Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-12-23
MoRGANTowN W. VA FRIDAY, DECEMBER % 1898
SOME RIVER NEWS.
A Number of Items of Interest
About the Monongahela.

ABOUT the M OnOnGanGl6.
Its all Gone Out--Gorges delayed this
but all has Disappeared Now--Nayi-
CATION about to be Resnmed-Lights
on the River-Pilots have Hard
Time to get Along Large Amount of
Coal in Lake Ports from the River
Distriet-Committee ON Rivers and
Harbors Hear Plea for One Million
and Half Dollars to Improve the
Locks on the Stream.
The ice is all out of the river in
this section and it has been clear for
several days but in the lower reach
es of the river it has not entirely
disappeared. There were several
bad gorges and these kept the rest
of the ice from getting out. How
ever it is free now from headwaters
to the mouth.
| Navigation will be resumed short
ly and the boats have started from
Pittsburg this way now. No very
great loss was caused by the ice but
at several times things looked very
squally. Had the ice gone out on a
higher river the damage would have
been much greater The river while
high was not too turbulent and ice
went out quietly.
/ 1t is said that another effort is
soon to be made to have lights es-
tablished along the river. A peti
ton to that end was filed by the
members Of Harbor % with the gov
eminent some months ago, but has
never been acted upon. It is claimed
that steamboating on the Mononga
hela is much more difficult than on
the Ohio, for the reason that there is
not a government light along the en-
tire stream, and pilots have to go it
blind. Until l5 months ago the riv-
er was controlled by the Mononga-
hela Navigation company, which, it
/ is said, was always more or less in
different to the requests OF the river
men. But now that the river is un-
der government supervision the
boatmen say the lights ought to be
established without further delay.
1t is said that pilots depend for
guidance mostly, at night, on the
shadows cast by the hills and trees,
but that beacon lights are the surest
guides. The lights from many mills
along the stream are also said to
have dazing effect on the sight of
the Monongahela river pilots. The
lights would overcome this trouble
almost entirely, it is claimed, as the
pilots could steer by them regardless
of the flare from the mills.
The rivers and harbors committee
will be ready about January Is to
present it's findings to the full com
mittee. Captain Dovener said Thurs
day that the committee had been
sitting morning and afternoon daily,
since the present session opened, but
that to morrow there would be a
respite in order to permit members
to visit the departments. The first
meeting to morrow will be at 2
o'clock.
The committee Thursday heard
Pittsburg delegation, headed by Cap
tain bravo, which asked for mil
lion and half for raising and en-
larging the dams purchased by the
government of the Monongahela
Navigation company. A Sundusky.
o., delegation was also heard in be-
half of an appropriation of 100000
for improvements.
1t is estimated that there is more
than $4,000 tons of Pittsburg dis
trict coal stored at the lake ports,
said to be sent there with no inten-
ton of placing it on lake carriers
during the lake season. The storing
of so large bulk of coal at the har-
bors is regarded as a bit of precau
ton which will reap a neat sum in
case of trouble with the miners as
the outcome Of the interstate con-
vention Of operators and pen.