New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-06
IMPROVEMENT or THE OHIO.

merce coming from the North aud West 10 st. Louis
may be diverted from the Gulf OF Mexico to the At
lautic cities it should be stated aud kept in view,
that the Ohio being improved and made perna-
nently navigable the Allegheny, from Clean to Pitts
burgh, would, as a necessary consequence, be
speedily improved 50 as 20 open new water line
from New-York to the Ohio through which barges
could be transported from Ncw-YoIk to st. Louis
without breaking bulk; and then, through such
line, heavy tunnage could be carried for about
third tine expense Of railway charges 1t does not
weaken the force of this argument TO say that -four
and grain, and other agricultural products, incur
great risks in passing through the warm and humid
climate of the Gulf and that therefore they will go
by rail direct from St. Louis TO Ncw-fork. The
question is. both the water line and railway being
Open which mode of conveyance will be preferred
for heavy and bulky tunnagef
III be urged that time is an important element in
commercial transactions and that therefore the
greater speed of railway transit VIII compensate for
its greater expense, it may be answered, that for
travel and for valuable and light merchandise this
argument will hold but not with reference to heavy
freight
Besides, if great wateElnes were permanently open
so as to allow the farmers Of the West to be their
own shippers, and consign their own products to
well-known houses in New-York, there would be
fewer middlemcn between the producers and con-
difficult to control the market and make the con-
sumers pay the greater cOst of transportation by rail-
Whoever fails TO comprehend the importance Of ca
nails and water lines in moving the heavy tunnage of
commerce, or would discourage their construction,
imposes a heavy burden upon the consumers of the
5e great staples or provisions, and upon all the in
stral pursuits of the country Better prices to
producer and lower prices to the consumer would
inevitably result from increased facilities for cheap
transportation between the granaries of the West
and the wharyes and workshops of the East.
There can be no gainSaying the fact that heavy
and bulky freight is carried cheaper by the canal
boat than by rail- and should, therefore be trans
ported by water whenever is possible to do and
wherever this rUe is violated. in the interests of
large spectators in breadsttfs the consumer pays
the additional cost of transportation.
Three plans have been presented for making the
Ohio permanently navgable for boats and barges
drawing from four to five feet of wafer
First-By a series of wing dams over the shoals
md rapids of the river.
These wing dams would extend from each side of
the stream toward the center, to contract the
water into narrower channel. and of sufficient
depth for navigation. They should be directly OPP
poste each other alternate upon side and the
other They would not only deepen the water by
throwing the whole volume into one part Of the
channel but would also at the same time, extend
the rapids over a greater space, and reduce the
fall per mile by extending the inclined plane of the
shoal OF rapids, Such dam would not retard the
passage of boats or bargcs, as there would be no
locks to pass through. This mode of improvement
could be made at triHng expense, and, except at
extraordinary low stages of water, would suffice to
make the Ohio navigable ten or eleven months in
the year. except when impeded by ice. Very little
soli1 masonry, if any, would be required in building
such wing dams, and the abundance of suitable
materials all along the bed of the river in the
cliffs and hisides through the valley. would reduce
the cost to q very low figure. There very few
days in the year when there is not sufficient water in
the river to float boats drawing four feet if the
water were thrown into channel, or
made g pass through chute. The river in its
natural state in low stages of water consists of long
deep pools Of water, always Of sufficient depth for
navigation with shoals OF gentle rapids intervening
when wing dams would be required TO
make it permanently navgable. l am not
aware that any reliable estimates of the cost of such
an improvement have been made, but the whole ex
pense would be absolutely insignificant in COMPARE
son with the advantages certain to result thererom
Some idea of the cost of such improvement may
be had thus: A wing DAM say 1900 feet in length,
so feet wide at the bottom and Is feet at the top and
feet high, would contain 5000 cubic yards. Suppose
II cost S3 per cubic yard to fill in these rude dams,
and considering the fact that sandstone in cliffs is
Generally found upon one side of the river where the
shoals and rapids occur or may be taken from the
bed of the stream this cost per cubic yard, IS be-
eved to be FAR too high yet at this rate the cost of
one wing dam would be only 5000. Now, suppose 800
such dams averaging the same cubic contents, and
the entire cost would be S45OOOO) This estimate is
only an approximation to the actual expense of such
awork; vet, considering the abundance, proximity
and facility of obtaining the necessary materials OF
stone and coarse gravel for such wing DAMS 1t is be-
leved that there are plenty of men residing in the
Valley of the Ohio who would be glad TO contract for
the work at 50 per cubic yard At this rate this inn
provement would cost only the trihng sum of $4,000
per mile.
A second plan for improving the Ohio is by locks
and dams BY this plan the Ohio would be converted
into vast canal with capacity sufficient to float
the commerce of the whole continent The distance
from Pittsburgh (by the riverl Cairo on miles
The whole fall is 425 feet, or an average descent of
inches per mile.
To overcome this entire fall would require 80 locks
OF pairs of locks-one for the ascending and for
the descending radewith lift Of 81 feet.
The pools erected by such system of locks and dams
would vary in length as follows:
Between Pittsburgh and wheeling. 10 miles.
Wheeling and Cincinnati .........-........17 miles.
Cincinnati and Louisville Is miles,
Louisville and Portland. ..............--.. mile.
Portland and Evansville. miles
Evansville and Cairo. miles
This assumption contemplates the necessity of con-
verting the river through its whole extent, into
canal whereas such is the favorable condition and
easy flow Of this noble river in its lowest stages of
water consisting Of long deep pools that 1T is pre-
sumed in order 10 convert il into a grand slack
water navigation not more than one-half of the