Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-29
A MISPLACED DAM.
That is the Objection Now Urged
Against Davis Islands Locks.
THE POOL BELOW is WORTHLESS.
A Suburban Garden Spot Lost as a Conse-
Quence of This Blunder.
DIRECTIONS TO THE NEVILLE BRIDGE

Though a reputed very wise man is cred
tied with saying that in the midst of coun-
selors there is safety there are a good many
people in this country who refuse TO admit
it, SO far at least as the Davis Island dam
is concerned. The dam has been in retire
ment this summer, though if the water falls
much more il will probably be visible. So
far as forming pool is concerned it hasn't
been success this summer, but owing to
the unusual amount of rain we have had the
deprivation has not been severely felt until
quite lately 1t is said that as soon as that
concern that some call bear trap is finished
the trouble will be over, as it will take care
of the drift, and the dam will not in future
be choked.
Some people say it is strange that the
wisdom OF the United States Government
Engineers and the people of Neville Island
combined could not have found q better site
for the dam.
WHERE THE BLUNDER LIES.
1t is pointed out that had it been placed
600 or 800 feet further down the river, not
only would the head of Neville Island have
been in the dam and the island be worth
nearly double what it Is, but that hindrance
to navigation, HorsetaiI rifle, would have
no longer existed. The owner of
the land on the island, it seems,
asked more for it than the Government engi-
neers considered it worth, but had the
islanders made up the difference their prop
erty to-day would be worth twice as much
as it is. As it is now, the pool is not only
ba1o he 1,,K
some say the dam has injured it by chang
ing the channel, and that craft cannot be
gotten up to the locks in low water. Be
this as it may, the argument is that another
rifle might have been abated and a dam
built cheap enough to pay for the high
price demanded for the land on the island,
for that dam would have been considerably
shorter than the present one. p.
The desire to keep step with the music of
the age seems to have broken out with con-
siderable force on the island lately, and
instead of waiting like the cripples of old
to be put into the pool, as they did a dozen
years ago, some of them wish to connect
themselves with the city in a way that
neither ice nor food can impede. There
are in the island 600 acres of ground that
have never been flooded by any freshet yet
known, and stood several feet above the
height reached in 1884, and would make
quarter acre lots for population of 10, 900,
leaving 500 acres on which summer crops
can be raised. About midway between the
north and south shores of the island it is
proposed to build 60-foot driveway and an
electric railway, to connect with CHARTERS
at the upper and Coraopolis at the lower
end.
OPPOSED TO THE BRIDGE.
This project has been dwelt upon before
in The DISPATCH, but it hasn't been
stated that some people in Coraopolis are op-
posing the building of bridge at the lower
end of Neville Island TO connect it with the
village. The objection urged is that the
improvement would hurt the sale of lots in
Coraopolis.
1t is estimated that substantial bridge
can be built between the island and village
for $40, 900 or less, for the piers can be built
aQrinh hthe summer and material hauled
directt 10 them. Durng the greater part of
Gny summer there is scarcely six inches of
water in the back channel, and as steam
boats do not go up it at any
time of year it is only necessary to build
the piers the height os the banks and go
from shore to shore on the level, as that
height would place the roadway of the
bridge out of reach of drift. Neville
Islanders will not be wise in their day and
generation if they allow the project to lapse
while waiting on aid from Coraopolis.
The island is a delightful place for sum-
mer residence. The scenery on each shore
with the verdure-clad hills for a frame, is
beautiful, and there are shelving banks that
make safe bathing and boating is good.