Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-03-15
Improvement of the Maumee River.

preparation be made and the work Of deepening
the channel be performed, II will materially in.
crease the shipping facilities Of Perrysburg
while Maumee will possess advantages Of which
Tor more than twenty. Eve years she has beet
wholly deprived. By means Of the river navi
CATION which thus would be extended to the Mau
m 70 bridge, cheap facilities would be afforded
our neighbors across the river for the receipt o
raw material entering into their manufactures
and also cheap and ready means for sending Of
their manufactured products.
In this matter the Hon. E. D. PEcK has ae,e,
for the best interests Of his constilu ents and III
improvement, if effected, Of which there arc oon
Hlent expectations will co nfer great benefits up
on each town and the couatry in proximity Il
| them.
The following is the onlci.l report Of The Sur
vey
Report upon he survey Of Hpumse River, Oiio
made in purHuanes Of instructions from n
Cbief of E,yine'r', United Sidt,' Army, dat
Hiy 10, 1871.
U s. Engineer OMce Improvement Of II rrbors,
Lake Erie, West of Dunkirk, ~ Y \
Buffalo, New York, Oct. 0, 1911
The survey " as commenced in May. and com
pleted in June, 1871. The part Of the rive
embraced in the survey extends from the wooder
bridge at Maumee, Ohio, to the railroad bridge
at Tule o, Ohio, distance Of nine miles by III,
| channel. The survey was not extended bevunC
Maumee, as the rapids are met with short dis
| tance above the BRIDGE which bar the further
| navigation OF the river. The towns to be es
| pecially benefited by the improve nent of III,
river are Maumee and Perrysburg, situated OF
| opposite banks one mile apart from wharf I,
| wharf.-the former nine, aud the latter eigh
miles from Toledo, Ohio They are both smNl
towns, an6 contain each less than two thousanC
! inha htants, but from their location and tn,
! nm, ,ber Of their manufactures In active opera
| ton, vt, water and rai,rnad facilities, proms,
to he places o, sonis considerable manufacturing
importance.
Maumee has three -four. mills, two psper mills
one plow factory, one cultivatp, factory, one oi
mill aud tanusry, and one woo-factory. Per-vs
burg has one -four mill, tw planning mills, one
saw-mill, two staye and barrel factories, one
| box-fae.ory, one bowl-factory, one paper mill
: ~ue tannery, and two wagon factories. AZ nei.
/ IN. '-oe is port OF entry, and as Toledo the
rest nor, rec -ss credit for all shipm 'nts nc
accurate statements Of imports .."d exp%ti
could be acquired; but the ;mper isct estimates
received from reliable parties show that tne : :,
towns are thriving and euterprisng, and that
eft ed by an improvement of the river, which
would enable vessels Of deep draught to reach
their wharves.
Al Maumee bridge. where the town wharf is
situated, the river is 600 feet wide. with depth
Of 4 to feet Of water, lowest stage since 1885.
II is thought well 70 state here that all my sound
inRS are referred 10 lowest water since 1885,
which is two feet and half below ordinary low
water From the bridge to point about 800
yards below, the river maintains a nearly uni
form width, but the depth Of water varies from
to rs feet. Bare rocks forms the bsttom, with
here and there & thin covering Of few inches Of
sanj and c,arse gravel. From this point TO
EwinQ's Island the water shoals rapidly to two
feet aud seven inches, t26 Ewing's Island
formerly divided the river into t~o branches Of
nearly equal capacity, that on the north side be-
ing the more direct and giving the better water.
In 1904 a side-cnt tn the river was made
from tie Wabash and Erie Canal, and an en-
bal ament to protect IFS debouche was run across
the nnI.h channel to what was then called Grape
Island. a sn:9ll triAngularly shaped island, ly-
ing at the head of Ewing's Island, and once
forming A mart OF 'hat island, but, at the time
ref rrcd to, separates flHn il by narrow water
way. The effect of this eHabankment was TO
destroy Grape Island almos. com"leteIy, and TO
fll up the north channel ALI that r,:nalns OF
Grape Island In the south channel is low grav-
ely shOal that connects with the small rem, in
feet in length BY 100 in width, and is visible at
low water. The south channel runs between
the shoal and Ewing's Island, a"d has an av-
erage width there of 200 feet. and an average
depth Of 3lH feet Of water. Ewing's Island is
oval shaped, 1906 yards in length and 900 in
width On the north side; for oue-Aaf the water
front Of Maumee the channel has been so con-
raeted by accumulation that it is little else than
a deep marsh.
BOrngs were taken 10 both channels, and rock
was found atno point at less depth than 6l1
feet. Those especially Interested in the pros.
perty Of Maumee, desire to have the embank-
ment protecting the debouche Of the canal cut
and the north channel dredged out
this work would require the removal. exclusive
Of the ombrnkment, Of 1900 cubic yards Of
sand, in cut g. 600 feet lnng, so feet wide, and
feet deep. The emblnkmeut, which contains !
about 5000 cubic yards, was constructed by |
the State, and as the filling Of the north channel
Is due to ii alone, its removal and the dredging |
ofthe injured channel would seem to be a State |
affair. The south channel has good water ek-
cept at and near the head of Ewing's Island, |
and would recommend that it be so improved
that vessels drawings feet can reach the wharf
at Maumee at low stage. This will require the
Of 10000 cubic yards Of sand and grav-
Ell, in cat 2,70O feet long, so feet wide and
lset deep. The next point to which special at
lenilon was given, was Rocky Bar, nue mile De-
low Ewings Island. II extends from Jennisou's
Bend to Marengo Island. a distance OF 1000
yards; at tue former point the stream is 400 I
Yards wide and at the latter 800. Bare rock /
nnderlies the channel from shore to shore fer
.he entire distance, but near the axis have not
'ound by sonndings that it appears at less
depth than o11 feet, low stage, and then only at
one point. This bar is not an obstruction to
navigation, though it is frequently spoken of as
such vessels drawing feet find no difficulty
in crossing il st ordinary low stage.
Leaving Rocky Bar, the channel passes on
north side Of Marengo Island, and thence, with
TO feet OF water, low stage, to Delaware
Flats, one mile below. These fats consist Of
pure sanu uu1 s..'yel to depth of feet Below
his, borlngs revealed rock. Al this point the
iiream is very wide sRd contains a group OF
Stands, six in number, fur the south side,
'nd two on the north side. The shoalest water
,ver the flats is found opposite Eagle Point.
in0d water Tor the passage Of vessels drawing
feet can be obtained by the removal of 10 900
'ubic yards of material, in a cut 3 600 feet long,
70 feet wide, and 4 feet deep. Fom Della
ware Flats To Toledo railroad bridge, distance
II three miles, the channel is wide and well
marked, and there is sufficient water for ves-
'el drawing as much as 10 feet.
From the foregoing 1t will b. seen that, In or
Ter to give full feet Of water, ordinary low
lage, from Toledo railroad bridge to the wharf
u Maumee, Ohio. it will only be necessary tn
emove 20 900 cubic yards of sand ami gravel
rom the south channel at Ewing's Island, and
O,000 cubic Yards from Delaware Flats. II Is
believed that this IN tterial can be removed for
70 cents per cubic yard, which would make the
otal cost Of the improvement 81 600. after al
owing $1,000 for inspection and minor expendit-
Tres necessary in the prosecution Of the work
Respectfully Submitted.
Captain of EigIssrI.