Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-01-10
A st. ClaiFSYiIle Han in the South.
Special correspondence.

Special correspondence.
NEW ORLEANS. La. Jan. 4. 1889.
One the 4th of December, when the
long and weary winter was approaching,
with its bleak, cold blasts and drifting
SHOWS, We took our departure from home
in the good old town of St Clairsville.
situated on and surrounded by the beau
tiful hills of Belmont county, and again
turned our faces Southwark to enjoy the
genial winter climate in the Gulf Coast.
With but one exception since first go
ing South, our route in going has been by
river, and returning has been by rail. ex-
cepting twice: SO this time. not making
any change from our general rule, we
took to the river again. Travelling by
boat, especially if it Is a good one. has. to
those not limited in time, its advantages.
1t is more restful, the opportunity for
Goclal enjOym ent or for reading Is better,
and the regr 'arity of meals and the facil-
ities for sleeping are important items to
be taken into account, and which make
it in my opinion far preferable to that
of travelling by rail. So having reached
Wheeling by rail there being no boat
running from our town to that point.
though | have been informed tnat a man
used in one of the county seat contests
some years ago did show that what is call
ed Jun Run was then a navigable stream).
we embarked on the Andes. which. by
the way, is very good boat. and Capt
Muhleman and Clerk NOlle very clever
and Obliging gentlemen, and on which we
reached Cincinnati in due time. and there
found the boat for this city. Thos. Sher-
lock, of the Southern TRANSPORTATION
line, lying in port. onto which we transfer
red, and on Saturday, Dec Sth, set sail to
trace the balance of the beautiful Ohio
and the meandering and mysterious ways
of the great Mississippi
Soon after leaving the wharf our boat
passed under the new bridge being
built by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad
Company, which attracted some atten-
ton, and which is worthy of some pass
ing notice. Its channel-span is over 500
feet; it has in addition to the railroad
track a carriage or driving way. and
foot way also. Its total cost. it is said.
will be five million dollars. Some time
ago, during the construction of the chan
nel-span and before it was properly Sc
cured, it gave way and came down into
the river with crash, part of the debris
Of which still remains in the channel, OBJ
the passage of boats which have
to pass under the Kentucky shore span,
which they do with considerable difficult
ty. This bridge makes five that span the
Ohio river at Cincinnati. 1t will be OBJ
served there are great many bridges
over the Ohio river, and still others are
contemplated-one at Martins Ferry. for
instance the Mississippi from Cairo
lOwn has none.
A WORD ABOUT vICKSBURG.
| notice that the river at this point is
still working more and more against the
interest of this city since last | passed il.
TWO years ago. The reader will remem-
Der that at the time of the war the CITY
was Immediately on the east bank of the
liver. At that time the river, when with
N about two miles of the city and Oppo-
site the lower end of it, turned almost
square off to the left and ran north about
TWO miles, and then swinging round to
he right till it reached the upper end of
The city, then, turning south, ran along
5he front of it, forming q peninsula
Since then the river has made what is
called cutoff, that is to say, has broken
across the peninsula and now strikes the
bluff some distance below the citv. For
4 while boats could still pass around by
he city, but as the channel of the cutoff
became more and more washed out. there
became less and less water in the old
course, SO that now in an ordinary stage
If water, as it was this time we were
here, scalcely any water passes around
n the old channel.
Vicksburg, therefore, might be said
low to be an inland town, boats not be.
ng able to land there at all except at
lines of very high water, but land two
niles below. General Grant undertook
20 cut canal across the bend or penin-
'ula, but lower down than where the
present channel now is, hoping the water
would run through il and -4rteJlI UrIt Il |
channel sufficient to run boats through,
md thereby escape the Rebel batteries
situated on the bluffs at and below the
,ity; but the water could not be coaxed
through, and the work was not success.
It is singular fact that what the water
could not be coaxed to do then it has doLe
If its own accord since, though not ex-
lctly in the same place.
The city of New Orleans presents much
he same appearance it did three years
lgO. The old walks and places of resort, |
'uch as Canal, Camp and st. Charles
streets, Jackson and Lafayette squares,
French Market, Spanish Fort, and West |
End look very natural, and still have |
heir attractions. A gOodly number of
lew buildings have been built and are be-
ng bullt-SOme very fine blocks. !
noticed one on Camp street eight stories |
ligb,' built of brown stone. Business
eems to be rather brisk, and trade, they
In0TrnXvinn nnifa i,.,4 81
erpriSe has been awakened lately. Meet |
ngs are being held and largely attended
~ prominent citizens to discuss and put |
n tangible shape several important pro- |
ects and improvements looking to the |
health, comfort, and prosperity of the |
,ity. One is a more thorough system of
lrainage that will do away with the pres
mt plan of surface drainage, which is |
more or less unsightly and unhealthy. |
n this connection canal from the river |
% Lake POnchartrain large enough for |
yessels to pass through is talked Of. A |
general paving of the streets with the |
most suitable material is contemplated. |
4 railroad bridge across the river to Al |
,ierS is another important work contem- |
plated, which will be of immense value to |
he city, as it will facilitate travel and |
raffic by way of the Texas and Pacific r. !
R., which is rapidly growing. Still an
,ther enterprise is the building of large
lew hotel, at an estimated cost of two
million dollars, to be constructed and
adopted especially for the accommodation
If Northern and other visitors who come
% spend the winter. Subscription papers
Ire being circulated now among the buSi-
hess men and the wealthy of the city to
secure the requisite amount of stock to
larry the project through. One of the |
'ites spoken of for the hotel is Lafayette
'quare-a magnificent location.
Why can't the people of st. Clairsville
meet and talk up a new hotel? I am
sure it needs one, worse than this city
lOes; in point of fact it can be properly
claimed as a necessity, if her people wish
% be regarded as at all possessing q spirit
If enterprise. 1t would certainly seem
hat if New Orleans can, after making
Ill the Improvements contemplated, cost
ng perhaps five or six millions and then
1uild hotel at cost of two millions more.
surely st. Clairsville people with their
Orthnrp nlupk and putarnriSa which ic