Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-23
MUD In THE CHANNEL.
Rivermen Decide to Dredge the River
Within the City Harbor.
1T WON'T COST THEM MUCH MONEY.
But They Will Pay 1t Themselves Rather
Than Fight the City.
NAVIGATION is ALMOST INTERRUPTED

The Coal Exchange held meeting yes
terday, and among other things decided to
dredge the Monongahela river from the
Smithfeld bridge to lock No. 1. The meet
ing was general gathering of the river
men, who had become very apprehensive
about the condition of navigation in the
city harbor.
The river yesterday was down to Is
inches, the lowest for 20 months, and if it
should lower an inch or so more none but
the very smallest boats can make the slack
water from the docks. This would be a
serious condition of affairs, and practically
tie up all the upriver packet boats, with
their daily mail, passengers and large
freight business.
Those in charge of the work of repairing
the wickets at Davis Island dam said yes
terday that they could not be raised before
next week. This makes the situation rather
grave, and riyermen fear that all navigation
may be stopped in the next two or three
days.
At present boats cannot ply between
Wheeling and Pittsburg. The Stockdale
sent her passengers by rail to the city from
the former place.
The worst point in the Monongahela
channel is just above the Panhandle bridge
at the mouth of the city sewer, where large
bar has been formed, seriously interfering
with navigation,
THE CITY RESPONSIBLE
and must be moved. At the meeting it was
argued by some that the city should remove
the bar, as it was formed by city sewer,
but others said that though the city could
probably be made to do so by process of
law, it would take too long, and would ne
cessitate too much red tspe, and it was
urgent that the bar should be removed at
once Again, though the law would doubt
less decide with rivermen, the cost of legal
proceedings to remove the bar, they
decided to do it themselves. The city may
hear from them later about the washings
from the sewer.
Several plans of dredging the channel
were discussed, and at last one gentleman
offered to be one of six to furnish a steam
boat provided with scrapers which the
steamboatmen use to clean the channel near
their wharss. The channel was dredged
about four years ago. 1t was paid for by
subscription from the different ,rivermen,
the Monongahela Navigation Company
sidered cheaper, and is estimated not to cost
more than $500 or $500.
The dredging can not commence until the
dam is raised, making water enough for the
moving of the boats. As soon as this is
done the six boats will commence operating.
AN OLD PIER TO BE REMOVED.
A resolution was also passed at the meet
ing notifying the Smithfeld Street Bridge
Company to remove one of the piers to the
old bridge, which was not taken away, to
the bottom of the river and is now a menace
to boats navigating the Monongahela.
Colonel Merrill was also notified to re-
move the roots and snags at the mouth of
Raccoon creek, below Beaver. This Is the
lstruction which sank the Enterprise not
1g ago. Joseph Walton, John A. Wood,
tain Jutte and S. Horner are on the
mittee appointed to dredge the Monon-
ella channel.
After the meeting the rivermen talked
YER the Ohio river dam and canal project
sd it might 60 through.