The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-11-21
WORK ON THE OHIO
BY UNITED STATES ENGINEERS.
AesOun. ofths Dredging At the nou,A ofWhs.llnE
Crstk-Ths Cause Of the Formation Of the
Bar-Ths Work Al Cost at Other PoIats
GA the str.'n-oAann.l v OH Done.


Special Correspondence ofthe InttEt0nea.
WASHINGTON, D. G., November 10.-
From the report Of chief engineers OF the
United States Army the following extracts
are taken which will be Of interest TO youl
readers. 10 nressrd to Wheeling creek bar
which the Engineers measure ninety miles
below Pittsburgh, but which, 1 am in.
formed, is really ninety.six miles, the re-
port Gays: ~ s.
This bar is formed Of material washed
into the river by Wheeling creek, the
greater portion being city refuse, dumped
mouth. The effect OF these deposits is to
make the channel too narrow for coal tows,
and to make navigation difficult by the
creation Of a cross-current toward the foot
Of Wheeling Island. Unless this practice
Is stopped frequent dredging will continue
TO be necessary. l -'
TIE point OF the bar was removed, the
channel was widened 120 feet, and the
cross-current was destroyed.
Excavation made June q to July "a,
IS. .535.3 cubic yards, A number Of loose
rocks were also taken out OF the channel.
The Fish Greek Island bar Is similar to
these st the Twins and Pike Island, being
deposit from the creek on the Ohio
shore. Owing to the low water this work
had to be abandoned after one cut had
been made. Excavation made August so
to September ], 2,020 cubic yards.
At Newelps Run bar the improvement
consisted in the removal OF the bar on the
htF N
creek which comes into the river at the
head of the Second Brother Island. II re-
suited in widening the channel 120 feet,
and in permitting the current to follow the
Ohio shore. Excavation made October
1921, l6.2l47 cubic yards. There were
also removed from the channel at this
place six logs weighing s tons, ten rocks
weighing 30.l tons.
TUE SECOND BROTHER ISLAND.
At the Second Brother Island bar, bar
on the left Of the channel, abreast Of Sec
ond Brother Island, was removed by
dredging. Two cuts were made, widening
the channel eighty feet. Excavation made
October 2S, November 4, 1880 cubic yards.
Rowland's Race is at the foot Of the
Second Brother Island, and Is crooked
shallow between two bars, forming the
worst part OF the two miles Of bad river at
the Three Brothers Islands. Two cuts were
made on each side OF the channel, which
resulted in widening the latter by 1875 feet,
and in materially Strengthening the cur.
rent. Excavation made September 4, Oc.
tober 10, 1884 cubic yards. This place
has given tow boats great deal OF annoy.
ance.
AT MARIETTA.
At Marietta, O., most Of the dredging
was in connection with the construction oi
Ice Harbor Lock, and consisted in furnish
ing material to fill and back up the Golfer.
dam. For this purpose the dredge 0swego
was employed and made excavation Sep
tember Is, October Is, 5,5445 cubic yards.
From November 10 10 November IL the
dredges were employed below the railroad
bridge across the Muskingum in removing
wrecks and snags, and in excavating from
the channel. Excavation made, 1927
cubic yards; snags removed, weight 2 5
tons; wrecks removed, 8 barges and piece
Of crb dam.
The work in this section, including all
expenditures, such as dredging, wrecking,
snagging, &C., amounts to Sl66sS 60.
No complete records OF the commerce OF
the Ohio river are available, but from par
tial statistics the coal shipments OF the year
amounted to rs, ,230, 900 bushels.
During the year just past one towboat,
the Harry Brown, carried to Cincinnati In
one tow 324, ,730 bushels Of coal, the largest
single shipment ever made between these
two points.
It Is customary to double tows below
Louisville, and the following amounts
were carried from Louisville to New Or
leans in one trip during the year by the
towboats named:
Bushels
". W o'Sel 6Si, Goa
Inhn 4 Wnn1 677JnU