The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-03-24

None under present law.
Major Merrill goes on to say: The uues-
ton Of the kind of bridge that should be
erected across the Ohio river has two sides,
the commercial and the engineering, aud
an intelligent dibusSion OF the proposed
law requires that both OF these sides should
be fairly presented Immediately, therefore.
upon the receipt Of the bill in question,
sent copies OF the same to all OF the repre-
sentative commercial bodies OF the Ohio
NaIley,requesting an expression Of opinion
as TO its provisions. enclose herewith the
replies received, from the Joint Committee
Of the Chamber OF Commerce and the Cosl
Exchange, Of Pittsburgh; from the E0afd
OF Trade oil Gallipolis, and the Board Of
OF Trade, OF Cincinnati, concurred in by
the Chamber Of Commerce, and from the
Louisville Board Of Trade. The conclu.
sion OF these Boards may be concisely
stated as follows.
The river. interests Of Pittsburgh state
that the form OF low draw.bridges is ndvia.
able under any circumstances. They rec.
Ommend that the present law be so
changed as to require that all bridges shall
have two clear openings OF 500 feet each,
and height above high-water Of iorty.tive
feet
The rirer interests OF Gallipolis wholly
condemn low draT.bridges, but approve OF
the high bridge with 400 feet spans.
The river interests OF Cincinnati like
wise uncquivocaffy condemn the second
alternative in the proposed act; the low
duw.bridge, but approved the proposition
10 increase the height OF draE.bridgcs, the
hiGh.water draw, provided the channel
opening be increased TO 500 feet. They
think, however, that height Of Sixty-two
feet above lligh-water iS unnecessary, and
that height OF fity-three feet would
answer every need d navigation.
The river interests Of louisville object to
any change in the present law and special.
~ condemn the low drGw-bridge.
Before proceeding further it is advisable
to give n brief description Of the leading
kinds Of navigation on the Ohio rs the
adap,ability Of any style OF bridge 10 the
habits Of navigation cannot be determined
until the characteristics OF that navigation
are understood Probably the most i'm.
pOrtNnt river interest upon the Ohio is the
transportation OF coal. Although the t0tai
value OF the coal transported is small Is
compared with that Of other shipments By
river. this interest exceeds all others in inI'
portance as cheap iuci is the foundation Of
all manufacturing prosperity and the man
uiacturing interests OF the Ohio valley
which are already very large, and are
daily becoming more important and arc
wholly dependent upon the river for fuel
There atG numerous railroads in all direc,
tions that pass through rich coal basins
but they never attempt TO supply coal ex'
cept owing to the occasional coal famines
I which succeed long periods OF low water
They find it impossible TO compete with
The river during a good boating season. and
lhenra have not provided themselves with
facilities for handling coNl. 1t is therefore
az national importance that no avoidahit
obstacle should be placed in the way OF the
cheap transportation al Goa! by water
Tbe.method Of bringing the coal from tn,
tmiRes on the MonongaheIa, the Grea
Ksnawha and the Ohio itself, is to load TIT
coal in barges, collect these barges in fleet
and push down the river by large TOW
boats Above Louisville the fleets ar
usually composed OF IRON six to sixteeI
barvts, carrying IN area otirom hall an acr
10 In acre and a third. with 2 breadth o
from 20 TO 100 feet, and length OF front 4O'
TO eco feet An average fleet Of barge
brings to market 10000 bushels OF $50
tons Of coal.
Fellow Louisville the river Is wide. an
, there are as vet no bridges. 1t Is there
ie-e the rule TO double the size OF the fleet
which carry fuel from Louisville to Ne'
Orleans and other cities, aud towns on III
lower Mississippi. lii torthis coEumerc