Year: 1874

~~A0
IA ENGlNEER.-THE SIMPLICITY AND
COMPLETENESS OF HIS SCHEME
OF WATER TRANSIT.


One admirable characteristic of Senator
| WINDOWS report is its entire simplicity,
clearness and intelligibility. We're it re-
port upon proposed system of drainage
for ten-acre field, its boundaries could
no: be more simply defined, the course of
process proposed more fully understood.
The area before the committee was that Dor
tion of the territory Of the United States
bounded by the Mississippi on the west, the
Atlantic on the east, the line of the Lakes
| and the British possessions on the north,
and the Atlantic and the Gulf Of Mexico on
the south Now, this whole area is already
accommodated with grand but slightly in
terrupted lines Of drainage. Drainage, we
mean, not Of the water that fall upon it,
though that is true, but OF its products
| But as the lines which carry away its prod
ucts must make use Of the water lines, we
will use the word drainage somewhat met
aphorically, but plainly enough to express
the idea Of great transportation lines. This
area, as we say, then is already drained,
| to certain extent, but the lines are not
equally capacious from their sources to the
sea, and must be aided by the engineer, so
as to be made, if not equally capacious from
their sources to their mouths, then regu-
larly progressive in size, in divisions, until
they reach the ocean.


| The first great route is the Mississippi,
which is route and boundary at the
| same time. This is to be made as large as
| 1t can be made, from its northern extremi-
ty to the Falls Of St. Anthony. We say
can be " made, for beyond certain lin
it the Mississippi commands US to desist.
! Man cannot dictate navigation upon that
stream beyond certain capacity.


| From three to five feet minimum depth is
the utmost that can probably be reached
above St. Anthony Falls. Below them comes
another section extending to about the
mouth Of the Ohio, which is limited by a
minimum depth of from five to seven feet


Below the mouth of the Ohio the depth
required for sea-going vessels may eventu-
ally, by possibility, be attained but the
process cannot be hastened, and may take
ages to bring it about. So that the draught
now common below the Ohio may be accep-
ted as the next thing to fnality. But let
the improvements proposed be adopted,
and what an immese advance we shall have
made. Up to within few years the Mis-
'issippi up toward Iowa, Upper Illinois
and Wisconsin could not promise, with any
certainty, annually a minimum depth Of
twenty inches. Change this to certainty
Of five feet and upward; count what can be
done with fleets OF barges on such navi-
CATION, and even such an improvement ap-
proaches in6nity in its carrying power.
We think a thousand times more
gain would result to the farmers of the
State, and whole Northwest, if they
would concentrate their thoughts and
actions toward developing new compet-
ing line Of transportation, and not be
satisfied with merely bringing the rail-
roads to reasonable terms.


A single tug takes this week from
Red Wing $4,000 bushels of wheat.
Her mate informed US he had in one
trip handled 100000. If navigation
Was unobstructed that wheat would be
landed on board Of large sea-going yes.
sells in New Orleans at comparatively a
very small cost to the farmer, for the
farmer looses the whole cost of transpor-
tation to market. But these vessels
can't get into New Orleans nor go over
the bar with more than half cargo.
WINDOWS plan conteu'p|ates holding
the waters Of the upper lakes during
the rainy season to be let out as needed
t" keep up proper supply in the river
as needed to make the rapids naviya-
Bile, and to open the mouth of the river
SO as to float vessels drawing % feet of
water. This would admit large ocean
steamers.


The source Of our future prosperity
and wealth point in this direction. We
will at all times have All abundance to
sell, the next thing is to find the most
advantageous market TO do this we
must open for ourselves a way to the
Atlantic Ocean as speedily as posi-
bic.


Last Winter potatoes were shi ipped
from New England. sold in New Orleans,
re-shipped to St. Louis, and undets Id


Minnesota potatoes taken down by
rail,


The only competition that can be ere.
ated against railroads is water carriage