Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-03-21
IMPROVEMENT OF THE MONONGA.
HELA RIVER

An intimation has come from Wash
ingtOn that the Committee on Com
merce would decline to recommend an
appropriation for completing the inn
provcment of the Monongahela river TO
MorgantOwn.
Such action, if cOncurred in by Con-
gress, would greatly embarrass and Grip
pie the industries of that section Of the
State, which are dependent, solely, upon
this stream for an outlet to market.
1t would be in the nature Of repudia-
ting q promise by the National Govern
ment upon which large business inter
ests have been relying aud calculating
for some time past, and which
they have a right to expect and demand
shall be fulfilled.
The situation is this: The federal
Government has already begun and
expended considerable amount in the
prosecution of this work. For reasons
not necessary to be explained in detail,
the Government beganits Improvements
at the wrong end-Or at the upper end
of the works instead of at the lower end.
Three dams and locks were necessary
to render the river nayigable from the
point where the works of the Monon-
gahela Navigation Company end, to
the objective point at MOrgantOwn. The
National Government has constructed,
ut very great expense, the third one OF
these dams, that is, the one nearest
MOrgantOwn, leaving all intervening
space of several miles between the latter
dam and the next one below, which is
not navigable.
OF course this dam is of no service I'M
til the two intermediate dams are con-
structed. On the contrary il IS great
obstruction to the Use of the river. Boats
might Use the water above it, but can
not get there except during high water,
and if they did get there, would have to
stay if the water should run down be-
lore they got out.
Here, therefore, we have q valuable
work, costing the government, We be-
lieve, from onehundred and fifty to two
hundred thousand dollars, which is of
no service to anybody, is set down there
in the river to be battered to pieces by
the ice and debris carried against it by
the floods, and which is hindering rath-
er than promoting the business 1t was
designed to foster; and the proposition
which the committee on commerce IS
understood to be contemplating IS, to al.
low this condition of things to remain
for an indefinite time while the whole
section of the State adjacent to the up
per Monongahela is waiting and suffer-
ing for the completion of the work which
the government has not only promised
but guaranteed by the obstruction it has
already put in the river.
That section of the State has no OUT
let except by the MOnongahela river.
There is not a single line of railroad
north of the Baltimore and Ohio, which
latter touches the river only near its
source st FairmOnt. The entire banks
of the river from the present head Of
navigation to MOrgantOwn and on up
to the railroad at FairmOnt, are freighted
with valuable timber, underlaid with
inexhaustible resources of coal, ores, and
other commodities, as well as a variety
of business interests all of which are
waiting and whitening on account of
the delay in completing this important
work.
The Davis Island Dam at Pittsburgh
has received its appropriation in adj
vance of the regular appropriation bill;
the works on the kanawha river are to
De provided for without stint or delay;
many other less important projects of
the general Government will be taken
care Of without question or bubble; yet
this, one of the most pressing and de
serving projects under patronage of the
National Government any where in the
country, is to be postponed for some
more favored section. We trust that
our Representatives in Congress will
see to 1t that this injury shall not be
inflicted uDOn ono section pf tho State