The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-07-13
RIVER IMPROVEMENTS
wORk DONE ON THE OHIO UNDER
COL. AMOS sTICKNEY's DIRECTION.
Report of the Mississippi River Com
acknowledgements Finding Fault
with Our Dried Apples.

WASHINGTON, July Stickney,
in charge Of the improvements of the Ohio
river, has made his annual report. He says
the general plans OF the Improvement of
this waterway is TO secure an additional
depth at the islands and bars by the con-
struction OF low dams and chutes, and by
building d:kes where the river is wide and
shallow, so as to confine the flow to- a
smaller section. and by dredging. A radi-
cal Improvement OF the upper part of the
river has been commenced by the construc-
ton of a lock and movable dam at Davis
island. five miles below Pittsburg. and an
other lock at Beaver. twenty
nine and one-half miles from
Pittsburg. Other works in prog
ress during the year were dikes at
Logstown bar, Clusters island. dam at the
head OF Marietta island, dixie at Blenerhas-
sett island. bikes at Guyandotte bar, bikes
at Modoc bar. G~unpowder bar, Flint island.
French island, Wanda reef and Falls Slough
crossing. Scufletown bar. cutoff near Ev-
a~nsville. Ind. Three-mile island levee at
Shawneetown. H.; bikes at Tradewater riv-
er. Mound City. Ill.
Tho harbor lines at Pittsburg have been
approved and the reports for Cincinnati
narbor lines are now being prepared. rms
Will complete the work, except the neces-
sary surveys for and placing of monuments
for locating the lines. There are three high
water draw bridges on the Ohio river. but
no record has been kept of the Ohio Falls
bridge, while the other two were not opened
during the season. These draws are made
necessary on all bridges below Cincinnati.
They are compelled to have draws unless
they are fifty-three feet above the water.
other bridges are forty feet high. Colonel
Stickney does not submit any special csti-
There were $l33. O3l expended during the
last year.
The Mississippi-river Communication has
made its annual report TO the chief of en-
slneers. The allotments made under the
river and harbor act of 1894 were as fol-
lows: New Madrid. No., 10000; Memphis,
Tenn, $4,000: Greenville. Miss, $50, 900;
$1,000: Atchalafaya and Red rivers, Louisi-
ana, $4,000; New Orleans, sl10. 900; ST. Fran
els river. $4,000. Under the continuing APP
propriations there were allotted from the
sundry civil appropriation bill of 1891 the
following amounts: Surveys, gauges and OBJ
servations, LOO: channel works. $685.. 900;
plant. SIP 800; dredges and dredging, $4,000;
levees. 81, $4,000. From the appropriation OF
the civil bill OF March, 1892, the following
were made: Surveys, gauges and
Observations. Sl39, $50; channel works. 1897 600;
plants. 10000: dredges and dredging. $3.50. 600;
levees, 81, 800. 220.
In 1892 Congress made provision for the
expenditure of S.995.00 from July /. 1892,
" AOuI yCdIS QllQSI the QiTcCIlOl OIL the
Mississippi-river Commission for the Inn
provement of the Mississippi river. The
most important part of the work IL the
building OF the levees. The commission has
allotted out OF each appropriation more thar
Sl,oO0,WO for this work. AS it is now about
TO enter upon the fourth and last year OF
this continuing appropriation the commits.
sion says that it is in a position to state
the results which will lave been accocm.
plished by the end Of that time, June 80
1896. and TO give an opinion as to the eff
cheney OF this method of appropriation in
It's application TO the Improvement of the
Mississippi river, and continues: The levee
system is designed to supplmement the
height OF the rivers natural banks so as
10 confine the flood discharges, with the
intention of deepening the bed by scows
The observations so far obtained by the
commmission seem to indicate that the pro.
cess OF deepening is steadily going on where
sufficient progress has been made with the
levees to cause a substantial increase OF
the Hood volume discharged between them
In connection with the last low water o.
1884 1T was observed that ighteen of ths
twenty-one gauges from the mouth of the
Ohio TO Cairo showed a lower stage thar
was ever known before. while on no one
Of the numerous tributaries, except the ST
Francis, was as low a stage reached in tina
year as had been previously known. Thi:
indicates a depression OF The bed of the
river, which was followed by levee con.
| struction."