COMPARATIYE GROWTH OF BRITISH AND AMERICAN TRADE. EXPORTS OF GREAT BRITAIN TO CHIEF COUNTRIES, AND OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE SAME. Losses on the Lakes and Western Rivers-Trade, &c. 293 LOSSES ON THE LAKES AND ON WEST- two columns of details of marine losses ERN RIVERS-LAKE TRADE, ETC.-Losses on the Lakes during the year 1852, of on the Lakes in 1852.-The Buffalo Morn- which the following is a recapitulaing Express, of a recent date, contains tion: Of the two hundred and fifty-nine disasters here detailed, seven occurred in the month of April, nineteen in May, twenty-four in June, fifteen in July, sixteen in August, twenty-one in September, twenty-seven in October, eightyfive in November, (55 in one gale of the 11th and 12th,) and fifteen in December. Six steamers, seven propellers, and thirty-five sail vessels, have gone out of existence entirely. In many instances the amount of losses as above stated have been matters of estimate, as many must necessarily be; but much pains and care have been taken to procure, in each case, the opinion of competent men who were most familiar with the circumstances. Regarding the loss of life by the steamer Atlantic, there are various opinions-her agents and proprietors contending it not to exceed one hundred and fifty, while many who were somewhat familiar with the circumstances, set it as high as three hundred, and some even higher. The loss of property is large, being some $260,000 greater than any previous VOL. XIV. 7 16,000 53,600 69,600 800 78,020 78,820 24,000 24,000 year. The loss of life is also large. Capt. R. puts it at 296, which is probably considerably under the actual number. Many persons, who were competent to judge, put the number lost on the Atlan tic as high as 300. The statement will be found of great interest to all those engaged in commercial transactions, and will be found more accurate than any previous statement. The foreign commerce of our Lake ports, says the North American, is of much more importance than is generally supposed. Of course it is the result of a growing intercourse with the Canadian provinces; but were the navigation of the St. Lawrence opened to our commerce, it is an ascertained fact that the Lake ports are ready and eager to carry on a direct commerce with Europe. In illustration of the importance already acquired by the foreign trade of these ports, the Sandusky Register compiles from the United States Treasury documents the following statement of the amount of duties received for the years ending July 1st: Glencoe Saluda. snag.. .snag.. 8,000.. .burned.. 5,000.. ...snag..17,000.. ..collap.. snag.. ...snag.. total.. Where lost. N.-Orleans Arkansas R. Little Rock 10.. Poverty P't Granada .. Smithfield explo. total. 50..St. Louis Robt. Rogers...collis'n.. ..snag.. Prairie State.....explo Pontiac, No. 2....snag.. Beacon snag.. Mammoth Cave..col'n... Umpire.. This shows an increase of $106,000, or Redstone. about 44 per cent. in one year, and but eleven ports are given, the less important ones being omitted. While the foreign commerce of these ports thus increased, the commerce of the Atlantic ports decreased very materially, as is shown by the fact that for the years 1850-51 the aggregate duties in the whole one hundred and three ports of entry in the United States was $48,788,000 and in the succeeding year it was $47,320,326. There are about fourteen ports in the United States at which a larger amount of duties is collected annually than at Buffalo, Oswego, Cleveland, or Sandusky. These are New-York, Boston, Philadelphia, New-Orleans, San Francisco, Baltimore, Charleston, St. Louis, Portland, Cincin nati, Salem, Mobile, and New Haven. The Louisville Courier has the following list of steamboat and other disasters on the western waters during the past year-1852.* The list is formidable and disastrous enough, and embraces 78 steamboats, 4 barges, 73 coal boats, 32 salt boats, and four other flatboats. The greater number of the flatboats were destroyed by the breaking up of the ice last winter. The number of lives lost is upwards of four hundred. The Courier is not certain that the list is complete, but has compiled it from the best sources at its command. Sea Gull.. snag... ...snag.. ..snag.. .. Cumb'rland ..Tennessee R 10.. Shreveport .Pekin, Ill. 20..Missouri R. .. French I. .. Ponchartr❜n ..Mississippi ..Arkansas R. ..Cincinnati .. Memphis Mississippi Peytona, No. 2. capsiz'd.. total.. Pilot No. 2. Swan Danube.. D. A. Given.. Midas. Financier. snag.. . Ohio 40.. Missouri R. .Mississippi ..Ohio R. .....snag.. total.. - snag.. total.. explo.. Dan Canvass.....snag.. Arkansas R. ..Cow Island Red River .. Cow Island .. Atlas Island 15.. Ohio River ..Marietta .Buffington L. -..Buffington I. H. D. Bacon....raised.. total.. Envoy ......collis'n..raised.. Cleopatra. .explo.. total.. ..burned.. total.. Susquehanna.....snag.. Fleetwood........snag.. Magnet.. ..Buffington L. Cumb'rland ...explo.. total.. 11..Grand View Western World....col.. total.. 25..Mississippi R. M. Patton.......col..raised.. ..Louisville Tempest.. ......snag..raised.. List of Steamboat Disasters-Growth of the North-west. Toledo. Tonnage of canal freight to and from Al- Tonnage of canal freight to and from 2 1,196,341 350,100 Chicago. St. Louis. Bushels........ .8,381,199...4,306,635...4,044,297 Toledo received by canal, to the 14th November, 260,898 bbls. flour, 1,954,718 bushels wheat, 3,878,047 bushels corn; The canals which have their termiand by rail-road, to 31st December, nus at Toledo will, on the opening of 122,979 barrels flour, 447,887 bushels navigation, next spring, have an aggrewheat, 181,162 bushels corn. Includ- gate length of seven hundred miles. ing what reached Toledo by canal For the last seven years, the canal buafter 14th Nov., and by wagon during siness, at Toledo, has had an average the year, the receipt of these three increase equal to its regular duplication articles at that city in 1852 could in every period of three years. The same scarcely be less than eight millions and ratio of increase during the next seven three quarters of bushels. years would swell its business to nearly that at Albany the past year. New-York exported to all foreign countries, from 1st January to 20th November, 1852, 1,226,298 barrels flour, 2,678,457 bushels of wheat and 745,180 bushels of corn, amounting in all, counting the flour at 5 bushels the barrel, to 9,555,126 bushels. On the 1st January, 1853, an enumeration made the population of Toledo 6,412; and the number of buildings erected, in 1852, 200. A very small city for so large a business. ART. XII-INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. CENTRAL ROAD OF TEXAS-ATLANTIC AND GULF ROAD-VICKSBURG AND TEXAS ROADSAN ANTONIO ROAD-RAIL-ROADS OF ARKANSAS-RAIL-ROADS OF MISSOURI-RISE IN RAILROAD IRON-BROADWAY, NEW-YORK, RAIL-ROAD-RAIL-ROADS OF PENNSYLVANIA. WE are indebted to Gen. Memucan sive of a resolute determination to carry Hunt, President of the Central Rail-road the work through. The result of their Company of Texas, for a pamphlet of labors, which will be resumed this documents concerning this company morning, is, that the sum of one hunwhich is very interesting. Gen. Hunt dred and two thousand dollars was put has procured the promised aid of north- down. Verily, old Savannah goes ahead ern capitalists, and it is only necessary of all other places we ever read of, for Texas to increase her land donations for taking rail-road stock." to the road, and for the proprietors on the route to do the same, for these capitalists at once to enter upon the work. One of the engineers for the survey has already arrived in Texas. This is the only road chartered which extends from the island of Galveston, and its termination is to be on Red River in either Lamar, Fannin, or Grayson county, a distance of 450 miles. We hope to refer to this road again. "Messrs. Screven and Roberts, Directors of the Atlantic and Gulf Road," says the Savannah Republican, "went into the street, for a few hours, yesterday, beginning at midday, for the purpose of collecting subscriptions for the road hence to Pensacola via Albany. Every one to whom application was made subscribed, with one or two exceptions. This circumstance we regard as expres It is stated that some citizens of Liberty remarked at the late celebration that that county would put down at least $100,000, and a wealthy gentleman residing on the route has, we are assured, signified his intention of subscribing $20,000. All the present indications seem to be favorable. It The people of North Louisiana are evincing great interest in the Vicksburg, Louisiana and Texas Road. will pass through one of the wealthiest portions of our state and one the least accessible to market, producing 120,000 bales of cotton, and having $65,000,000 of taxable property. The Texas portion of the road is equally inviting. It has been surveyed and located from Vicksburg to Monroe and also from Shreveport to Marshall. Only four miles of overflowed country intervenes be tween Vicksburg and Monroe. Indi- midway between the contending cities vel. The question so much mooted in Texas of the selection of a Gulf terminus for the San Antonio Road has, we understand, been decided in favor of Saluria at a late meeting of the Board of Directors, held at San Antonio. The news of the decision was received here a few days since by a gentleman who was present at the meeting, and may be relied upon for authenticity. The following gentlemen constituted the Board, all of whom, with the exception of one, voted for Saluria: Enoch Jones, S. A. Maverick, Thos. Devine, Chas. King, Jno. T. McLeod, J. T. Dashiel, R. G. Campbell, Wm. Vance, J. R. Sweet, J. J. Giddings, C. Riotte, A. H. Jones, Dr. R. Peebles, J. A. Paschall, F. Gilbeau, G. T. Howard, and G. T. Gardiner. We are informed that the citizens of Indianola and Lavaca are conciliated to the selection of that point for the terminus, on the ground that the road is to pass immediately through or near those two places, and that each have agreed to build certain sections of the road. The work is to be commenced immediately, from Powder Horn and Lavaca espectively, the operations to extend upwards on the line from each place. The work will also be commenced at Saluria in due time, as well as at San Antonio. The company have some $400,000 funds in hand already, and we have good reason to believe that the road will be commenced immediately in good earnest. We understand that the route contemplated for the road, will strike the Guadaloupe some seventy-five miles above Clinton. From the last most able message of the Governor, we extract the following in regard to the internal improvement policy of Arkansas. "Let a point be selected for the Pacific road free from all objections, both of a political and physical character. That point is MEMPHIS, in Tennessee, situate tions attaching to both; neither north nor south, but a point at which the fairhaired sons of the north can meet their sun-burnt brothers of the South, and, seated side by side, westward take their way. In addition to this, Memphis seems already to have been selected, by general consent, as the point on the Mississippi at which all the rail-roads, starting from the Atlantic states, tending westward, both from the north and south, converge. When the middle and New England states start their thousands westward, by means of numerous railroads already completed, they reach Cincinnati, thence to Louisville, and upon the cars of the Louisville and Memphis road, now in process of construction, will be set down upon the banks of the mighty Mississippi, at a point opposite the centre of our state. So with the southern traveler, from Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia, by means of the Charleston and Chattanooga roads, now being completed to Memphis, the same point will be reached. Alabama and Mississippi are rapidly securing their connection with the same point. Is it probable that this vast system of railroads is destined to stop here? I cannot think so; unless, by the criminal neglect of our most important interests and duties, we fail to afford that aid and encouragement necessary to insure its extension westward, over our own soil, to its ultimate destination on the Pacific. "It cannot be disguised, however, that whatever may be the objections both to St. Louis and New-Orleans, as crossingpoints on the Mississippi river, for the Great Western railroad, they are strug gling for it with that power and energy which is ever prompted by a spirit of self-preservation, and with that prospect of success, which results from a judicious combination of wealth, enterprise and energy. "There can be no doubt, that the St. Louis and New-Orleans road, although of recent conception, will very soon claim a large share of public attention; and surely its importance to Arkansas can only be second to the central railroad, and in its immediate and local results, not even to that. Missouri has already commenced, and has now under contract, a considerable portion of a |