Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-02-24
THE WATER SHED
Which Drains Into the Ohio at
Pittsburgh
AID Causes Sudden Rises and Heavy Floods
A Total Area Of 10000 Square
Miles Drained by One
Rivers Sources.

Les, Sundays REGISTER contained an ar
ticle descriptive Of the great watershed Of
the valley of the Ohio and its headwater
tributaries, showing the causes which led
to the food. Pittsburgh contemporary
of Friday pursued the sane line, and fur
ther says the recent disastrous food and
the unusually high stage of water which
preceded and has continued since the re-
cediug of the river below the danger line,
have awakened considerable interest in the
eurcsS of the Allegheny and Monongahels
S.yers, and a desire to know something
ABOUT the territory from which the vast
V"lrmsS OF water have poured for weeks
pat The MonoDgshels being the
mailer stream, is subject to sud
den rises, but tn = are comparatively
few PittSburRhers who have taken the
trouble TO inquire the cause OF these sud-
den rises, or why the freshets in that
stream sudside in q day or two. The fact
that from the junction with the Allegheny
at the Point the river takes an easterly and
then southerly direction is we'll known,
bat il is doubtful whether one in ten has
stopped 10 inquire why the ice flow in the
MonoCgahela, after 3 long period OF frigid
weather, discharges its sccum mutations in a
or two at q time, when the usual spring
freshsts occur, presents the appearance of
q vast river of ice fed from an inexhausti-
bic store house.
THE NONONGAHELA WATER.
at is surprising to me-" said gentle
man who has made several surveys OF the
MonOngShela and its tributaries, that so
little, comparatively is known Of the
MOnongshels and Its tributaries. The
river has its source in Maryland and West
Virginia, and while the hesdwsters are in
the mountains, the warm, southern air
soon melts the snow and ice, and the en-
tire stream is flushed out like the Street
Commissioners have washed the accumu-
lations of filth and debris from the flooded
districts in the city Taking the map il
will be seen that the Monongahela proper
has It's sources in Mary land and West Nir
giuia, the former being known as the
Tygsrt valley branch, and the latter the
West Fork. which has its rise in West
Virginia some miles above Fairmont
These two insignificant branches unite at
Fairmont, and at short distance this side
of the old Virginia State line they are rein.
forced by the Cheat river, the largest tri-
utsry on the upper Monongshela. The
Cheat, with its dear, deep water, drains a
considerable area, and when the tains de-
sctnds the narrow valley pours out its vol
hme of water like a cloud burst. Descend
ing the stream, the important tributaries
in order are Dunkard'S creek, Whlttley's
creek, Ten Mile, which drains nearly the
EntIre area of Greene county; Redstone,
which joins the stream at Brownsville;
Pigeon Creek, at MonoRgshela City, Peters
creek, al Elizabeth and Pine Run a few
miles above Mckeesport. The popularity
of all these tributaries is that they come in
from the west side Of the stream except |
Cheat River, the Tygart valley branch, and |
RedStCne until the YOughiogheny River
is reached at MckeespOrt, The reason is
that 8 harrow ridge Of hills commences at
McKeesport and separates the Youghio-. |
fhtny rom the Monongahels valley from
ne point Of junction 10 the source, the
' alter shed being toward the former.
THE YoUGHIoGHENY VALLEY.
The Youghiogheny River, which is the
main tributary of the Monongahela, is
quite as remarkable a stream as that in
which its identity is lost at Mckeesport.
The source of the Iough proper is among
the glsdes OF Maryland, the peculiar vege'
tatiOn which covers the mountain sides
sLd valleys, giving every rain-drop an op
pOrtuiity of hurrying and skurrying TO
the streamlet cOurSing down the hillsides
from a gushing spring in the glsdes. The
river is unpretentious until Confluence, on
the Baltimore & Ohio Road, is reached,
aLU al tDdL pOlnI, formerly known As lur-
key pool, the unusual sight is witnessed
If three mountain streams of nearly the
same size joining together, and taking the
name Of the NouRh, simply because it is
longer. At Confluence the Laurel Hill
Creek and Castlemsn join with the Yough,
but their area o. drainage, though precipI-
tOus, is very clrcumscribed, the Allie
ghepy range OF mountains sending a
much larger volume Of water 10
the other side OF the divide,
where they unite IN swelling the
great Potomsc and find their way to the
Atlantic From Confluence down the
principal feeders Of the Yough are Bear
Creek, Squsw's Run, Indian Greek,
Stony Creek, Jacobs Creek, Sc
wickIy Creek and Long Run, all of which
during heavy rain or during an ordinary
January or February thaw send down into
the rock bound bottom of the narrow
channel of the Gough torrents OF water, to
boil and tum bic in their efforts to ind an
outlet in q manner which suggest to the
mind those coming down at Lodore."
Below Mckeesport the only other tributary
Of the Nonougahela worthy Of mention is
Turt's Creek, but in addition Thompson's
Run, Nine Mile aud Four Mile Run,
Streets and Beck's Run are alkfeeders, and
aid the muddy stream which, with the Al
leghsny, is swallowed up in the Ohio at
this city.
IMMENSE TERRITORY DRAINED.
It is estimstsi that the Youghiosheny
and Its tributaries drain an area OF 2, 100
square miles and the Mononzahela 4. 900
square miles. This would give total area
OF 1000 so uare miles as the water shed Of
the Aonongshsls Valley. or one third of
the Ohio basin at Pittsburgh, estimating
IL 600 souare miles of drainage for the AL