WSP01257 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

..... .' '.'.' :..-',,;,:, ',' ., . . .:. ......t~.... " '." . . . ,.....:...'..,.. . lJi}OH5. 12' MIS::;O!''', H1VER FROM KAN::;A::; CITY, Mil" 1'0 THE MOUTH. 13. In some cases the improvement of a stream is justified, even at high expense, where the absence of rail transportati6tl leaves the territory_ a).ong the stream entirely dependent on water transporta-. tion. This is not the case with the Missouri River between Kansas City and the mouth, Over a great part of the distance the river is paralleled with railroads on both banks, and there are few localities that have no railroad within easy reach. 14. There remains to be conSidered the question of prospective commerce, and in my opinion the improvement must stand or fall by this criterion. In the survey report upon whi<lh the present project is based, the prospective commerce was given by the presi- aent of the Missouri Valley River Improvement Association as 1,000,- 000 tons. See page 45 of House Document No, 1120; Sixtieth Con- gress, second session. That estimate Wll.S based upon a 10-foot channel, with six or seven boats especially adapted to the naviga- tionof the Missouri River, handling cargoes of 2,000 'tons each, and making one round tripper week during a navigation sea;;on of ten months. The fact is that anyone can make almost any estimate he sees fit as to the prospective commerce. I think a better way to approach the subject is by inquir.y concerning a river th&t ~as been improved. An example is the Mississippi between the mouth of the Ohio and the mouth of the Missouri. In the annual repor\s of the Chief of Engineers this stretch of river is reported as having a navigable depth of 6 feet or more during the entire navigation season of recent years, The commerce for the calendar year 1913 was 258,709 short tons, not including sand and gravel or ferry traffic. It should be noted that this stretch of river is so situated as to draw commerce from the improved stretches of the Mississippi above and below it as well as from the Ohio and the Missouri. If the Missis- sippi under these conditions and with a 6-foot channel carries 258,000 tons, it seems to me doubtful whpther the Missouri with the same depth will carry any more, The Missouri River trufflc would have to increase sevenfold to equal that on thc Ithove seetion of the Missis sippi, and would have to increase a hundredfold to reach a figure commensuratr with the cost of the work. . 15. From I,he foregoing considerations I am of the opinion that the present and rrasonably prospective commerce on the Missouri River between Kansus City and the mouth is not sufficipnt to warrant the eontinuunce of Ihp prespnt project, 1 think the snagging should IJC eontinued, so t]lat commerce may have the 11.llvantagc of tIll' natural depth of the river and the river shall not be allowed to becom..' entirely ohstructed. Any attempt at partial improvement scents futile, beeausr the draft of boats, and therefore their cargoes, will be determined by thp least existing depth. If the river is Improved at all, thc work should be completc as to protection of banks alHl ('011- trol of channel. For the same reason it serms to me inj-uclicious to spend any money in keeping uJl the works already built. If ill another generatioll t.he improvement of the river becomes uchi~ahl,'. the present work!! will hI' of little value, 11Ild in the meantiIij.e t.he l'hai,- nelaepth in the port.iolls that have been improved arc not likplv to be less than in t,he portions wholly unimproved.' . 16. It is to be notcd that these views agree in many respects with the previous attitude of the Kngineer Department., IIol! expressed hy .