Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-12-03
PROCESSION OF BOATS
MOVING IN QUICK SUCCESSION bpWN TRE
OHIO.
Th. Coal Flssi has Now Passed, With the Ezcsp-
ton Of a Few Sragglsrs-4ecidan's Ast
Cher River Noes.

A procession OF eighty towbeats,
! closely following each other down the
majestic Ohio, is a sight not often wit
messed. In fact, that irrepressiOle char
acter, the "oldest fnhabitant," comes to
the front with a statement that it has
never before been witnessed. 1t is not
strange then. thar the interest in the
big coal feet is by no means confined to
river men, but is of such a general ma
ture that crowds line the banks at all
cities along the river. The southern
markets are poorly stocked with coal,
and she present swell will be a God
send to the people in those localities.
! Unfortunately, 1t was not OK suIh-
cient proportions TO admit the floating
Of the coal boats, but every available
steamer in and about Pittsburg vas
pressed into service TO tow the barges
from the pools in that city 10 Cincin-
natl, Louisville and New Orleans. The
amount Of coal taken South or the
present rise has been variously estima-
ted, but will not fall short of 10, 900, 600
bushels, and will probably exceed that
figure.
From the hour when the Moran
passed the public landing, on Friday
afternoon, until dark last evening, this
interesting procession Of boats filed
past the city. BY daylight this morn
ing the feet will have prased down,
with the exception OF a few struggling
boats, which were delayed somewhat
by taking their lows below the Davis
Island dam and returning for more
barges. Very few coal boats have
passed down. and the few were not full
of coal, as in that event they would
draw about nine feet Of water.
There has been a lively rivalry
among the boats TO see which could
make the best time in reaching the des-
tination. This may, or may not, be
responsible for the accidents with which
the feet has met. Certain it is that the
steamers have encountered varying
fortunes, and there were a dozen Sc
rious mishaps before the fleet reached
Steubenville. II the ratio OF accidents
keeps up, the trip will go into history
as one of the most eventful ever taken
by a coal fleet.
Applet In one Of the boats that passed
the city yesterday, stopped of at Wheel
ing long enough to tell a REGISTER re-
porter OF some OF the accidents which
occurred on Friday. The Harry Brown
sunk two barges at Laycock, one in the
channel, 200 wards above the wharf,
the other on the right OF the channel.
1t was reported later that the Brown
was aground at Rochester. John +.
Walton sunk four barges at the head Of
Montgomery Island. The Raymond
Horner stuck five barges at the head OF
Line Island. The Bennett stuck five
barges under tho new dykes near the
Clusters.
The present wet weather will prob
ably give q further rise in the river,
aid steamboatmen confidently ex-
pect a good boating stage for some time.
The marks last night showed 8 feet at
the landing here and stationary. A
heavy fall Of snow was reported at the
headwaters Of the Allegheny, which
may cause another swell.
The following tow boats passed down
yesterday: Coal City, John o. Phillips,
Crescent, Bob Cornell and Ed Roberts
at s a. IN, Enterprise, Onward,
Ark, Diamond and Josh Cook at
at 0 a. M, Samuel Clark and Alice
Brown at 10 a. M, Tom Reese No. 2,
Lud Keefer, Dick Fulton, Beaver and
Tom Dodsworth at noon, Dave Wood,
Chas. Hork and Smoky City, at l p. NJ,
Hornet No. 2 at 2 p. m, Time, Mark
Winnett, Volunteer, Iron Duke, at
3 D.. N.