The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-07-10
TRAFFIC ON THE OHIO.
Some Reliable information Which
shows It's Vast Importance.
THE IMMENSE FREIGHT TONNAGE
And It's character-Point Pleasant as
a Coal Shipping Point--Improye-
ments ofthe Rivers aud What They
Have Cost So Far.


bulletin the article on Transportation
on the Ohio River and it's Tributaries
Above Cincinnati" prepared by Henry
G. Adams for the census reports. A
part Of the information it contains has
already been printed in the telegraph
columns of the INTELLIGENCE, but there
is a good deal of local interest. 1t is
stated that the Monongahela, Allegheny,
Muskingum, Little Kanawha, Great
Kanawha and Big Sandy, during the
year 1880, which was exceptionally ia
yorahle for traffic on these waters,
were nuyigable for twelve months, with
the exception OF the Muskingum, Big
Sandy and Allegheny, which were only
navIGable for about six months OF the
year.
The improvements on the Ohio river
have been carried on by appropriations
from the federal government, The most
important Of these are the Davis Island
dam, by which slack water is forced
back to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and
the Louisville and Portland canal, around
the falls at Louisville. The total appro-
priations for all improvements on the
Ohio river were S6,056, 40, which shows
on expenditure OF $500 per mile OF
navigable route. 1t should be noted
that these appropriations are applied to
improvements both above and below
Cincinnati, although the freight statis-
ties OF this bulletin are given exclu-
sively for that portion of the Ohio river
above Cincinnati.
THE NoSoSGAHELA.
improvements on the Monongahela
river began in 1910. Up to that time
the federal government had not made
any appropriations for this purpose,
and works were undertaken by cor
poration, which is still in existence.
This corporation owns at the present
time n series OF seven locks and dams,
which carry slack water from Pitts
burgh to Geneva, Pennsylvania, dis
lance Of IS miles. On 1872 the federal
government undertook the improve
ment OF the river above Geneva and
carried navigation to Morgantown,
West Virginia, n distance OF II miles.
The total cost OF improvements on the
llulOuRduGll llNeL WIS SSI-oOIoOVi "a
which S977,552 were expended by the
United States government and 81 $685.
2S4 by the corporation. The four lower
dams belonging to the corporation are
provided with locks measuring 220 by
So feet, and it is from the pools formed
by these dams that the bulk of the coal
moved down the Ohio river is shipped.
r1Ip rwo VAS.wuAa
The Great Kanawha river, which
reaches the Ohio at Point Pleasant, 2OS
miles above Cincinnati, is the principal
competitor Of the Monongahela for the
coal trade on the lower Ohio. The fed
eral government made its first appro-
priatiou for the improvement Of this
river in 1873, since which time it has
expended 81 ,976, 209 and completed five
locks and dams, measuring 800 by 90
feet.
The Little Kanawha river, which has
total length OF about $50 miles, has
been improved for steam navigation up
to Burning Springs, forty miles from its
iuncture with the Ohio. The improve
ments CONSIST Of a series Of four locks
and dams, the property of the corpora
ton, which carry slack-water naviga-
ton to the point above named. The
general government has undertaken
improvements above Burning Springs.
which will extend navigation twelve
miles farther up the river.
The Big Sandy river is, strictly speak
ing, but twenty-six miles in length, ex-
tending from Catlettsburg, on the Ohio,
to Louisa, KY, but taken in connection
with its principal tributary, the Levisa,
it provides 10 miles adapted for the
navigation Of steamboats, OF light
draught during six months Of the year.
The Big Sandy river and its tributaries
are mostly used for rafting timber, but
push boats, long, narrow boats OF ten
or fifteen tons capacity, are extensively
employed. Theexpenditures for the i'm
provement OF this river, all of which
were made by the federal Government,
were S242, 29S, equivalent TO S2,203 per
mile OF navigable route.
TRAFFIC on TIE OHIO.
The Ohio river above Cincinnati is
credited with 7l3 boats, OF which As
were passenger steamers, 81 ferry boats,
90 towing steamers, II tugs, 0 miscclla-
neous and 5ll barges.
On the Ohio river, out of total OF
5,52S, S57 tons moved, Ass, 42l tons were
due to shipments of COAL 65, $50 tons to
shipments OF salt, l7G,S77 tons to ship
ments OF clay, sand and stone, Gl3,49S
tons to shipments OF forest products,
the remainder being shipments Of un-
classified freight.
On the Monongahela river, for which
total shipment Of 3,294,932 tons is re-
ported, the shipments OF coal and coke
amount to 3,050,4lS tons, of sand and
stone to 0S, 357 tons, OF iron ores to S.
563 tons, of forest products to Sl,209
tons, the remainder being unclassitled
freight.
on the Allegheny river there were
moved 275,6sl tons Of forest products,
SO,75O tons OF sand and stone, and o.
SIS tons OF unclassified freight.
The movement of freight on the Mus
kingum river during the year covered
by the investigation was very slight,
amounting to l0,04l tons OF general
freight.
On the Great Kanawha river, out OF a
total of ! las, POP tons Of freight moved,
shipments OF coal amount to 81, 076,S7l
tons, ana shipments OF forest products
to 1878 tons, the remainder being un-