The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-03-22
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THE OHIO RIVER.

pF0NDBIlNN "
Its Banks. r.,w
"a ~''' " Foster, Of lndlApapolis'l -,
The credit Of the discovery o. thS ~ ~
nor Ohio Is probably due to LA eai \,
TherS i an interval in the lie Of tlla Ic It
,repid explorer, between the yea,Es H. tV az,
snS is7i in which his career Is nut on
s S% Az Traced; but his admirers cla "
%u ut SS,,;n SV tSIs interval, he visited the
region Of 0nondaga, New YORK. w avlSa0i
" "U ~ = branch Of the Ohio, and, thread
T inv n, a. course 10 the main atlluent lie ae,
lns ~ S" "o Isr Al least rs tho Falls OF the
s Ohio. below Louisville, when, his guide
Gessrtinr him, he was compelled 10 &c,
" ,soco his course alone. On the earliest
man. mans The Ohiois called the Olaboukigou
" cpyr,inted into 0uabache (Wabash)-
the meaning Of which Is unknown bul
hi, name Is now applied to one o. us
nrincipal tributaries, which trayerses, IN
southwesterly direction, nearly the Whole
Stale of Indiana. The carly French voy'
srellrs called the Ohio LA Belle Rlyiere
pThe Beautiful River. The name Ohio
according to Heckewalder, tho Moraylar
missionary, Is derived from the Indian
word Ohiopekianne, signifying very
white stream, in reference to tue Wnlts
cans which diversity its usually placid
surface when RULED by strong wind
but subsequently explorers found 1t con-
yenient to drop the three ultimate sylla'
lies, for ease Of pronunciation. 1t Is, In
deed beautiful stream; not that It's
waters arc pure and crystalline, but the
hills which border the intervals have a
rounded outline and are covered with n
forest verdure so diversified as at once to
Arrest tho attention oil the tourist. The
area Of It's basin Is not less than 2l4 600
square miles, and the first settlement OF
English extraction upon this basin was
made within the memory of living men.
Since then there has been u develop
ment Of material wealth in this region un-
surpassed in the previous annals Of the
human race. The great cities of Pitts
bnrgh, Cincinnati and Louisville have
been founded upon its banks, and rest
less, energetic people have established
homes upon It's remOtest tributaries. In
the early days of colonization, the Ohio
was the great artery Of communication
with tue outside world. During the win
ter, Observation-Disclosures con-
structCd on the banks Of the principal
tributaries, and as soon as the icy letters
were unlOOsed they were launched and
loaded, and, availing themselves Of the
Spring freshets, pursued their way to the
distant market Of New Orleans. This,
indeed, was the only market. In the
course Of time came railroads, which have
wrought an entire change in the com.
merce of the country, and rendered the
navigation OF the Ohio OF secondary i'm
pOTtanCe, at least so far Us relates to pas
Tenger movement and of those articles
which possess concentrated value,
Eighty years Of settlement have, also, cs.
sentially changed the character of the
river ITSELF AS the sources Of its feeders
become disrObed Of their forests, and the
low grounds drained for the purpose o
cultivation, the Spring frcshcts carry of
at once the superintendent waters, and
there succeed long intervals in which the
navigation OF the main river is practically
suspended. Old residents upon It's banks
wonder why 1t no longer moves with a
nearly cquable flow. A mysterious power
apparently operating 10 change its reg.
linen. In fact, trees with their lea(y can.
Oy not only COndenso the floating
Mpors, causing them to descend in fertil.
ling showers, but they retard the circula-
ton Of the atmosphere, and consequently
prevent evaporation. SwampS are moth.
Ing more than great spOnges placed at the
Aeads Of streams, and capable of absorb.
Ing large bodies of water, slowly 10 be
given Oft. Now, when you fell the trees
and drain the swamps over a river basin,
the river itself will no longer move with
anearly equabletloOl. And such is the
case with the Ohio.
The hydraulics of this stream are given
BY Humphreys and Abbot, in their great
work upon the Physics Of the Mississippi
Valley; and that l may not lay myself
under the imputation of misrepresenting
Tue precarlouSneSs Of It's navigation, l will
Gondense their statements. The Ohio,
iOrmed by the junction OF the Mononga.
GeIa and Allegheny, Is 075 miles in length.
with the exception Of the "Falls" at
Louisville, where itSescends 90 feet in
lhrce miles, it flows throughout its entire
course with a gentle current. It's bars,
PARTICULARLY 10 It's lower course, are com.
posed OF shifting sands; and this fact is
memorable to every one who, like nv.
IslI has been "stuck" upon those Of
french Island and Scutiletown Rapids.
10 range between low and high water
about 40 feet. Its least low water
GHeplA on the bars, from the mouth 10
Tadlcah, is about 80 feet; thence 10
Louisville, 10 feet; thence to Cincinnati.
;;Vleel and thence to Wheeling, 10 foot,
Ny early recolleCtions of the navigation
W lals stream, before the days OF the tele.
graph, are these: The captain Of E river
steamer lifted TO run on n "heavy dew"
NouIG moor his craft on the river bank
anu plant single TO the shore line and
SslCa tue rising OF the waters to de-
T TIe whether it were safe TO proceed
' aa1' ShlnlgIe formed, in fact, a barometer,
' 'uu a rise OF two inches dinused ioy
Iaoas Tue passengers, q prelude Of what
was 10 come. The Nilometer Is not more
, ,hhsnIly watched by the dusky Egyptian,
nCe Vs. '"i 'i'"'reo
w ~ February, on the breaking IN Of the
W TLm!er' The first rise usually occurs.
' SIlsa Is 10 or ID feet greaer than any
S SSE., IhC average Spring rise is about
t %US'M l9e mouth, and high water con.
S "uaSs lor SIX weeks, The next rise, the
, ,Ii,est OF the three, is in May or June,
At T rs 7 uuG 10 the Summer rains, and lasts
%Sato iIlree Or four weeks, md one or
i I0,, weeks at Louisville. Next, is the
SS A.. i rise, commencing in Novcm.
AL S' which, however, is moi to DO deepen.
GCI o,opon. The river is always low in
Jrs@Oef-at o time when the inhabitants
S ,spa ~. Us borders wish to lay in their win
,%SrSSssuppIy oil coal. In August and Sep,
IL SaGet, 1t Is only naYigable for boats d
y inches dranuht Tt T.oo,ns oI,,,,i