The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-10-26

prised to learn that the headwaters of
four great river systems are born within
Ste boundaries. Here. within an area of
a little over 1000, 900 acres, the Ohio, the
Tennessee. the Potomac and the James
rivers begin their eventfri career to the
sea
Commencing in the southwest corner
Of Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and
extending through portions of Carrot
county, Maryland; Preston, Mineral,
Grant Tucker. Randolph. Pendleton,
Upshur, Webster, Pocahontas, Nlcho-
las. Greenbrter. Summers. Raleigh,
Mercer. Wyoming and Mcdowell copn-
ties. West Virginia. and Rockingham.
Augusta, Tazwell, Buchanan and Rus
sell counties. Virginia, there is a region
remarkable for It's number OF important
headwater streams, as well as its forest
resources. Within this area the four
great rivers above mentioned have their
sources. with twelve primary, twelve
secondary and thirteen third rate trib-
utaries, total OF thirty-seven more or
less important waterways and a large
number of smaller ones. altogether
making an aggregate OF not less than
1000 miles OF headwater streams.
The primary tributaries OF this great
water system are the Monongahela,
Little Kanawha, Great Kanawha, Big
Sandy and Gyandotte, of the Ohio: the
North and South Branch and Shenan-
doah, of the Potomac; the Calf Pasture.
Cow Pasture and Jackson rivers, Of the
James, and the Clinch river. OF the Ten
nessee. The secondary tributaries of
the Ohio are the Youghlogheny, Cheat
and Valley rivers. OF the Monongahela;
the Greenbrier. Gauley, Elk and Blue
Stone rivers, OF the Great Kanawha,
and the West Fork OF the Big Sandy,
OF the Potomac system; the Stony river
of the North Branch, the North and
South Forks OF the South Branch, and
the North river OF the Shenandoah The
principal third rate tributaries are the
Meadow, Cherry. Cranberry and Will
iams OF the Gauley, the Buckhannon
and Middle Fork OF the Valley river;
the sharvers. Otter, Glady. Black,
Laurel and Dry Fork OF Cheat, and the
South Fork OF the Big Sandy.
This section OF the state is covered
with primeval forest, which. in places,
Is as Wild as when Captain Bate and
his party passed over the Appalachian
chain OF mountains In 1867. on an ex-
ploring expedition from jamestown, Va.
A writer OF this party said: The forest
was unbroken to the setting sun, the
streams ran clear and full" and further
on he said he found the waters run
ming backward"
This great forest area has stood guard
for ages over these wild mountain peaks
and gloomy valleys, protecting the
water supply of the arteries Of travel
for the pagan. as well as maintaining
them as arteries Of commerce for the
advancing Christian, The hands OF
providence seem to have stayed the
woodman's axe and the firebrand from
these forests for the benefit OF the thou
sands of human beings who live and
thrive along the great valleys watered
from this region. But the great arms OF
commerce are now reaching out and
the work or denudIng the hills and val
1eys OF West Virginia is going on apace.
Fire invariably follows in the wake Of
the lumberman and destroys all that is
left OF the vegetation covering u thin
soil on a substratum OF rock.
When man has reached natures har-
vest and the elements have completed
their work OF destruction. those hills
Will be barren, reproductive wastes.
down which will pour rushing torrents
in time OF storms, and on which the
rays OF the sun will dance with glee
as on the sands of desert waste, thus
depriving the four river systems Of their
water supply, Bays Prof. L. G. Corbett,
OF the agricultural experiment station,
at Morgantown. w. Va
Mr.. Corbett is the professor OF agrl-
culture at the experiment station, and
has ever since his connection with the
institution taken great interest in the
preservation OF the forests of that state,
deeming It the bounden duty Of the
people OF the country to put stop TO
the ruthless destruction OF the forests.
that Is at present going on. before It Is
TOO late 10 act. had an interview with
Mr.. Corbett on this vital question, and
his views and theories show that he is
fully awake 10 the results that will
accrue from the destruction Of the for
ests, In reply to my question. he said;
'Nlne-tenths OF the people OF the
United States do not realize the import
ance OF forest preservation as means
Of maintaining the water supply of the
country, and II Congress and the state
legislature DO not do something soon in
this matter. an opportunity Will be lost
by which millions OF dollars could be
saved TO the people. France and Spain
have both grown to realize that by a
ruthless destruction OF their forests they
have allowed the llfe blood Of the ma
lions agriculture and commerce to flow
away. France is now spending annu-
ally, to restore the forests OF her denu-
ded mountains, moro than enough to
have purchased and maintained these
lands as public domains. Here Ia q case
where the ounce Of prevention would
have saved many pounds In gold which
are now going yearly TO correct an evil
which might have been avcrted. Lei
the American people profit by the fail
ure OF others and call halt"
ION what do wo depend for q water
Bupply?" I then asked him.
your question has n double mean
ing. Primarily, we nro dependent upor
the natural precipitation; and second
ariiy, upon soil water and tho now OIL
the streams. The flow Of streams II
maintained at n Uniform height by 3
constant rate OF flow Of the soil water
and this soil water comes from preeipi
tation. Tho natural answer TO tn,
question, however, would be that VI
depend upon the iow OF the streams fo
our water supply This IL true aB far NJ
large municipalities are cohcerned, nnt
Il In also tue OF river traffic. The waite
supply Of agriculture, however, whlcl
IN the great wealth producer, In nlmos
exclusively dependent upon preclpita
tIon. And hB In evident. the rate o
now and the rise Of BtreamB are also dc
pendent upon the same. whatever
then, influences tho precipitation mt
the rate Of run.off must OF nooeBHt!
bear directly upon our water supply
Tho amount Of rainfall which any par
tlculAr locality may receive during nm!
given year " dIglcHit 10 foFeteH or con
troll, but II Nv quite possible TO produce
an enuiiabIn dIgifIbtIinn NJ ihr nnuun