546 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1916. 



the shallow-draft river steamboat that the development of interior- 

 river channels really began. This occurred early in the nineteenth 

 century, and afforded an enormous stimulus to the construction of 

 new and larger canals and the improvement of natural river channels. 



The second period in the history of interior navigation began with 

 the development of the steam railways, which expanded at a sur- 

 prising rate immediately after they were found practicable, par- 

 ticularl}'^ in those parts of the United States where ordinary roads 

 and other means of communication were still largely undeveloped 

 and unreliable. These railways soon entered into a vigorous com- 

 petition with the rivers, canals, and highways, and before long took 

 over a large part of their commerce. 



The third period in the history of interior waterways began dur- 

 ing the latter part of the nineteenth century, when the industrial 

 development of the areas adjacent to streams and the increase in 

 population had provided more than sufficient commerce for the ex- 

 isting railways, and had left a large volume of freight which could 

 be more cheaply handled by water than by rail. In the United 

 States during the first period above mentioned, the well-known 

 canals, such as the Erie, Morris, Chesapeake and Ohio, and Delaware 

 Canals were built, and with the advent of the steamboat a feverish 

 eagerness to develop the river channels was felt throughout the 

 large part of the United States extending from the Atlantic coast 

 over the interior of the country as far west as the Mississippi River. 

 In the succeeding years this movement increased until but few 

 streams of any importance were without some improvement of their 

 facilities. Notwithstanding the enormous increase in railway mile- 

 age of this country, this impulse in river de^•elopment has also gone 

 on increasing, but in many cases without much relation to the 

 amoimt of commerce carried. It is only recentl}^ that this river work 

 has begun to feel the checking effect of the railway competition, 

 which has little by little taken from some of our streams the bulk 

 of their commerce. Improvements in rail facilities and reduction 

 of cost of ton-mileage have of late given the railroads an enormous 

 advantage. 



For this reason, the third stage in this country in which the river 

 resumes its former value can not be said to have begun except in 

 certain localities where population is much congested, such as on tidal 

 rivers like those in the vicinity of Philadelphia, Providence, or New 

 York City, and perhaps in a few other similar regions accessible from 

 the ocean for comparatively deep-draft ships. 



DISTRIBUTION OF WATERWAYS. 



In describing the present status and recent tendencies in river engi- 

 neering in this countr}^ and in giving a general view of progress in 



