The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1897-01-30
BOARD OF VIEWERS
GET DOWN TO BUSINESS,
will Meet Four Times Week uutil the
Work is Completed.

work Is Completed.
The Board of viewers appointed to
appraise the value of the property of
the Monongahela Navigation Compa-
ny began their labors last week. They
meet on Tuesdays, Wednesdays. Thurs
days and Fridays of each week and
will continue to do so until their work
shall have been completed. A sensa-
tion was sprung on the very first day
during the explanation of Engineer T.
p. Roberts on the value and cost of
the Navigation Company's property
when ii was discovered that his esti-
mate of the value of Lock No. was
nearly 500, 900 higher than his esti-
mate in 1887, when report was made
to the secretary of war in pursuance
of demand of citizens residing along
the river that the government con-
denim the property and free the river.
1t was expected some action would be
taken at that time and several engi-
geers went over the dams and locks
and gave estimates of costs and values
in detail. The estimate of Consulting
Engineer Wainwright, of Pittsburg
was 1891, 900 for Lock No. l and its
appurtenances, while that Of Colonel
Roberts as CLEANED from the records
was about 800, 600 exclusive of ma
chinery. His total estimate including
machinery and an abutment on the
south side of the river which is not
now in use was S4s6, 14l.94.
The hearing was opened by Attor-
ney Z. ID. Carnahan. In his address
Mr.. Carnahan stated that while he
would offer evidence regarding the
worth Of the physical structure of the
Monongahela river Improvements, yet
the company, would ask for damages,
based on the earning power of the
works. He would present the present
earning power of the stock and its in
crease year by year, as well as the pro-
spective increase in the future. He
said that the company would claim
that its property is in excellent condi-
tion and would offer expert testimony
on this point. They would attempt
to show that, this being true, and the
locks being sufficient to accommodate
the river traffic, their condition does
not affect the amount of damages
which should be awarded.
He then submitted as evidence a
number of acts of the state legislature
referring to the Monongahela Naviga-
ton Company, and comforting upon 1t
the right to improve the river. The
first witness in behalf of the company
was Col. T. p. Roberts, who has been
chief engineer of the company for IL
years.
''The slackwater system of the Mo
nongahela Navigation Company ex-
tends 81 miles along the Monongahela
river There are seven dams and IL
locks in the system. From the head
river the total fall is about rs feet.
The government has Two locks above
the company's property, which ex-
tend the slackwater system to Nor
gantown, a distance of 103 miles above
Pittsburg. The population of the val
ley is growing rapidly, so that where,
a dozen years ago, there were vacant
fields, to-day towns of many thousand
inhabitants stand. The largest blast
furnaces in the world are on river
banks, and many of the largest steel
and iron mills of the country. The
greatest industry and source of com
merce, however, is the coal mining in
dustry.
"Floods and ice cause considerable
damage to the Improvements at yari-
Gus times. Alone, the floods would do
but little damage, but when the heavy
ice is carried by them, the dams are
sometimes cut down and badly injur-
ed. OF late years the damage from ice
to our dams has been growing less.
The increase in the number of dams, |
the many bridge piers and the activi-
ty of the fast increasing number of
boats during the winter all tend to
increase the danger from ice. The av-
erage life of a dam, or the period of its
usefulness is about 81 years. That is
dam would probably be destroyed in
that time"
A VAST TONNAGE CARRIED.
The tonnage and traffic on the Mo-
nongahela river is larger than that of
New York. Last year 30, 600 vessels
passed through lock No. 1. There is
no other American river similarly i'm
proved that carries anything like the
amount of freight. The commerce
of the river has been steadily increas-
ing ever since it has been slack wat
cred.
Col. Roberts then told of the prog
ress of the building up of the system |
and gave detailed statement of the |
dimensions of the structure of lock No. |
/. He then went into detailed |
description of the construction of the |
river dams and the formation of the |
river bed, exhibiting plans and charts
of the property Of the company and |
pointing out the places talked of to
the board. He stated that the CON-
pany had experienced no difficulty |
from the dams being undermined by |
water, and ascribed this to the con-
struction and shape. The dams, he
says, are becoming petrified and the
structure should last an indefinite
period.
Sessions were held from day to day
and the dams taken up in succession
by.Col. Roberts, it being the purpose to
have the Navigation Companys side |
fully presented before the government
is heard. He went into exhaustive |
details as to the condition, etc, of |
each dam and OF all the property con-
nected with each one. When he had |
finished his testimony he had placed |
the value of the dams at 50, 500, 900 In
round numbers. This is exclusive of |
the machinery to operate the plant
and this item will add very materially
to the total cost A deduction will be
made from the total amount to make
=, =, FOR thu danrocinf ion dsia IN atro aud L