The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1886-11-24
KanaWha Slack Vater-Im-
prOVCment 10 West VIgiuia's
Main Wafer Way.

Main Wafer Way.
BALTIMORE, Mp, November 49,
The Sun says editorially: The com.
pietion Of lock and dam No. 6 Of
the Kanawha river improvement
calls attention to the great work
that has besn accomplished by the
federal government since 1874 in
increasing the nayigability Of West
Virginia's main water way. In
1919 little steamer attempted to
ascend Lhe Kanawha to Charleston,
but was unable to steam Red House
shoals, and SO had to return. The
incident had its effect on the Leg.
islaturo of Virginia. In 1920 a bill
was passed looking to the improve
ment Of the navigation Of the river,
with the object OF getting a depth
of three feet AZ low water from the
mouth to the falls, distance of
ninety miles. The work was in
progress when tho civil war began,
the system employed being the old
sluice and wingdam system. A
very considerable increase had at
that time occurred in the coal and
salt traffic Of the Kanawha in con.
sequence Of the improvements al
ready effected. But a further in
crease oil the depth Of The stream
at all seasons CT the year was re
quired to develop properly the re.
sources Of the region drained .hp
its shallow and broken channel,
and when iu 1874 Col. YIN. P.
Craighlll was placed in charge of
the work it was resolved to com
mence u permanent and effective
improvement Of the river by the
CONSTRUCTION Of locks and dams,
employing movable dams below
Paint Creek, aud permanent dams
at and above Paint Geek. The
scheme finally settled upon EN-.
braced three permanent or fixed
dams and eight movable ones, the
whole to cost, by the original esti.
mate, $5,07l,2l6. Two Of the per.
manent dams, giving lift of
twenly.four feet, have been sub.
stantially completed, Three of the
movable dams, which give a lift in
the aggregate Of twenty five feet,
have also been completed, and the
rest will be taken in hand as soon
as Congress makes the required ap.
propriatiOns. The dam No, G
which has just been finished is a
movable dam, and is the most i'm.
porlanL Of the series, 1t pools the
water of the river from n point
four and a half miles below Char.
lesion to a point nine aud n half
miles above that city, and adds
immensely to the traffic facilities
Of the valuable country it ira.
verses. The movable dam, it
may be observed, was first used
in America an the Great Kanawha.
II is so constructed as To be rails.
ed or lowered according to the stage
Of water. For five months of the
year there is plenty Of water in the
Kanawha for open canal beat nayi.
CATION, during which time i, would
be a serious Inconvenience to have
10 pass everything through the
locks. At such a time the tirnbers
that constitutet the movable are
kept lying at the bottom Of the riy-
er, neither dam nor locks being in
use. AS the water level falls in
the dry season, the limbers consti.
tuting the dam are pulled up, one
by one, tosuch height as the ext.
gencies of navigation may require,
and at the same time the locks
come into use as in the case of the
permanent dam. A very consider.
able commerce. is served BY the new
improvements, the output of coal
below the falls of the Kanawha last
year having been 3l,Sl5,35S bush.
els. When completed, according 10
present expectations in 1890,
Charleston and the region trim.
tary to il will be- placed in reliable,
safe and economical communities.
ton with the great and rapidly in.
creasing coal consuming markets Of
the Ohio and Mississippi valleys.
The effect in enhancing values can
hardly fail to command the appro.
citation Of holders of properties sit.
nated on The lower renches Of the
Kanawha.
Blaine is in danger of becoming
known In history as tho preat Tx.