The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-09-07
NATIONAL BOARD OF STEAM
NAVIGATION.
Practical Suggestions About RIr.
er Improvements.
The Falls OF the Ohio at Louis.
vile. 81 p
The Jetty.systc,n Recommended.


HARRISBURG, Pa, September 5.-Th
Convention Of the National Board O
Steam Navigation met this morning at /
o'clock. Capt. d. S. Osborn, Recordin
Secretary, submitted his report for 1877
which, on motion, was accepted and flee
Capt. Sherlock, from the Executiv
Committee, in his report submitted an
stated that no progress has been made 10
ward obtaining the legislation require,
for the relief OF the steam navigation in
terests Of the United States. The com
mittee earnestly recommend that a yigor
Gus effort be made at the coming sesSio
Of Congress with all the influence Of thos
composing the National Board to secur
the amendments 10 the steamboat laW
sought for the past six years. fi Z .
Captain Copeland offered an amend
ment TO Mr.. Gould's resolution Of yester
day, which requires that matlerS.oi loca
interest, though general in their charac
acter, when brought before the Boar
shall be referred to a special com mite
Of five members, selected because Of thei
familiarity with all the facts and conii
tions surrounding the matter presented
The amendment also provides for gen
eral committee Of FIVE to consider the re
ports Of special committees. The amend
meut was adopted.
Capt. Brown submitted the report o
the Committee on tue propriety o
removing the rocks and widening tn
channel at Louisville, Ky. The Commit
tee consider it practical and in ever,
way advantageous to the marine interest
OF the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers anI
their tributaries, by giving ianI adequate
depth Of water and offering NOR,
speedy and safe transit through dan
gerOus part Of the river between tn,
northern and southern ports. The COS
OF this most necessary Improvement the
Committee estimated would not exceet
$4,000.
Captain Varble, Of Louisville, stated
that the committee had had draft pre-,
pared, showing the improvements sug,
gesled to the falls. He referred to the
fact that the pilots had at their own ex.
pense widened the channel to 40 feet. i
isProPosed to remove the side ledges o
the falls, thus widening the channel l3t
feet. He called attention TO the fac! that
frequently On a run boats are detained a,
the falls from forty-eight to sixty hourt
at grea! expense, and il this improve,
ment Is made boats can pass over The
fallswlthout the slightest delay. -
Relative to the method to be pursued
in obtaining means TO make these in
prOvements, there is now in the fund
from the receipts of tolls at the canal
$4,000, and he believed il Gen. Weitze.
is consulted, advantage MAJ. be taken ol
the present low water 10 secure the I'M
provements 10 the falls.
Capt. Z. W. Gould said he hoped some
delegates interested in.the navigation o.
the Mississippi river would present i
plan for the improvement OF that great
highway. sur
Capt. John F. bravo and Gen. J. X
Moorhead spoke OF the success OF the
Eld's jetty system, and the latter said he
wanted the system introduced up tht
Mississippi as far as CaIro. He agreed
with Capt. Gould that the Mississippi
should be improved from the mouth oI
the Missouri TO New Orleans, and said
he believed this could be done only by the
jetty system. r-.rssr
Capt. r. H. Woolialk offered resolu
ton for the appointment Of committed
OF five to take into consideration thC
question OF the improvement Of the Mis-
sissippi river from the mouth Of the Mis-
souri, river 10 New Orleans in accordance
with the suggestion Of Capt. Gould. The
resolution was adopted and the chairman
appointed Capts. E. W. Gould, John A
Bo6nger, John P. Keim, OF st. Louis, n
N. Jones, Of Memphis, and Geo. a. Kerk
Of New Orleans.
Mr.. Robert Semple offered the follow
ing resolution, which was adopted:
Resotved, That a committee of Eve bC
appointed 70 consider the practicabihty
and probable expense Of removing tht
bars in the Ohio river which interfere
with navigation, and report to the BOarC
at its next annual meeting.
Captain Varble presented the follow
ing resolution, which was adopted.
Reot1ed, That II Is the INDIGNANT OF III,
National Board Of Steam Navigation
that the present charges for licenses tc
officers OF steam vessels are unfair anc
onerous, and that the Executive Commit
tee be instructed to use its best efforts iol
their reduction.
Mr.. II. W. Hart, Of St. Louis, offered
the following: 49,.
ResOEred, That the lighthouse service
as adopted on our Western rivers is o.
indispensable service TO the interests O
navigation, and the Convention earnestly
recommend to Congress that the appro
priation to this branch OF the public ser
vice shall be proportioned to each dis
trict.
The resolution was adopted.
Mr.. Hart explained that the Govern
ment was about to make some change,
which would be adverse to navigation, ant
which would likely be prevented by thu
timely action Of the National Board.
AT $50 the Board adjourned until 8 P
N. 80
The Board met again at 8 o'clock, ant
the resolution offered by General Negley
calling Tor a committee Of three to inyes
tigate the Light and signal service as nov
applied to lake and river navigation, ant
report such suggestions as will improvl
the service, was taken up and adopted
and the Chair named as such conmitte,
Gen. Negley, Henry II. Hart and X. S
Semple. .s 2 q, ,
Captain R. S. Semple offered a resolu
tiOn providing for the holding Of the mex
annua! meeting at the Grand Hotel, Gin
cinnatl. Mr.. Sherlock said that hereto,
fore he had never urged Cincinnati as III,
place OF meeting. Heretofore they hal
nothing 10 show but the Spring Grow
cemetery and the Lunatic Asylum; bu
they had now some other amusenents AM
would heartily welcome the Board. Th
resolution was adopted.
After eulogy on deceased members o
the Board, the thanks Of the Board wer
rendered the citizens generally Tor thei
hospitality, and TO Mr.. Crassau for tn
use oil the rooms where the Board wa
Capt Gould made few remsrks OF
appropriations and besought members t
use all their influence with their Congress
men to secure large appropriations 70
river Improvement. -F
Col. Sebronmaker offered a resolution
Of thanks to the officers Of the Board
which VIVA adontaJ TE.G -