The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-03-24
,,.,,, pI,patch 10 The 1ntelllgcnccr.

.pkcial Dlspatch 10 the lutelilecuceF'
WASHINGTON, d. c., March 49,
1, current rumors may be rolled upon
,he friends Of unrestricted commerce
on the Ohio and Monongahela rivers
viii have reason TO Congratulate them
selves when the report of the rivers and
h,rbors committee is made TO the
sonse The committee and those Rc-
compapying Il returned from the tour
N InspcctIon on schedule tlriG this
morning, and to-day meeting was
Mold II was IN executive session, ana
undsr the rules the members are not
.SiyulrinE the proceedlngs II Is known,
however, that the committees report
& now In the course OF preparation.
and that when the next meeting shall
se held, which will be Thursday Of the
present week. the draft will be very
nearly complete.
The lntellIEencer may predict with
reasonable certainty that the upper
Ohio will be provided with an Initial
approprlation for four movable dams
Sstween Beaver and Davis Island. and
that the gecretary OF war viii be
authorized to put the same under con-
tIruors contract. Also that an Item
will be put In providing for n survey
o. the river from Pittsburgh to Ma
rtetta with the view OF establishing n
system Of locks and dams between
those points. The Intelligencer may
also predict. with the same degree OF
certainty. that provision will be made
for the condemnation OF the Monongu-
heIa Navigation Company's dams be-
tsecn the Pennsylvania state line and
Pittsburgh. with the view OF their pur-
chase By the government and that six
dams Will be authorized TO complete
the system to Falrmont. The small
appropriation. about $4,000. to be made
fOr this construction will be available
upon the contamination Of the con-
demnatIon proceedings and the secre-
tary OF war will be authorized, as in the
other case, 10 put the construction OF
the six dams under continuous con-
tract.
The business men interested In the
development OF commerce upon these
two important waterways may depend
upon this Information being In the
Iaaln correct, although not obtained
from official sources, and that 50 far
rs the comfnIttee Is concerned. this
great Interest, so long neglected. VIII
be ignored no longer.
Captain DoveneT OF Wheeling, the
tndetAtiHable worker IN Denhlt Oh tue
Improvement. and n prominent mem-
her OF the rivers and hRrbors commit
tee. was asked this evening for COR
rDhoratlon Of the statement here given
Of the probable action OF that body. He
declined to discuss the executive pro-
ceedlngs. but with a smile OF quiet
satisfaction remarked that in his
opinion the friends OF the Improvement
win be satisfied with the result. That
the Monongahela win ultimately have
slackwater to It's source and free nRvl-
CATION It's full length Is not doubted,
and that the great Ohio valley. and the
vast Eectlon TO which Il contributes Its
commerce will have in the not distant
future the benefit OF the Improvements
now being outlined and provided for
by the rivers and harbors committee
seems TO be absolutely assured.
The proviso for placing the work OF
construction under continuous con-
tract will be OF more Importance than
much larger appropriation could be
without Il, and since n survey must
precede an appropriation in every case
the long stride made towards the frui-
tlon OF the hopes OF Pittsburgh. Wheel
Ing and points below In the inclusion
OF an item for the Ohio survey will
doubtless be hailed with much salts
faction.