The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-02-18

VIII 10 Opened Up by tho Extension n
MononEnhsla Slaekwnter 10 Fnirmopt
The Cheat River Country Engineers 10
port. aEa.. ..'.Hr -ITT| r-W
IttLturch Comnueial Gd:ette, '.- 'as
The Chief Engineer in charge Of The
work on tho Monongahela river has for
warded to Congress q special report o.
the improvements on that waterway
above Upper Dam, W. Va, and recon-,
mends further appropriations for tina,
work. In this report he says:
1.-THE completion OF the dam at Dunk.
ards creek provides continuous winter.
limo from Pittsburgh TO Morrantown,
My former report contemplated ak more
dams, extending Blackwator several miles
above Fairmont, In order 10 reach The
deposits OF excellent coal on the West
Fork. The only change which l would
now make In tho report Is to increase the
average cost OF masonry lack and dam 10
500 600, as this Is about the cost OF the
work ut Hoarks Rocks.
The work Of extending tho existing
slackwAter should begin ut Alorcantown
and continue up stream to Fairmopt,
Tho probable amount OF commerce to be
benefited by this improvement cannot
be stated with accuracy, but the fact
That there Is an immense coal trade on
the Lower Mononsahela river and a con.
siderable passenger aud freight business
justiiles the prediction that similar com.
merce will develop on the Upper Mo.
nongahela when similar facilities are
given. The coal trade will not attain
large dimensions until the coal fields
within reach OF the lower pools arc ex.
haustcd, but when tho time comes the
great deposits OF the West Fork will be
needed by the consumers In the Ohio
and Mississippi valleys and tho proposed
locks and dams will create tho only
route to market that can DO used with
profit.
Referring to the Cheat river, the re.
port says: Cheat river Is one OF tho
principal trlbutaresoi tho Mononcahela
river, which 1t joins at Point Marion,
one and one.hulf miles north of the
southern boundary OF the State OF Penn.
sylvania. The total length OF Cheat
river is about ll0 miles, Of which dis
lance the upper ninety miles has gem
tie slope aud is fnirly adapted to rafting,
while the lower fifty miles is almost i'm.
|passable.
NEARLY the whole region above Row
lesburg Is virgin forest, filed with the
finest white oak, spruce, pine, cherry
and other valuable tinbers that arc now
going to waste for luck OF facilities for
transportation to markets. In the val
leys OF the Monongahela and the Ohio
there is a growing scarcity OF good white
oak for coal.barges, lock.sates, dams,
spars, derricks and other purposes, and
the small amount OF money required to
open up safe logging channel through
the obstructed part OF the Cheat river
would soon DO repaired thousand fold,
Millions OF feet OF timber needed is grow
ing on the Cheat river that can be had
Il the riveris reasonably clear OF obstruc-
tons.
The estimated cost OF such work as is
immediately necessary is $4,000, all OF
which is to be expended in blasting and
removing rock. After this is done the
channel will be sufficiently smooth to
develop its capabilities and the question
OF further Improvement by closing dup.
licate channels, and similar work can
then be determined by tue results OF the
work here indicated,