. The American transportation problem; a study of American transportation conditions, with a view to ascertaining what policy Americans should adopt in order to effectively meet existing conditions and be prepared to continue to lead the nations in the march of progress and civilization . s not enough tonnage available to justifytheir owners in increasing their facilities by adding a second track,along either side of the water. The agitators claim that low grade freight, such as coal, can betransported at far less cost by river than by rail. 282 The Mississippi River flows alongside of an imme
. The American transportation problem; a study of American transportation conditions, with a view to ascertaining what policy Americans should adopt in order to effectively meet existing conditions and be prepared to continue to lead the nations in the march of progress and civilization . s not enough tonnage available to justifytheir owners in increasing their facilities by adding a second track,along either side of the water. The agitators claim that low grade freight, such as coal, can betransported at far less cost by river than by rail. 282 The Mississippi River flows alongside of an immense coal fieldthat extends throughout the length of the State of Illinois. The coalis being mined on a very large scale, and yet not a ton of the outputis shipped by water, though there are great cities all along the riverbank, using millions of tons of coal hauled to them by the railroads. The ludicrous nature of the claims made for water transportationare most effectively realized, when one sees the dilapidated steamersthat still ply on the river, sailing along near the edge of the coalfields and taking coal for their own engines from railroad cars onthe bank; and the government boats and dredges, engaged in im-proving the river, taking their whole supply of fuel from coal SCENE IN DES MOINES RAPIDS CANAL. Showing railroad cars loaded with coal awaiting transfer to Govern-ment boats, to be used in firing engines. Coal brought by rail from theIllinois coal field. Standing on special tracks alongside the ridiculous Des Moines RapidsCanal, and at other convenient railroad points between St. Louis andSt. Paul. No coal is borne on the river, but the Chicago, Burlington & QuincyRailroad is now improving and completing a nearly level railroad, fromthe Southern Illinois coal field to St. Paul and Minneapolis, on whicha single engine will be able to haul about 5,000 tons of coal in a trainweighing about 7,000 tons, at a cost of about two mills, per ton, permile. This is somethi
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidcu31, booksubjectrailroads
