The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-08-29

"If this rain is at all general and
keeps up for week, you will 500 more
coal 90 out OF Pittsburgh by river than
was ever before known" This was the
remark Of weather beaten tow.bont
veteran, as no stood at the window OF u
river front hotel yesterday afternoon
and watched the rain, which had been
the cause OF as gloomy q day as has
been experienced here this summer
Fright now, from Davis Island dam
three miles up the river you will hard
ly be able to sec the water the river is
chuck full of tow.boats with their i'm.
mense tows made up, ready to shoot
ont for Cincinnati, Louisville or New
Orleans on the first bit OF tow'boat
water that comes, and from the looks OF
Things Just now it seems likely they
would ret out about next Sunday. All
the big river coal firms at healwaters
have been bgilding great numbers Of
coal poa.s this summer and they have
been loaded at the tipples, and are
now made up in tows, lying In the pools
ready to get away on q rise.
"Somo OF the boats which have barge
tows will be able to pull out on q seven
foot stage at the dam, but those having
coal boats will have to have nine or
len foot stage there. However, ii this
rain keeps on in the steady way it is
coming down Just now, we ought TO
have water and 10 spare in week, and
then maybe the Ohio won't be thick
with Smoky City boats. Why, do you
know that there is now at Pittsburgh
twelve millions more bushels OF coal
than was ever known betoreH It's u
fact, Tho record was sixteen million
bushels ready for shipment, but now
there is between twenty.olght and
thirty million bushels on hand in bargos
and boats. Every tow boat that can pos.
sibly be impressed into service is now
tied up behind q tow ready for the
start. On tho last rise, last spring, lots
OF coal went out, and number OF tow
boats were unable to get back homo.
These are all nearer home, however,
and will get there and take out tows
within u day or two after tho risO.
Among them are the big record break
or, Joe i. Williams, twenty-five boats;
Alice Brown, sixteen boats; john +.
Walton, eighteen boats; Joe Nixon, ton
boats; Nellie Walton, six boats; all
at Postum, down tho river. Then
there Is tho Rescue, fourteen boats,
at tho Top mill, and the ]. A Woods,
twcnty.iour boats and w. W. 0'Neiil,
sixteen boats, laid up twelve miles be-
low Pittsburgh. There is total OF 100
coal boats, which carry from $1,000 to
10000 bushels, or on an average 10000
each, making grand total OF 100000
bushels that they alone will carry out"
"Ihis immense quantity OF coal, that
is stored up at headwaters, is beginning
TO be badly needed down the rivers.
Prices have advanced at Cincinnati,
Louisville and all the southern points,
though there was no immediate danger
Of a famine. Just at this season more
coal is used in the lower Mississippi
valley than even during the colder
months, caused by the sugar cane mills
that are all going full blast now, grind.
ing the cane into sugar So much coal
being put on the market far in advance
OF the cold weather will necessarily
bring down the price"
Usually when no coal can be sent
from Pittsburg by water. it continues
going out OF the Great Kanawha region,
but this season the river has been so
low that none has been shipped from
the lower West Virginia fields by water
for some time"
Speaking Of the big Joe B. Williams,
now laid up at Postum, she is the only
tow.boat that uses her steam twice; she
has no escape pipe. She was probably
the only boat that could have taken
that record breaking, three acre, million
bushel tow OF coal to New Orleans, last
spring. 1t is popularity supposed that
tow boat "keeps pushin' and II
shown" her tow all the way down tho
river In tho case OF tow like the
Williams, this il not true. 1t is nearly
always case Of float with the current,
the wheel being used merely to swing
thOimmcnse tow into tho best position
in lhh afrnnm