The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-01
THEY QUIT HERE.
The Government Steamer Edna
With the River Survey Corps
ARRIVED IN WHEELING MONDAY
Work OF surr.yinE The Ohio River From
Pit'sbnrshto Marietta Has Been Com,
,pisted TO Industry. hut |, Now stopped
on Account or high watrr-Ds.eription
orn Day with the Survey Party-credlt
Due the ohio Valley Improvement A.o.
citation.

veying members OF the government sur
yey OF the Ohio river between Pitts
burgh and Marietta. arrived here yes
terday. The work has been completed
from Pittsburgh TO. Industry, and the
survey called in for the winter on ac-
count of high water.
At the last session OF Congress $780,.
GOO was appropriated under the con-
tract system for the survey. OF the
Ohio river between Pittsburgh and Ma
riett1 preparatory TO the building OF
| Locks and Dams Nos. ., ), and and
| building OF the same. No. / Is already
completed at Davis Island and has been
in operation for number OF years.
No, 6 is now in thee curse OF conslruc-
| ton q; Merrill.
! Early in 4 august three parties under
Nessrs. c. Z. Mehlhope. \. f. Spreen
and Clinton Harris were sent out from
Cincinnati 10 set water gauges for use
on the survey. In September the re-
,l.a!nder OF the engineers and men left
| Cincinnati and Joined the first parties
al Pittsburgh. From Pittsburgh they
boarded q large and well appointed
| quarter boat, and towed by the United
| tSANS SNIshA4INA LUNA NNalAAAiNLANEl Nlls SuA
vcy proper.
Mr.. A.iF. Spreen had charge OF the
| transit party running the main line on
the left bank. on. this line large metal
bench marks were placed at every mile
Mr.. c. E. Mehlhope ran the line on the
left bank. Mr.. Westertield had charge
Of the levels, and Mr.. A. 3. McSirew,
| of Pittsburgh. formerly engineer OF the.
Wheeling Natural Gas Company, OF this
city, has charge OF the precise levels.
Mr.. A. G. Spre-n was the photographer
OF the expedition, and George EazsIton,
clerk
The whole party was under the charge
! OF Mr.. r. r. Jones, assistant engineer 10
| Major Heur. OF Cincinnati Mr.. Jones
Is an experienced and careful engineer,
lonS connected with government work.
The SURVEY has been carefully and
| accurately made. and 1t is expected that
work on the new locks and dams will
! begin as soon as suitable stage OF river
can be obtained. They will be 600 feet
| long and 10 wide. and will be bull; OF
| large blocks of sandstone The con-
s;ructSn OF these locks and dams will
give good haroor all the year round
TO that part % the Ohio river which lies
/ above them.
The work Is under the contract sys-
| tenn The entire contract for the build
\ Ing OF them is given out. and then the
contractors are paid as Congress makes
| the appropriations This allows the
whole work 10 be given out and the
government is not called upon 10 pay
| the entire amount out OF the treasury at
one time.
Day with the Party.
| Ea-ly in the morning while It is yet
| dark the wa;chmau gnes through the
boat and awakens the men. 4 few
| minutes is given to wash and dress and
then they are called 10 breakfast AS
| soon rs This IS over all the instruments.
| trarsits. levels, bench marks. rods.
taps, pins, plumb hobs. hatchets and
axes, picks and shovcls. are put on
board the steamer Edna and the party
| starts out for their morning work As
| the different stations are reached the
| several Parties transfer their instrli-
| ments and tools 10 their skiffs and leave
| the Edna As soon as there IS enough
| light work is begun and rapidly pro-
\ s?esses until twelve. a fire is then
| hastily built and the lunch basket in
| vaded. Cold biscuits. hog or 'possum,"
| pickles. cheese. = piece OF pie and din
ner is over. Work is Immediately taken
! up again and continues until darkness
makes It impossible 10 20 further. Into
| the skiffs, back 70 the Edna and thence
| TO the quarter boat, supper, some good
tobacco, favorite pipe. good stories,
| sleep and the day IS over The wo-k IS
| hard and rough, but the men soon get
sturdy and strong and develop a con-
Stituti0n that will stand almost any
| thing. They learn 10 love nature. and
see heT, in her different moods and hu-
| mo-s. From this they learn to become
| better and purer men.
One feature Of the work Is having
| the plotting OF the survey done on board
OF the quarter boat as soon as work is
| finished in the field This gives 4 check
10 all ;ie!d work and allows any posi-
bic error 20 be corrected. The plotting
has been under the direction OF Mr. C.
H. Needs. a noted engineer OF Cincin-
natl. He was ably assisted by Mr.. ".
| D. fanny. widely known In this state
as Seologist and mining engineer be-
| Ing resident OF the West Branch Min
ing Company, OF West Virginia
The quarter boat has been left at East
Liverpool for the winter The Edna
| goes to Cincinnati, while the members
OF the survey leave here tonight via
| the Baltimore {: Ohio far Cincinnati.
| No one who stands on the river banks
| and witches the immense coal fleets as
| they 20 swiftly down the river can
| doubt for momen; the vast importance
| OF the Ohio.
The government. has sQuandere6 mil
| liOrs; on river OF lesser importance, and
| hitherto has given but little attention
20 the most important river OF the
! United States. It has been often limited
| thar Ihe influence OF the railroads has
been against improvement of the river.
| Be that as II may, at last the rivcr men
| have been aroused 10 the protection of
| their interests, aid Il the united action
Of last year Is continued for few
years more there will be a good river
| down 10 Cairo.
| Much credit is due 10 the Ohio River
| Improvement Association. Their cf-
| forts have already borne fruit and il
is 10 be hoped that their good work Will
I be continued.
The army OF engineers who have had
charge Of the work on the Ohio have
all said 1t Is capable OF great improve
| mcnt. Plans have been submitted time
and r!sre again. but little attention paid
| TO them. The immense coal deposits
along the Ohio In West Virginia. Penn
| sylyanla and Ohio ncccssitate good
river stage during the entire year.
| w NetAeT thc improvement OF the lower
river should be By locks and dams or
| otherwise Is question FOR the United
| States corps CT engineers. What /.
needed Is an adequate appropria ton for
permanent Improvement OF the river to
Cairo.
| II will be to the interest OF all river
men TO aid The engineers III charge IS
much as possible. Often the improve
uIents are not as they think Is needed,
and they endeRvor to stop them. This
| only hurts their own inthresis. The