The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-11-02

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Cincinnati Star; The survey Of the
Ohio river by the government engineers
which has been In progress during the
last summer is now completed, the
crews have been discharged. and the
boats have gone into winter quarters.
The Importance OF this survey, which
involves a final expenditure of S25,oOO,-
900, Is obvious to all who have given the
least attention to the subject, The pro-
ject 10 the preliminary work for the inn
provement by the construction Of locks
and dams OF the Ohio that win make the
river continuously navigahle except
when closed by Ice. The history of this
survey Is very interesting. In the
spring of 1896 Capt. Il. b, Dovener,
member of Congress from the First DIS
trict of West Virginia, took the mem
bers OF the rivers and harbors commit
tee, OF which he was one on n 1unket
down the Ohio on the steamer Virginia,
stopping at Steubenville and other
points. The committee consisted OF the
following; Congressman Warren Is,
Hooker, OF New York; A. s. Berry, of
Kentucky; Philip D. McCulloch, Of Ar
kansas; Charles L. Towne, of Mlnneso-
ia; Thomas C. Cutchings, of Mississippi;
Rufus Il. Ftster, OF Georgia; Binger
Hermann, of oregon; Samuel l.. Ste
phenson, OF Michigan; j, u. Reyburn, OF
Pennsylvania; II. A. Cooper, OF Wiseoh-
sin; T. Z. Burton, of Ohio; w. u, Bar
rett, of Massachusetts,; Walter Reeves,
of Illinois; r. b. Dovener, of West Vtr-
ginia; Charles N. Clark, OF Missouri,
and James A. Walker, of Virginia.
At the Termination of the trip and O
return to Washington upon recommen-
dalton of The rivers and harhors COM
mlttee, an appropriation of S25, 900, with
q $4,000 contingent fund, was made for
the purpose OF surveying the river from
Pittsburgh TO Marietta, Ohio, II was
estimated that twenty-five locks and
dana 10 be constructed ut various places
between Pittsburgh and Cairo, would be
necessary to perfect tho great Ohio
waterway. The estimated cost OF each
lock and dam Is 81, 000,O 900. The survey
for which the appropriation was made,
from Pittsburgh TO Marietta, has been
completed and, In the opinion OF the
engineers, seventeen locks and dams
will have to be constructed between
these two points alone, This. the upper
part Of the river, has naturally the most
shallow places and therefore needs the
most dams. The last surve Of the Ohio
prior to the one just completed was
made by the government in 1874.
This survey established the distance
from Point Bridge, the Junction Of the
Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. and
the beginning OF the Ohio river, to Ma
rletta as III $40 miles. Tho new survey
establishes the distance to be 172 miles,
The increase is due to the action of the
water in changing the rivers course.
The recent survey was under the su-
pervtsioH OF Major W. H.. Heuer, United
States engineer. OF Cincinnati, and d.
rected in the field by r. r, Jones. United
States engineer, also Of Cincinnati. The
corps organized at Pittsburgh June q,
was composed OF forty-seven men, who
worked continuously 10 october I, when
the party disbanded and the men were
discharged at Marietta,
1t Is proper to mention here just what
work the survey corps had to perform.
First, distances had to be located and
registered on the river banks. Sound
ings of the rivers depths had to be
made at
EVERY 400 FEET
and these soundings records ID. The fall
Of the river had to be obtained. Thu
height of the banks and its levels must
be established, plated and marked, 50
that future engineers on consecutive
work wifi have q basis of operation.
All OF this was necessary before tho
engineers could determine whore the
dams and locks could be constructed to
accomplish the most good.
The Stadier system of measuring dis
tances was edopted instead of the old
time mode of triangulatinG measure
ments, The Stadler system is simple
and greatly facilitates work. Three
wires, ~delicately adjusted, are placed In
the telescope OF the transit. A rod
marked with hieroglyphlcs Ito the UNI
initiated Il Chinese puz2le) was held In
range of the transit operators vision.
The hieroglyphics seen between the
wires were open books to the surveyor,
upon which he accurately read the dis
tances. Each mark OF n certain char
acter to be seen between the wires indi-
Gated that many hundred feet of dis
lance, separating the rod and the tran
cit. The further the distance the great
er the scope of vision between the wires.
Under this method accuracy of meas
ureRent IL positive and unfaIllnE. and
work can be done much more rapidly,
The corps was organized for active work
by dividing into sub-eofp8. Il. II. Jones
was chief engineer in charge, and w. D.
Janney, of Ceredo, w, Va, %draughts-
man. One party, known as the main
base line corps, was composed Of j. w
Muter, of Wellsburg, w. Va; FRANK
Ullom, OF Yorkvi1le, o.; J.. Il. Spencer
Ellsworth, Pa; a. Il. G. Spreen, of Gin.
clnnatl, o.; Charles Bcnham, Mt. Car.
mel. i'll. This party was In charge OF
United States Engineer Spreen, ant
had n Of the most responsible parts
OF the great work TO perform. II es'
tablished the distances and located the
cities along the river banks. Each mile
had TO be accurately established so thai
n bench mark could be placed. A bench
mark rs an iron pipe with the top enc
sealed. AZ each mile one OF these plpof
was buried In tho bank OF the river FOL
future Use and reference, Their i0ca.
ton, nce determined upon, has TO be
checked back or proved correct 80 NJ
not TO vary tho ono-hundrcth Of a foot
Such
HAIR.sPL1TTGNd ACCURACY
gives one an idea Of tho rcaponslbllIty
OF the work.
IN future years when the Fovernmcn
Bhhll have appropriated tho tg5, 900, 0O