been COM
pleted, with shipments increasing in
proportion.
For the first time in its history, the
Warrior River Barge Line. operated by
the Government, which carries Bir-
minRham and other Alabama products
to Mobile. operated at profit in 1927.
much larger gain is anticipated this
year.
The Missouri Barge Line from Kan
sas City to St Louis will begin TO func-
ton in 1928 on quantity basis. Private
barge lines will supplement the Gov
eminent boats on the upper Missis-
sippi between st. Louis and Mime
apolis. carrying grain, iron ore, sugar
and other products. Some idea of the
possibilities may be obtained from the
fact that one tow boat brought down
the Mississippi in 1927 an oil cargo 1t
would have required g trains OF 40
cars each to handle. The Mississippi
now has 9-foot channel below ST.
Louis. and eventually this will be deep
ened. largely through control OF the
waters Of the river itself.
Equipment Inadequate.
The business of the Federal Barge
Line on the Mississippi in 1927 would
have been five times larger If equip
ment had been adequate TO handle It.
Nine new commodities will be added TO
the list OF shipments in 1928, accord
ing 10 Army Engineers. Their report
says 6995,425 tons OF freight will be
available for the line in 1928. as COM
pared with the l,25i.276 tons carried
In 1927. Even the latter amount saved
the shippers In ~ States 81 $50. 200 In
the last year. according 10 the reports
Expert transportation men see in the
development Of the river systems re-
turn 10 the days when New Orleans and
st. Louis were without rivals as ports.
through which poured the products and
supplies for the Middle and Inter-
mountain West as far AS Utah, New
Mexico and Montana.