Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-01-04
HOPE GONE.
The Down River People viii Have to Con-
tinue to suffer for Coal.

a pass about $50 feet in width on the
south side of the dam and close TO the
locks a rushing mass of ice and water is
being hurled through with terrific force.
Standing at irregular intervals in this mar.
row pass are the thirteen troublesome
wickets which have, up to the present
time resisted every effort toward
dislOdgement. During this work nearly
every river man Of Importance of Pitts
burg and vicinity are pacing anxiously
to and fro as they watch the steamboats,
Ben and George Wood and tug, John Dip
pol, attempting to remove the distractions
by a line Of craft running from the locks
to the standing wickets. The idea is to
lash the several boats abreast from the
lock masonry until they reach the lsst two
wickets, which stand together at dis
tance OF about eighty feet. The difficulty
of accomplishing this feat can be Imagined,
when current OF water nine feet IN depth,
full of ice and rushing through u the rate
OF ten or twelve miles an houfr, is taken
inio consideration. That the coal men
are very much to blame themselves
for the present state of affairs is
admitted. Captain Martin wished to low
er the wickets on Sunday, but owners OF
craft in the pool protested against this
move, as there was not enough of water to
maintain their boats until the expected
rise would come. They waited too long,
however, and when they attempted to low
er the necessary wickets the ice made its
-, ,,,l ,r,nnH tho nj n tha wick
cts and swung these into positions which
cannot be changed only by great force from
the lower side To get the required force
is what has bothered the working gang at
the dam 30 far. Effort after effort has
been made to throw the wiCkets over by
driving boats up against them with as
much force as possible, but with very little
success so far.
Later news says the effort to create
chain OF boats to the point of obstruction
has proven unsuccessful, and the boats are
falling back with no detinable idea rs to
what they will attempt next, but 1t Is the
oDiuiOn Of all that the last hope is gone,
md that the dOwn-river people will re-
ceive no coal this rise. The steamboat
Grorge Wood attempted to make its way
to a position above the dam by a process
known 10 the river men ~ lingering
along the masonry Of the locks. In doing
20 she, by some peculiar mlschance,
raised anOthOr wicket, which up 10 the
present had been concealed which tore her
wheel off. Captain Martin at this juno
rure says that all further attempts must
BE- abandoned and nothing further done
ua'i the river lowers. This means that no
coal will 20 out on this rise. What dlsap-
p intment this means to river men and the
Consumers at southern and western points
can hardly he realized. Very little coal
can bc had IN those sections OF country
and what there is is being disposed of at
labulor4 prices, entirely out of the reach
of peup.s in moderate or poor crcum-
stances
According IT, Captain Martin it is i'm
possible to estimate the damage done TO the
dam 50 far. as the works are concealed by
the water and as no effort will be made to
raise the wickets before next summer the
amount destroyed will not be known until
that time. That the damage will amount
to considerable there is no doubt ~ quite a
number of the wiCkets have been twisted
out OF their position entirely, If not wholly
destroyed ~ tar as workins applicability
il concerned. Several sections of the
bridge which is used in raising and lower
ing the wickets has been swept away.
This aud tn damage done TO the dam gates
will no doubt amount to n considerable
sum, which cannot be fully estimated at
present
An Associated Press telegram received
last evening says: About Il half million
bushels of coal will get out tonight for
Cincinnati and Louisville and probably as
much more will he shipped tomorrow
morning This will be about the extent
of the river hipment on the present rise.
over :, 900, 900 bushels of coal were ready
for shipment, but the operators were una
BILE to get it below the Davis Island dam
This was the first opportunity the coal
men have had to ship coal by the
river for eight months, and the failure OF
the w!ckeis to work has oCcasiOned con-
siderable grumbling.
special T.lsgrqm 10 the Register
PTTsBCRG, January after many
months of waiting and two days of eager
expectations, the river men at last got off
about half million bushels of coal
tor the southern ports last night.
After trying ever conceivable method
OF getting the wickets down
at the Davis Island dam the attempt was
at last given up at noon yesterday. Thlr-
teen of the wickets were still standing
having been turned upside down by the
pressure Ol the ice on Sunday. Quite
number more were badly damaged, but
how much cannot be estimated until
the water falls about sixty feet clear
channel was left next the lock The coal
dealers adopted an emergency scheme TO
get out their barges Steamers with
two barges at time were sent
through the pass in the dam aud
the tOws were made up below. Others
steamers with from TO i barges made
their way through the locks. Daring the
passage, a tender containing an engine
used in raising and lowering the dam,
was caught between the tow and the steam
or Beaver and sunk. The loss is estimated
at about 81 900. The tOws so far sent out
ara Thos. FawCett d Sons, the Acorn with
six barge and three fuel boats John 4.
Wood < Co., the Nellie Speer with seven
harges and four fuel boats. O'Neil
q Co, the Enterprise with eight
bargcs W. H. Browns sons sent
harges. Marshall Mcdonald sent a tow
of harges at II o'clock last night. The
Alex Swift vast grounded below the dam
with bargcs and one fuel boat. and the
Tom Rees was waiting above the dam with
10 barges of coke and | fuel boat. She
will probably get through before morning
River men are not very hopeful OF the
continuance of the water, and think that
what does not get through tonight or
early in the morning will have to wait for
the next rise.
NOTES ALONG SHORE.
The Boaz passed up at } a. m.
The Courier will lea9e for Parkersburg,
Thursday at II n. N.
The Louis 4. Sherlcy will leave as usual
for Cincinnati Saturday afternoon at 3
o'clock.
The marks on the landing last evening
at O'Clock, indicated T. feet inch and