The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-11-03
The Navigation OF the Ohio and the
IMPROVEMENT Of the Mississippi.

The past sixty days has been a pc
Rod of unusually low water in all the
rivers of the Mississippi basin, and the
commerce of this city has suffered ex-
ceeedingly in consequence. Our river
craft are now nearly all Of the high
water" sort, heavy carriers, and can not
make expenses on low water at any rate
which could be reasonably imposed.
The railroads take advantage of this
fact to put up their tariffs, and even at
the advanced rate seldom furnish halt
as much transportation as our trade re-
quires; thus the commerce Of the city
suffers. There is a simple and easy
remedy for all this. The chief obsta'
Giles to river navigation in periods OF
low water are met with between this
point and Cairo, and are caused by
islands and bars which divide the
water in the river. furnishing two
shallow channels instead of one deep
one. In these channels but four feet
of water exists to-day, while fully
six feet can be relied upon
with these exceptions We believe
there are but four such points between
here and Cairo, and experienced river
| men inform us that, were system OF
dykes to be built by the government
similar to the dykes constructed by the
St. Charles Bridge company, the water
might all be turned into one channel
when low, and uniform depth Of six
feet be preserved. The dykes should
be constructed so as to overflow when
the water was more than six feet high,
that its onward flow in times of high
water might not be hurtfully obstructed.
1t is estimated that one million OF dol
lars would build all of these dykes, and
a fair depth of water to the sea be thus
forever guaranteed to the river marine
of the Mississippi Valley. We regard
this as among the most important
measures meriting the attention OF our
next Congress, and urge our merchants
and steamboatmen 10 prepare petitions
at once praying for such an spproprla-
tion.-St. Louis Democrat, Oct. Is.
Commenting upon the above the Gin
ciunati Enqnircr says; We fully concur
with our Republican cotemporary, and
with it would inclnde kindred meas
ure of improvement on the Ohio
Those interested in the navigation ofthis
important stream, and that is ten mil
lions of people, have suffered an un-
precented amount of damage the past
year, from the low stage Of water, which
has suspended business for months TO a
great extent. One Of the results IL seen
in the appreheuded coal famine in this
and other cities and towns below, which
have been deprived of their usual sup
ply of fuel. This scarcity of water
ought not to be, and could easily
be prevented. During three weeks in
the spring as much water flows by this
city, if properly used and economical,
as would give us eight feet OF water on
the lowest points the whole year round.
What is wantedis the building of dams
at certain points, with lockages, and the
application of the slackwater principle
to the stream. Had the Ohio been a
New England river this would have
been done by the Government
years ago. The supineuess Of the
North and Southwest in not demand
ing these internal improvements in the
great arteries Of trade tor the nation
| for such are the Mississippi, Ohio and