New-York tribune., 1878-10-12
THE FRENCH DAM AT PITTSBURG.
AN IMPORTANT NATIONAL WORK.


AN IMPORTANT NATIONAL WORK.
THE ORIGIN OF TIE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES by
CoNGREss-CHARACrER OF THE WORk-IHE
LARGEST CANAL LOCK IN THE WORLD.
tyRoN AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT THE TRIBUER.l
PTTsBURG, Sept. 16.-There Is at this time
in PIttsburg much interest concerning National
work which has been begun in tho ONO
River, six miles below the city This WORK
Is the French or UhamOln Dam, to the subject OF winch
Congress has, various times during the past few
years, given attention. but whose construction
has been, from various impedimens' ueiabeu
until the past Summer. 1t is intended that this
DAM which is modelled after the peculiar system OF
dams employed in tle rivers Of France, and which
is the first OF its kind TO attempted large scale In
this country shall the immediate purpose OF To-
cal Improvement TO the City OF PttsOnrg, forming SACK
water In the rivers which unite here 10 make the
Oho and eating harbor miles Ia longth, with AT
least of throughout the year Toe second
AIRY interest OF the work-the experimental Cne-is now
ever by far tue greater aud 1t looking to this that tue
recent arrya here OF Government engineers, Colo
nels Merrill AMI Mahan for the purpose OF making an
actual beginning OF the DAM mas reawakencd IN this 10
caIty which ~ the headquarters OF the commercial IN
teress affected by the improvement the excited dSou5-
sipns which from time 10 time for several years past
have place before Congressional committees over
the proposition .Orits construction.
IT, when com peted the dam succeeds 10 all the respects
I'm which a dam may bo assumed success. 1t Is
undoubtedly des ined 10 be only the first OF series oi
similar dams extending from the head waters ot the
OHIO e. its mouth converting the river at low tide,
throu ghOut 900 miles OF length from PttsbuFg 10
Caro- into locked canal and chang ng the character
and direction ~ OF tire most important commereal
interests OF the West and South. While the wrAngle
goes on here between mouopOnes which threatened
and interests which hope for Advancement through the
buiIdmg of this Government work, description Ot the
French dam md the history OF its introduction into one
of the largest Of American rivers, will have public
interest
The cynical John Randolph, who, like Sidney Smiths
qucrulous bishop Ould have spoken dIsrespcctfy OF
the equator said Of the Ohio River. that II dried
up one hnli Of the year and frozen mp the nal
From Jonu Raudophs time TO this. the question Of some
imprJvcmenl Of this river which would make 1t at all
Seasons naygnble has been National one. Four wears
ago Major W. H. Merrill Of the United states Engineers.
VINO for past mas had the supcrIhtend
cnre of Government expenditures In Oho nnd who bad
cXbau-tcd the study of euginccruG devices Tor the
substantial aud permanent imrnNemrnt OF this liver
recommended to CJnErr.s tle cNpodcht OF hyuI ,ulc
ga.cs and movable dams. the scheme ~ which ne APP
rlied TO European rivers, he bat in,i examine IN
France This cNpcdicut met with violent opp'sltnh
rom various sources, especially trom the reprcsenia
lives OF tho Ilrg, coal dealers tn. city, who nppro
hrndrd that Their lh'c e-ts u, u"uihI unu"Iu'l1,5
would suffer through system or improvements
which should make their business upon the river ac-
cessibie tn small iTaiers The opposition naturally WAS
blsrd upon general arguments, bni such was It's
UTla a
mttoos Consdrrlnt IN" snnl cl, CohEresr aPptn-
priaf'd, thrre yelrs ago. Sl'hOOO Tor the CON
strucInn of the frat French dam ~ the Onio
Riy-r Improvement 10 tue hathor fHd to ne Ciy
Z" Ptsburg ~" appropriation ncih2 cohl ne ~, now
Commonwealth Of irnmliH iHahn oI ai s.ale "u,L'Il
over the impToyum. ut Tns cone sion was made last
Winter by the Governor and General Assembly ot the
aatc. with hc result above saca Al the last s.ssloh
al Cun.Trss additional 800 900 vas appropriated To
b.. expended under the direction OF the War Department
Tor the nIuToVomrut ni mo Ohi" RIVER ana liom Tue
mere ll' determination 10 devote me 1FIcI
par OF ths aIhropruuou 10 the construction Of tais
The rrcnany oi the French dam is that Is the dam
~ low lids TIat-i, 10 Is the Gam which + set uD
against the stream when the stream Ia low. dtyeIng
10, water into I1ck. afer the manner OF canal aud
river allow Ing Navigation 60 piss over II IN It's usual
n" dt.u j. gdr"d 80. I.' 'isd ny means oI
Tile of the canal j. opruri aud closed bv hvdtauhc
I"wor operated ironi gshnio tahh at ah erFtloh on
received fnr name of Ch.m0n, ator its inventor, Is
sinn,y An ord series uf wooden wukets from iuur
To s.x feet width, and rom ten 10 hfesu In length.
placed side sIdr on end on stone platform NJ an
an. c of eighty drrrre, (fIun che torzunt ID
river bed. Each wicket ~ lt faces the stream ba5
bel ind n Cas-rOn prop, whose lOwrncni - adjusted
when the dam Is up In hurtcr cato at the head OF
"a slide the platform OF tue structure along which II
Jr lowered ~ pleasure. the wicke falling with us
prop; tie whole dam being lot by degrees accord
ing the nccussiy made By the rising wafer sucn -
tho character of the dan which is everywhere omplbyrd
for tAc Improvement Ot the low tide Of France
which converts the 5aOne, the Meuse the Marne, the
Yunue and the Os into nayglbc slack water ANA the
Seine from It's head wat RS To Roucn into a canal.
Tue dam to be- constructed on this Irlucpe IN the
Ohio River here Ptburg, s ~ the largest OF ts
kind the main dam beiug LOO feet IN length and com
posed Of 200 wick t. The lock will be- no largest m the
world. IL will have width of 40 ieot, and viii admit
the passage In bulA OF entire coal II ct. The EN-
gineers have the work ~ charRc announce their
intention 10 prosecute II WIN sucn energy as TO COM
pete IL within year Colonel Manan, VINO Is stationed
mere Immediate supOTntndcnCe Oi tns Improvement,
aud who q, Intimately familiar with the operation
Of tho CnamOIn system OF dims In France,
has saked his professional reputation upon toe sCress
OF the present work ASSERTING th@t &c ners - no more
doubt Of tLc event than OF the aiy oi SOFA loot ot
iron 70 bear up n silver eagle" IT, wben the work Is
completed aud tred Congress decides 10 adopt tne
ten the permanent eluunt o. th0 ono RIVER
probably not less than $4,000 900 will bo required
convert thrOncu THIS means whole lcngtB, at low
tide INTO urYIgaDlc slack water The enterprise
C,iyrs large hterest from the act mat It Is
National one and the time, the Introduction OF
foreign enginceruO device for the improvement OF one
OF the most important Of American rivers.