The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-11-03
the sKELEroN RIVER.

l
DrouIh-The Davis Island Dam-Har
Dor Fees.
Pitttbargh Dispatch.
"when did you ever know OF river
depression TO equal this2"
ave had one ia 1855 that lasted till the
10Th Of April. There was but little rain
In the fall, not enough to amount TO much
for coal shipping, SO that the drouth sCtu-
ally continued from the summer rise Of
1855 till the following April. There were
about twenty-five inches Of Ice in the
pools in The spring, but II never broke up.
II justmelted away-.honey scombed; grad
ually disappeared. There was not enough
water coming down to break It up"
1.-THE result must have been pretty bad
on people down the river who needed
coal"
SHOT 50 bad as 1t would be in these
days. Coal went up 10 forty cents bar.
rel, but It was that high In Cincinnati
sinCe-in 1867. In those early days, time
o. the long drouth in 1855, there was
plenty Of wood down below. Before the
war the country down that way was much
better tlmbered than now, SO there was
not a fuel famine. There was not 80
much manufacturing in the country as
now. That makes great difference"
what caused the forty.Cent coal in
Cincinnati in 1867? Was that another
boss drouthp
"No. They might have got coal
enough down the fall before, but IL was
time when we were trying TO draw in
from the war initiation. We concluded
things were too high, and were trying to
cut down expenses in every way. The
dealers down below thought the price
was bound to hall, and that they would
have plenty of time to lay in winter
stock at cheap rates, but the river fell and
they didn't get their coal till the following
spring"
Continued?"
"The last shipments started down about
the first Of August"
Meeting another river gentleman, one
who was known as an old opponent Of the
Davis Island dam, he was asked II there
would be much opposition TO that project
this year. He said there would not be
much If any from Pittsburgh. THE fact
L" he continued, "this low stage OF water
has convinced great many who did not
believe 1t before, that We need a harbor
here. II we had water now, so that we
could move aroundi into the Allegheny,we
might be getting ready for a rise, but as 1t
is we cannot do anything. After all, II
they can make these wickets work, can't
see that the dam will hurt coal. tleetmuch.
The only thing to be feared is that II the
wickets fail they will make solid dam OF
II, and that would be serious obstacle 10
the passage OF tow"
Wouldn't the harbor prove compen.
sation for that?"
"Fdon't know but it would. Here's an
outrage. The city Compels us to pay
wharfage fees now Just as at any other
time and there Is not water enough to
float our boats. Plenty Of them are
aground at both ends and in danger OF
breaking in two for want OF water to hold
them up, but the fees are collected all the
same"
"What do the fees amount to?"
g They tax US by the ton. II costs as
high as SIS or SIG for the larger boats.
The rate ranges all the way from So up to
SIG for steamer. It is an outrage that
the city should be collecting $4,000 or
$4,000 year from the steamboats, that
touch at the wharf. If you only put a
plank out to take on some stores for the
boats officers and crew, and shove out
again, you are obliged to pay for month.
Is that right? At the same time the rail-
road occupies third of the wharf on this
side, and never pays cent for 1t. Al
most all OF the remainder Is controlled by
one or two combinations OF boatmen, and
outsiders haven't fair chance. The fact
is, Councils, make use Of the wharf to "a.
vor their friends. The land along the
river was donated when the city was laid
out for public wharf, and the city ought
not to charge more fees than would be Just
enough to Keep it in repairs. You drive
trade away from the city by extortionate
Wharfage fees levied on steamboats,. l
don't suppose we will ever get any relief,
however, till the Davis Island dam is COM
pleted. Then coal men will go away from
the wharf to their own landings"