The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-11-10
THE OHIO RIVER.

Taik with Capt. Dillon on Engineer
ElIel's Plan Of Keeping up u NaVIgRbIt
Stage Of WRteF-Icc HRFbOrS.
ille Ohio river at present seems moro
Ike an overgrown creek than stream
which most OF the year Is nayigable by
the largest steamboats,. From the latter
ust Of August it has receded and receded,
until lately one would suppose that moth.
iup would be left Of ii but small trickling
tieam, not even aspiring to the dignity
Of ahealthy brook. The "oldest inhabi.
uut," Of course, remembers when it was
lower. He always does recollect some past
event that eClipses present unusual oc-
eurence, whether 1t Is big snow storm,
naoOd, a severe winter, or o protracted
drought. The "oldest" being consulted
!ora parallel to the present drought, gives
itn his opinion that "Lhe like has never
been seen since 1885, when the river at
,hispoint was iveand one-quarter inches" "
Thelowest stage reached since then was
in 1888, when the river fell to eighteen
inches, which is about the same point as
Gtpresent.
To remember the Ohio River at a swell
tide, and look upon the dreary waste OF
numerous bars now exposed to view, and
70 see men fording it ut some points al
most dry shod, starts one to thinking how
tispossible by artificial means to keep
pasuiliCiert stage OF water for purposes Of
navigation. The distress which the present
drought is entailipg upon the poorer peo.
pie South is enough to quicken some mind
With plan that will remedy the trouble.
The causes 10 which are attributable the
frequent recurrence Of droughts in the
Ohio Valley are familiar to every reader.
When the star OF empire was rapidly
pushing its course westward, and the fer.
tile valleys Of the Ohio were being dotted
with towns and villages, and the march OF
civilization towards a new center OF popu.
lation, was telling the vast forests that
capped the hills, and the undergrowth
along the banks was being cleared away
by the husbandman, it was predicted then,
that as the magnets OF the clouds were dis.
appearing, rains would be few and fur be-
tween, and when they did fall, the ground,
unsheltered from the sun, would not re.
tain the moisture long enough to supply the
necessities OF the river. All these are well.
known and oft repeated explanations OF
the mystery OF droughts. 1t IS now in the
province Of man to set about thinking ola
plan which will avert the present calamity
10 the future. Can it be done?
While straying alongthe levee the other
dsY, q reporter for the INTELLIGEHCRR fell
in with Captain William Dillon, OF the
Phnton, m old and travelled river man;
one who is eonversant with the waters OF
the country from tho source of the Ale
gheny to the deltas of the Mississippi.
We did not make any effort at an extend
ed interview, but the question OF the low
stage Of water being brought up by the
paucity Of its appearance, we asked the
Captain whether he expected this long
night Of drought TO break soon? He said
be expected that we would have slight
swell in the river. It was rising little
then-2bout an inch in twenty-iour hours.
"Have you any recollection, Captain" I"
NE asked, ''of similar dry spells?"
"Oh, yes. In 1885 there was scarcely
Eve inches and q quarter on Wheeling
bar. remember OF crossing to Ohio in a
wagon with very small wheels, and We
made the trip without the wagon floating.
In 1888 it was again very low, the marks
indicating less than eighteen inches.
"DO you think the river is changing
auy?"
"Yes, tits. have been about the water
the greater part Of my life, and have OBJ.
served itclosely. Ten years ago the Ohio
river was bigger than it is to-day. lean
see that it is gradually coming back to Its
old bed, and the stream is growing mar.
rover and the channel deeper"
"As the Ohio Is such an important high
way, Captain, don't you think some
measures ought TO be taken looking to
keeping up navigable stage during
dronghls like the PRESENT."
"Yes, there ought to be some reserve to
draw on in a case like the present."
"What do you think Of Ellet's plan?"
az consider it entirely feasible. II we
had those reservoirs up the Allegheny that
he sut yested, We could have here to-day al
least tiy,. feet Of water"
For the benefit OF the reader we will give
4 synopsis OF Ellets plan for keeping up
the stage OF v 'ater at this point to Ave feet,
In speaking OF floods Of the Ohio river,
Engineer ElIet says:
TO control a tlo cd and render 1t harm.
less, We must retain in reservoirs the vol.
ume Of water which ~ in excess Of great
food. A rise OF 25 lest, says Ellet, is a
flood which, at Wheeling. Is shown by ex'
perience to cause but little damage. The
difference, therefore, between the dis.
chGrge Of the river when at 25 feet, and
the actual discharge for whatever period
the height rules above 25 feet, Is the vol
ume TO ha retained 10 render the flood en-.
tlIely hAraless.
To make = practical application OF the
facts, We will take the flood Of March,
lAl, when the greatest height was thirty
one feet, which, because OF its long CON
tinuanCe, would have been the most diff
cult to control OF all the freshets that have
occurred, although there have been in
stances when the height Of the water hal
been greater for a brief period. The roc
'ords furnish the information that the tota
discharge during the nine days Of high
water was l5S, 1854, ,O0O, 600 cubic feet. Thil
ls the entire volume OF water which pasSet
down the river while the height Of It's sur
lace was more than twenty-five feet upor
tSe Wheeling bar. But to have KEEP
this flood down to twenty-five feet al
the time, wo need to have rstsiped th
excess Of the discharge over and abov
the quantity which would hay
been vented during the same perioC
Gta25 feet stage. The diurnal disrhsrg
o. the Ohio, when there Is 25 feet In th
channel, is 1876, 100000 cubic ieeti an,
TIE total discharge for these nine day
SSSnld have been, at that depth, ia, ,7es
OOOO00 cnhiC fact Tho dffTaFancA hE