The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-11-24
THE OHIO RIVER.
Letter from George III. Thurston.
Esq, President or the Pittsburgh
Board OF Trade.

the people along the whole length OF
the river, gives some hope that the sub.
ject is now to be taken up in earnest.
Should a movement be again made fol-
that purpose, it should not be with a
view of obtaining one of those small
appropriations, SO hardly wrung from
Congress, to have few snags taken out
here, sand bar scooped out there, and
half dozen ridges OF stones placed hall
way across as many slopes in the river
bed. 1t should be no spasmodic effort,
from some two or three cities, to have
such temporizing and trifling improve
ments attempted, but persistent, uni.
ted effort, on the part of all the States
interested. 10 haze the Ohio made the
most magnificent ship canal in the ,corld.
| use the term with due consideration,
and see no reason why all that is con.
veyed in the expression ought not to be
realized; nor how any other improve.
ment will put the navigation of the
Ohio into such a condition as will meet
the present and future requirements OF
the people
The three most prominent plans that
have been proposed for the improve.
ment Of the Ohio, are-first, the "reser-
voir system" of Mr.. Elliott, who was
supported in his views by Mr.. Morris !;
second, the plan of Herman Haupt,
Esq, Of low dams with open sluice
ways; the flock and dam" system, in
use on the Monongahela slack water.
The leading objection TO the reservoir
system Of Mr.. Elliott was that the res
ervoirs OF the size required are imprac-
tacable Of construction, from the i'm
possibility of procuring sites; the per-
manent obstruction thereby Of import
ant streams; the excessive cost from
expense Of construction, damages, etc.
The plan of low dams with open
sluice ways, as proposed by MI. Haupt,
Endorsed by Mr.. Roberts, are pronounced
practicable by Mr.. Morris, is feasible :;
on testimony adduced, suffi'
cient water, when the river is at three
feet natural stage, to maintain six feet
navigation, and costing, according to an
estimate of Mr.. Roberts, only little
over $3,000,000. AS the natural stage
of the river is for one-half the year
below three feet, return to the reser-
voir system Of Mr.. Elliott becomes
necessary to a certain extent; as 1850
100000 cubic feet of reserved water
will be necessary to maintain six feet
stage during a certain portion OF the
year. Were it necessary TO return to
the reservoir system of Mr.. Elliott, in
all It's magnitude, to support Mr..
Haupt's low dam, system, then the plan
would be also unsat;s iactory; but as it
requires only reservoir system OF about
0ne-tpsnty-ftM of Mr.. Ellio:t's, it would
seem that such reservoirs might be
constituted with good results.
The lock and dam, or slack water sys.
tenn, as presented by many years trial
on the Monongahe!a, is also feasible;
and the cost within the bounds of asum
that there would be hope of obtaining
from State or national authorities.
The reports of the Monongahela slack
water show, however, that even under
that system reservoirs would be required
to maintain six feet uninterrupted
navigation. This system shows also a
certain amount OF delay in navigation,
and a cost Of maintenance, that a system
OF low dams with open sluices, with
chutes or short canals of two hundred
feet wide, connected with pools) Is free
from.
1t would seem, then, that combina-
ton of some Of the features Of these
three plans into one system, adapted to
the topography OF the river, would &C.
complish the long wished for contlnu-
Gus six or eight feet Of navigation, with
a greater depth at seasons, when the
the river has, from natural causes, a
greater flood. From figures given IN
Mr.. Haupts plan, it seems that a
series of ten feet dams, when the slope
of the river bed is uniform, will form
pools of twelve miles long, In which
the water will be six feet at the upper
end. As the river bed, instead of being
uniform, presents series ofshoals anu
rapids, ten feet dams will frequently ex-
tend the pools to thirty miles. In these
pools, the difference in the level between
the water surface above and below the
dams will be four feet. which Will De
overcome by long chutes, two hundred
feet wide and of six feet depth. The
discharge of water through such an
onenins, with a fall of four and three,
tenths feet per mile, would be 'Soo
cubic feet per second. The regular as
charge Of the Ohio. at two feet eight
inch stage on the Wheeling bar
il 800 cubic feet per second; requiring
a supply from artificial sources OF only
1900 cubic feet. Statistics show there
are not over six weeks, yearly, during
which the river is at so low a stage as
to supply only $500 cubic feet; ana,
therefore, the whole yearly amour.
necessary to maintain a six feet stage
would be- but 27,475, 100000 cubic feet.
This amount can be further lessenea oI
extending the length the ehutes Pro}ec'
into the pools below the dams Caicu'
iotions show that whenever there Is
natural flow of water Of three ana q
half feet the ten feet dams, with chuteS
1.-Two feet fall to the mile, will MAINTAIN
a navigation of six feet without tne aio
of sunnlying reservoirs. Ii the chan'
o. Us1 s" pr cbutes are prolonged so as to
reduce the fall in the level OF the wa:el
to one foot per mile, then the quaint. :!
Of water in the Ohio, when the the, rive, sse,
furnishes a natural flow of two zee e
eight inches on the Wheeling , oa,' W. .be
aid of reservoirs, after the pools nave
once filled. ,., chow