The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-05-28
RIVER IMPROVEMENT.
IMPORTANT OHIO RIVER WORKS
A,a I'll. prosr,s They ar. n.lilE Toward Con
pl,tIoa-rhs AnOuat Of Appropriated sa
Haud-rAs Davis i.lAsa Dan-herk of
Drsdgs Boats-Cbasnsl Cleaning.

tant river and harbor work in which the
people Of your vicinity are interested is
undoubtedly the project now under way
for the improvement Of navigation in the
Ohio River. 1t will, too, be agreeable
news for them to know that this great
work will not be SO unfortunate as to be
suspended at the beginning Of the new
fiscal year, July l, as will be the fate OF 50
many projects. At that date there will
still be on hand to continue operations on
the Ohio River the sum Of $4,000, which
will last through the summer and fall
season, until January. The Davis Island
dam is still luckier, for there S54,500 will
be available, but 1t will not last 50 long by
one month. This is owing 10 the large
appropriation Of last AugustAfhen $S50, 600
was allowed by Congress, making the
funds available for the present year S435,
1913 81. To complete this work will require
additional appropriations TO the amount OF
S979, 100.
With the funds on hand ir is expected
that the movable dam at Davis Island will
be completed, and possibly also the fixed
dam behind the island. There will
remain TO be finished the lock gates and the
machinery for handling the same, the
machinery Of the filling and emptying
valves and the Gaping. With ordinary
good fortune the whole work will soon be-
completed. !
UNFINISHED WORKS. ]
The unfinished works at Brown,s Island,
Twelve Pole, and Portland, will be com.
pleted, and vigorous effort will be made
to finish the dikes at Putty Greek and at
the Grand Chain. Should the season prove
favorable the two dikes at the latter place
will be completed, but the low water
season will hardly be- sufficient for finishing
the dixie at Puffy Greek. The snsgboat and
dredses will work as usual. Complaints are
frequently made by navigators against the
various bridges crossing the river, the colli-
sions occurring entailing serious loss. Adj
vantage was taken OF the low water prevail
ing in the Upper Ohio to remove the rocks
which obstruct navigation at various places
during medium and low stages of the river
The channel has been materially bettered
by this work. The Improvement however,
is not completed, as several additional
rocks must yet be removed in order 10
make the passage safe and easy.
The snsgboat Woodruff, Travelled during
the season, including several minor trips
made while passing over the river on the
general route, "a distance Of 3,6i6 miles;
l,076 snags were removed; thirty-four
wrecks were either totally destroyed or
partially broken up; the remains OF seven
wrecks previously partly destroyed, were
wholly removed, and 65l cubic yards Of
rock were taken from the channel and
shores. The average weight Of twenty. one
Of the largest snags was sixty.fye tons.
The three largest were two sycamore logs,
one measuring 5 feet 10 inches in diameter
at the butt, and weighing 1864 tons, and
the other feet in diameter, and weighing
99I tons; and third sycamore from the
channel feet two inches in diameter, and
weighing al tens.
During the year the excavation OF the
interior Of the lock at Davis Island Dam
was completed, and the cofferdam re-
moved. The foundation for the nayigable
pass required great excavation TO be
made in the bed OF the river, and this ex-
cavation has to be filed with concrete. On
this foundation were laid the timber frames
which form the bed OF the movable dam
and the superstructure built on them.
At Browns Island the construction OF
the dam to close the chute at the right ot
the island was under way, and there was
completed $40 feet OF dam from the Ohio
bank. The shore protection at this end
was also nearly finished. The inbsnk had
| kan NaIt ha Al n nv
distance OF 562 feet.
At Twelve Pole Bar the dixie was extend
ed to length Of 1898 feet Of which 1902
feet was completed TO full height OF six
feet above low water. The inbank was
entirely filled with stone for q length ot
$50 feet, and about one.half filled for the
remaining distance. The shore protection
was entirely finished.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CHANNEL.
While the dredge boat was laid up the
men were employed in removing rocks
from various bars and in blasting out the
rock reef in the West Virginia shore at
Line Island. At Horsetail Rifle the whole
OF the bar was cleared OF rocks, and the
chute below Davis Island and the new
Golfer dam rendered available for ascend.
boats and tows. !. The channel at Merriman's =
bar was considerably improved by picking
of. loose stone. Five large rocks were
broken and removed from Whites rifle.
The same number OF rocks were blasted in
the Trap, and tilty.nine loads OF smaller
rocks we're landed from the channel. The
channel at Line Island was widened some
seventy feet by the removal OF reef on the
Virginia shore above the foot OF the
Island. A number oil large rocks scatter.
from Georgetown Island to within a
short distance Of Line Island were re.
moved. The bar on the left OF the channel
at East Liverpool was covered with large
rocks, many OF which have been struck by
boats. Many OF these were removed. The
object OF dredging at Phillis Island was 10
remove spar from the right bank and a
lump in the middle ofthe channel at the
head OF the head OF the island. Both Of
these objects were accomplished, the chan
mel being thereby widened about seventy.
five feet, and made much more nearly
straight Seven large rocks in and near
the channel were also removed. Much
more work Of similar character has also
been done, but the specimens given show
the character OF labor and means employed
TO render navigable the Ohio River. There
is also, as part Of the Ohio improvement,
an intended Ice harbor at the mouth Of the
Muskingum River.
As stated in the beginning Of this letter
there Is sufficient money on hand to con.
tinue this important work until the meet.
ing OF Congress, and II It be so desired an
immediate appropriation can be made so
as to forward the project. This would en-.
able the engineers to commence the work
OF the new year Just as soon as the weather
and condition OF the river permitted. :
Altogether the Ohio stands better than
almost any other important work, and
need not be very materially hurt by the
failure Of the last river and harbor bill. OF