Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-02-10
RIVER IMPROVEMENT.
The Views of .. S. Engineer Thomas
Regarding Locks and Dams,
an Adequate Appropriation
to be Expended Intelligently.
River Falling acknowledgements
of the Local Packets, and News
and Notes Along the Wharf.

Colonel Amos Stickney stated at the
Cincinnati river improvement conven-
ton that the Ohio river had about one
thousand miles of nayigable water, and
that the commerce in 1894 amounted TO
$500. 600 tons, being exceeded by but
two waterways in this country. lie be
lieved that that part of the river lying
above Marietta should be locked and
damned. while below that point 1t
might be possible to maintain sutii-
cient depth OF channel by works Oh
contraction and regulation.
More attention has been given re-
Gently to river navigation than at any
time since the advent Of the railroad.
Much of the work done through Con-
gressional appropriations has been eX-
detrimental in character. There IS no
finer field in the world for successful
navigation than the rivers Of the Mis-
sissippi BASIN which drain l,ZoO,OOO
miles of territory rich in minerals 1or-
ests and agriculture. The river ana us
tributaries of the larger kind, ONO,
Red. Arkansas and Missouri, aggregate
in length $500 miles, at which not
more than one-third can be nayigated
with profit without extended improve
ments. These streams can be maze
profitable by the liberal use of money.
There is no fixed policy in river I'M
provement in this country, but IN "a
general way it consists OF widening,
deepening and Strengthening channels,
bv dredging and blasting out the shoals
and bends, the removal OF DISTINCTIONS
from the channel, the construction OF
breakwaters, and levees, and the
building of locks and dams to furnish
slackwater navigation. None OF the
larger streams have locks and DAMS
except the Davis Island dam on the
Ohio.
in an admirable paper on this sub
iect in the Cincinnati Tribune, B. F.
Thomas. United States engineer III
charge Of the Big Sandy river, says:
Since the invention of movable dams
in 1884, there has been no excuse Tor
building stationary dams except their
smaller cost, and this, indeed, has been
the principal reason so much waterway
has been improved in manner which
cannot. and does not, give satisfactory
results.
ION the Ohio both systems are appll-
cable. AT the upper part locks and
dams will be necessary, as no system
of dikes can confine water when there
is none to confne. 1t must be con-
versed in pools, and then the natural
flow will prevent their falling much
below their normal level.
an the lower part of the river it may
be possible to secure good open river
navigation by means OF dlkes, but
think this a question which cannot be
proven as easily as the first. While
omen river navigation is desirable
thing both because there is no delay
and because of its economy in first
cost. yet unless it can furnish the re-
ouired depth and width throughout the
wear il cannot be considered as compar-
ing with slackwater As the consruc-
ton of dams has been begun at the head
of the river. and VIII probably be con-
tiuued down stream, there Will be am
ple time and opportunity TO study the
question before a decision is reached.
In the building of the dams it may be
found advantageous to select those
which will throw water on the shallow
est bars for first construction, leaving
ont one here and there where there IS
fairly good water to be put in later.
or it may be that cities having a large
boating trade will demand the building
/ of a dam before the system has reached
them. Generally it is the best policy
: TO build them in their regular order OF
/ location. but this cannot be adopted as
a rule.
1T has been estimated that the slack
water system of this river would cost
$40 600 .O0O. Were it to be undertaken
by a corporation, it would first secure
the money and then proceed with the
work. and in few years be receiving
the benefits from it. That is the way
railroads and large bridges are built.
The government has not acquired this
excellent business habit, and until 1t
does the construction Of public works
will be expensive and slow and the re-
suits unsatisfactory. If Congress would
select for Improvement in a permanent
manner such rivers as the Ohio. and let
the whole work to contract, giving say
five years in which to complete the
system. and then take up another good
/ stream and,then another, it would save
millions of dollars and the people would
reap the benefits of good navigation
speedily"