Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-12-03

was laid up almost three months on ac-
count Of low water. Capt. w. C. Gray
is in command.
The Belle MCGOWAN, owing to burn
ed boiler, dropped her tow at Merrill
and returned to Pittsburg. After get
ting new sheets. in her boiler she will re-
turn to Merrill for her tow.
Capt. William Martin hopes to be
able to commence the pumping out OF
the big cofferdam at Merrill by the lat
ter part of the week.
The Pittsburg Coal Exchange is hav-
ing printed in pamphlet form. history
by Capt. John F. bravo, setting forth
why the Dalzell bridge bill should be-
come a law. The new bill, as is well
known, asks Congress to compel pros
pective bridge builders to build channel
spans 1000 feet long over the Ohio and
Mississippi rivers The coal men have
lost thousands of dollars on account of
the improper construction of bridge
piers, they say, and they want the pres
ent law changed. Each member of
Congress will be sent copy of the
work. The Engineering Society, it is
said, has had pamphlet printed set
ting forth why the proposed bill should
be defeated.
Capt. Charles Menges, ST., one of the
pilots of the Enterprise, met with pc
culiar accident the other day. While
taking a tow Of coal down the Ohio a
log got fastened under the rudders of
the boat and he was unable to work the
pilot wheel for few minutes. Sudden
ly the wheel let go and he was struck
violently on the arm The force was
so great that it broke one of the spokes
in the pilot wheel, but Capt. Menges
escaped with a slight bruise.
The work of pumping out the cof-
ferdam at Herr's Island, which was
flooded by the recent rise in the Allie
gheny, was finished yesterday and oper-
atoms on the dam will start again.
The wickets at the Davis Island dam
are all down, the first time this season.
The government officials do not desire
to raise them again in view of the cold
weather, as freeze-up is feared. Sew
eral years ago the river froze over while
the wickets were up, and it resulted dis
astrously to the dam. Many Of the
wickets were broken and when the stage
of water became low enough in the
summer to allow them to again be rails
ed, it took such a long time that naviga-
ton was greatly interfered with.
The Boaz arrived at Pittsburg yes
terday with two of empties, having
been helped up from Bellaire by the
John w. Allies.
Capt. James A. Henderson, president
of the Pittsburg and Cincinnati Packet
Line, says that business is not good
with the packets this season on the
Ohio. In fact, it Aas rarely been worse
at this time of the year. The light
shipment of freight is not due to the
railroads securing the transportation
but to an absence of freight for river
points. There is very small amount
Of iron or steel going South. Capt
Henderson says this condition is the
more surprising since the general bust
ness tendency is toward Improvement
On the other hand, passenger business
this year seems better than usual
While people do not travel for pleasure,
as a rule, during the winter months
those going to river points find it more
economical and comfortable to travel
by boat than by rail during the cold
weather Passenger travel on the Ohio
has been on the increase for several
years. 1t is hoped that freight bust
ness will improve, but 1t is not likely
to do so until after the holidays.