Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-04-05

One Of the largest meetings Of the
Wheeling Chamber Of Commerce ever
held, and certainly the largest since
the early days Of the Terminal rail-
road enterprise. was convened last
evening. TO listen to an address by Col.
Gustavus a. Karwiese upon the merits
and feasibility Of his Wheeling and
Cleveland canal project. with more
than an incidental reference to the well
known and undoubtedly valuable
Wheeling and Connellsville railroad.
The meeting was a thoroughly rep
resentatve one, and included such gen
tlemen as President Hullihen Quar-
rier, Col. Thomas O'Brien, Anton Rey-
mann, F. r. Lange, Henry Baer, DR..
r. W. Hazlett, Mayor Caldwell, ]. B.
SOmmeTvhle, John Frew c. +. Brand
fass, Daniel C. List, Jr., Samuel Kraft
J. c. Brady. and many others of like
standing. The total number present
probably reached seventy-hye, which
Will be recognized as
4 VERY BIG TURNOUT
for this city. and evidenced a very
satisfactory public interest in the
weighty matters now under cOnSidera-
ton.
President Quarter called the meet
ing 20 order, and at once introduced
Col. Karwiese, who began his very in
teresting and valuable address with
the remark that ne desired to say in
advance that he hoped nothing he
might say would be construed as find
ing fault with Wheeling or her people
His aim was solely to aid in the dis
coyery of some practical plan to bene-
tit Wheeling, and TO improve a natur-
ally strong situation. He was pre-
pared to offer what he conceived to be
a valuable suggestion, and by way OF
introduction he wanted to remark that
to a very considerable extent the lOca-
ton Of Wheeling in the way of natural
advantages. was not properly under
stood. The city was in
A FINE COMMERCIAL SITUATION,
yet if something was not done TO sup
plement nature with art. she would not
keep pace with the onward march Of
commerce. This was true Of other
places. also. and of no place more than
Pittsburg, and he illustrated the truth
Of this by quoting Andrew Carnegie,
although he did not mention him by
name, who recently said
Il have purchased large amount OF
real estate in Cleveland I am not in
the real estate business. and have not
made this purchase from speculative
motives, but for possible future use.
Soon We will be compelled TO have
cheaper raw material for the manu-
facture Of steel Pittsbuyg may hold
her own for time, but 1 am taking
precautions.
Il desire, said Col Karwiese, TO
call your attention to these words OF
a man who is generally reputed to
have common sense in business mat
tiers. and whose standing in his bust
ness will not De questioned. With this
gentleman taking the step he has, and
with Pittsburg eRdeavOring to secure
a ship canal and TO make
PITTSBURG A LAKE PORT.
it is time for Wheeling TO act.
Col. Karwiese then made some COM
ments showing the existence of a large
doubt in his mind of the praCticability
Of such a canal rs was contemplated
by Pittsburg. and then referred to the
large sums of government money
which had been spent along the rivers
in the vicinity of PiJtsbUrg. in an at
tempt to give the manufacturers Of
that city superior water tranSporta-
ton, and said that Wheeling's lOCa-
ton was naturally such that our city
could hold It's own with the expendi-
ture Of one-half the money Fittsburg
had already secured
Col. Karwiese had several maps
showing on a large scale the country
between PittsbUrg and, Wheeling and
the lake, and demonstrated conclusive
ly that the distance from Cleveland to
Wheeling was shorter than from Pitts
burg 70 any lake port The Pittsburg
canal project was intended for ships
or very large boats. and rs a result in
vOlved a large number Of costly locks.
These locks would require much water.
and he did not believe the necessary
amount could be had. on the higher
levels, during a good portion of the
year. On the other hand, his canal
project was for a smaller canal
ALREADY TWO-THIRDS BUILT,
requiring few locks. and costing a
comparatively small amount of money.
He repeated the assertion already
made through the columns of the Reg
ister, that freight could be carried
from the lakes 10 Wheeling for 44c
per ton, or One-haf the present mini
mum rate, and then presented a num-
Der Of facts going TO show the undoubt-
ed value of water transportation in
point Of CheapneSS. and the renewed
interest such means had lately
aroused. He quoted from a late mes
sage Of the Governor of New York to
show that of the grain receipts at the
port Of New York in a recent year
$4,000, 600 bushels was by canal and
but 1000 eco bushels by rail-. and the
coupled recommendation of the New
York Chief Executive that the depth
Of the New York canals be increased
from six to eight feet. He then re-
turned TO the existing Ohio canal, the
northern portion Of which he
PROPOSED TO UTILIZE.
and said he would clean It out and
deepen il from the original four feet
70 six. which would be sufficient for
his plan He described in detail the
advantages of bringing the Wheeling
end Of this canal through the divide
near Piedmont. on the c.. L. & W. by
tunnel. instead Of the infinitely more
costly and less practicable method of
carrying the canal over the elevation,