The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1896-02-26
A Boom for the Allegheny.

a Boom for the Allegheny.
short time ago report was sent i'm
from this place to the promoters of the
Allegheny river improvement at Pitts
burg, showing the resources of our
county and especially relating to those
industries which would be enhanced by
the slack-watering of the river. This re-
port was taken up by a writer in the
Pittsburg Commercial Gazette, and we
give below his views on the subject. to-
gether with the report, which makes
very entertaining reading matter:
1t may crafty others as it does the
writer to notice the interest aroused in
this and other localities on the subject of
improved water highways; and espec-
tally in the improvement of the Allegh-
eny river. Foremost among the agita-
tors of this project we observe our wor-
thy townsman, Arthur Kirk, who has of
late circulated throughout the valley of
the Allegheny hundreds of petitions and
blank tabulated forms, requesting parties
interested to fill up the same with esti-
mates and facts, which, when collated,
would be a synoptic statement of valua-
BILE information to warrant the subject i'm
view.
From among the many replies received
we present the following, which en-
braces but one of the nineteen counties
of the state more or less watered or
drained by the Allegheny river and tribu-
taries.
Tionesta, Forest County, Penna.
January 2S, 1896.
Arthur Kirk, Esq, Sharpsburg, Penna:
Dear Sir-We certify that the within or
following report is deduced from care
ful canvass of Forest county, Pennsylva-
MIA, collectively made.
Samuel d. Irwin, c. L. and ex-County
Surveyor.
f. f. Whittekin, C. e. and ex-County
Surveyor.
j. d. w. Reck, Oil Producer.
In Forest county, Pennsylvania, ten
million dollars are invested in various
industries, employing $500 men, 29s
steam engines, aggregating $500 horse
power; being within the natural gas ter
ritory only about 5000 tons of coal are
consumed annually. The gas wells are
piped with 4-inch and 6-inch pipe, and
the pressure is about 400 pounds to the
square inch. Our industries are crippled
for want of transportation. We have
clay of all kinds for brick and terra Gotta,
and the fuel tgas) to make them, but
need cheaper transportation facilities.
AT this place tTionesta) the Allegheny
river is 700 foet in width, 2 feet deep at
low water and IL feet or more at high
water. We have some limestone and.ac-
cessible veins of hard fire clay six feet
thick; larger quantities of soft fire clay,
and vein 200 feet thick of silica for
making fire brick,
We have large quantities of bog (iron)
ore, under an area of 10000 acres. There
is fully two thousand million feet of mer-
chantable timber tributary to the Allie
gheny river and its branches in Forest
county. Our brick shale, OF which we
have an inexhustible supply, is the very
best known, and has been determined so
by analysis and by practically testing it
in kilns, it producing brick of all the
merchantable colors. There are valuable
chrome deposits in the Tionesta valley,
also kaolin is found at different points
and excellent sand and sand rock for
making glass.
The small quantity of coal used is ow-
ing to lack of cheap transportation and
the use OF natural gas.
This rapnrt intanJod q, ,o,ro,. A.,
whole of Forest county, which is tribu-
tory to the Allegheny river at or near
Tionesta.
lndorsing your arguments for the inn
provement of the Allegheny river we
beg leave to append paragraph:
"Ii we had cheaper transportation sew
eral important industries would be start
ed within the year. Material would be
shipped here; finished products would
be shipped from here, and our large ma
terial resources speedily developed, adj
ding thousands to the states annual
shipments"
A similar report has been received
from Emlenton, Yenango county, to-
gether with long list of names to the
petition for congressional action.
Responses of encouraging character are
also at hand from Franklin, Warren,
Olean, jamestown IN. ", Kittanning,
Logansport, Meadville, Wattersonville
and other towns.
If each person receiving the blanks
would follow the example of the above
noted, using few minutes time, or at
most an hour or two, of conference with
neighbor, the improvement of the Al
legheny rver would be in progress and
service in a short time.