The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-01-06

River Improvement Is q topic OF gen.
eral interest now-a-days In this valley
from Pittsburgh TO Cairo. II Congress-
were pledged to do what the practical
unanlmity OF the Ohio valley calls for
there would be an appropriation sufIi-
cicut TO lock and dam the river from
Davis Island Dust below Pittsburgh
TO Cincinnati, This unanImity found
expression In the recently organized
Ohio Valley Improvement Association.
Everybody, almost, seems to think that
something will be accomplished soon
The other evening a number OF people
were in the VirgInin's pilot house ELL
toying from that point OF vantage one
OF the prettiest OF the many pretty
gems OF scenery along the upper Ohio
the approach to ParkersburE; historic
Blannerhassett on one side. full moon
giving the broad expanse OF river
golden sheen, and the many arc lights
OF the city serving as n brilliant back
ground. The new boat was plcnghing
up the middle OF the river under Il full
head of steam, and with seventeen feet
OF water underneath, the pilots were
not picking their way around sand
bars or government dtkes
"If we could have this stage OF water
nine months in the year between Pitts
burgh and Cincinnati" said Captain
Frank Ellison, OF Cincinnati. this
steamboat would be n thlrd-clnss craft
in ten years, instead oEthe finest on the
upper river, as she Is to-day"
"You have views on river improve
ment," remarked the scribe.
Eyes, that's true" returned the Ge-
NAL superintendent OF the packet line.
n HhnI faith In the
Ohio river as II stands to-day than In
government action In improving 1t.
do not think that anything In the way
OF q general scheme OF Improvement
viii be accomplished for some time.
But start Is being made and no effort
should be spared TO achieve the object
in view. The river has two very good
friends in Senators Quay. OF Pennsyl-
vsnia, and Elkins, of West Virginia,
who together possess as much tntlu-
ence as the next pair OF men YOU strike.
But II will be many a day before you
see the river improved on the lines de-
sired by the river Improvement assoc
eiation."
Captain Ellison believes that the
river should be locked and damned
from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati. In his
opinion, locks and dams to Marietta
would not suffice, as the river below
Marietta is very low in the summer
months, usually In connection with
improvement of the river, he said that
the effort to retain Colonel Amos Stick
ney as the army officer in charge Of the
Ohio will not be relaxed until Secretary
Lamont finally signs the document that
In an abbreviated form means NO"
The colonel Is the best friend the river
ever had In government circles, and
though the new man might be all right,
the Ohio river people feel that they
should stick to St!cltncy Just us he has
stuck 10 them md their interests.
Captain Al. sIavln, now an official Of
the Ohio River railroad, was formerly
purser on the Hudson and other Ohio
river steamboats,. He was passenger
on the NIrEiuia's initial trip. and. like
all others, is great adm!rpr ot the
new boat Back IN the seventies he
was clerk on lower river boat rum
ming out OF Evansville, Ind. In the
summer OF rs. the year OF that never
to-be-forgotten run Of the fever-strick-
en- John Porter up the Ohio, his boat
was at the Evansville wharf when the
Porter came up the river. The boat
stopped and he met the captain. c. W.
Mahan. who now lives up the river,
near New Cumberland. This was be-
fore the fever broke out among the
crew. 4 day later Saven was thor
oughly frightened to learn OF the yell
low fever being discovered on the Por-
ter. which had proceeded on UP the
river. hut fortunately he had escaped
be- :. contaminated II will be renem-
bersd the Porter went on up the river,
every town turning out armed to the
teeth to resist any intended landing.
and that finally. the coal giving out. the
boat was forced to go to the bank on
the West Virginin shore opposite Gal.
llpolIs, Ohio. There the crew. one after
another. took the disease and succumb-
ed to II until, at last, only one man re-
mained--thc Waterman OF the boat,
who escaped death. Steamboats, in
passing that reach OF the river would
hug the Ohio shore for dear life. Day
after day the men who remained alive
could he seen digging graves In the
sand and depoSitlrg the dead In them
no religious services or mark OF re-
spect being thought of. The sole sur
vivOr OF the dread plague. the watch
man, was unable t. get away frpn Ms
terrible surroundings: no boat would
even think OF taking him as n plssen-
ger down the river. He got AWAY In n
novel manner. one night when pilots
couldn't see much r. general. or any
thing IN particular. one Of those nights
OF inhy darkness not often seen on the
river. the Waterman embarked In the
Borter'S yawl. and after nights hard
work reached Huntington. where he dis
gulsed himself and took passage son
the old Andes for Cincinnati. Thence he
went on to Louisville. his home, where
he was received as one dead and gone.
The Virginia had Just left Catletts-
burg, KY. ut the mouth OF the Big
Sandy. famous for It's lDibOnts md
flatboatmen, and wns passing the broad
expanse OF bottom on which the Nor
folk & Western town Of Kenova Is To-
Gated, when IN Ancient Historian. who
wns taking In the view from the boats
most sacred snctum. the pilot house,
brok out with this observations:
you fellows+lon't know how close
shave your vast Virginia town OF
Huntington had from being located
right here where they are trying to
build up q town, DO you2'
General ignorance was expressed.
Eyes, Il Ia fact" continued the
"A-C." "And this very Ohio rivcrItAclf
was the cause OF Huntington being lo-
cnted where II Is instead OF over yon-
der. The man who was instructed to
locate the terminus Of the Chesapeake
g. Ohio road. then being constructed
across the mountains, waS to pick
spot between the mouths Of the Guynn.
dotto and Big Sandy. lie arrived on the
scene in February. 1870. md proceeded
10 look at the several candidates for
the location Of the proposed city. The
present site OF Huntington seemed all
right, but the geographical location OF
the ground nj the mouth of the big
Sandy possessed come advantages. and
here he finally decided to place his
town. But he had barely come to this
determination when la Belle Rlviero
took n hnnd and beat him nj his avn