Evening star., 1933-03-14
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
FLORENCE, Ala, March IA. -
The rambling old Tennessee may pack
a bigger load on his back and heave
it smoother and a little sprightlier, in
assuring evidence the new DEAL is on,
but 1t will be ever the same to the men
who. because they have big muscles,
keep the river traffic moving.
These husky fellows who stoke the
packets and tug with heavy freight will
tell the same river stories, sing the
same songs and day to day live and
enrich the lore which Is the perpetual
wealth Of rivermen.
But along the water fringes. II Presi-
dent Roosevelt's vision of a giant ex-
pertinent in planned economy is car
ried to realization. they will see new
cargoes Of minerals and manufactured
products come down from the resource
full hills. see new forests on the slopes
laid bare by loggers, and fields long
since abandoned to erosion presently
reclaimed and titled by veterans of fu-
tile battles for sustenance in the cities.
Vast Store Of Deposits.
This will mean heavier shipping,
drawn from a vast store Of natural de-
posits and the labor of farming people.
The population of the Tennessee Basin
is about 1000, 900, half of which is en-
gagged in farming. The principal val
ley cities are Chattanooga. Knoxville,
johnson City, Kingsport and Cleve-
land, Tenn; Asheville, N. c.; Bristol,
Tenn.-Va., and Florence.
Farm products consist of cotton, live
stock, corn, tobacco. wheat. oats, pea
nuts. hay and sweet potatoes. The
most important minerals are coal, iron
ore, limestone. sand gravel, zinc and
copper ore. In addition, asphalt rock,
bauxite, clay. marble phosphate rock
and slate are produced. The upper
basin is one Of the few regions OF the
world where are found in such proxim-
ity iron ore, coal and limestone, which
Is used as q flux in smelling to remove
Slica.
The chief mineral resources are
shown in a table compiled by Govern
ment engineers as follows:
Produced Resources
Minerals, 1925 ttons). ttons).
Coal ........ IL. .ag1 900 .S35 900. 900
az sS:$SaSs
Phosphate rock. 100000 e2,4oo. 1000
Iron ore. ...... 10000 169.047, 900
Marble .... 1000 0arge)
There are So terminals on the river
which is navigable on a limited basis
for shallow-channel craft its entire 652
miles. Equipment in service in re-
cent report was shown to consist of
81 towing vessels and 1873 barges owned
by 80 operators. The commerce in
1926 was 1882 ,252 tons. with the av-
erage haul 20 miles. OF this. 48 per
cent was forest products. % per cent
iron and steel, Is per cent sand and
gravel. Z per cent farm products and
I per cent miscellaneous freight.
Cites Economy in Water.
An Army engineers report set cost OF
transporting the 1925 traffic at $842, :
TIT, with the estimated cost Of moving
it by rail, $2,720,481. The engineer
found that year approximately 9,559, 900
tons of freight was moved by rail
which could have been transported
more economically by water If there
had been a 9-foot waterway from
Paducah, KY. to Knoxville, as will be
available If the 10 huge power, naviga-
ton and flood control dams are con-
structed along the river.
The engineer figured that. with nor
NAL growth, by 1850 there would be
a movement of 17.800.000 tons at q
saving of $22, 800 900. In addition, he
within the same period because Of the
great acceleration of commerce and in
dustry incident upon completion Of the
water stairway and development Of
electric power.
But ali this is so much picture puzzle
to the strong men who inhabit river
craft. The boats may become more
powerful and the water deeper, with
cargoes moving on to the Mississippi,
Ohio, Missouri, Great Lakes, the Gulf
and to the worlds corners, but their first
loves are for the river and boatin', and
it'll all be the same.