Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1898-11-18
RIVER IMPROVE MENT
Hopes and Aims of the Ohio Valley
Improvement Association.

following closely, as IL does, the recent
meeting of the Executive Council in
Louisville, indicates beyond question
the determination of it's officers to
continue with vigor its work until the
entire Ohio has been permanently i'm
proved and the people of the Ohio VAL
ley are lgiven stream that is navig-
able all the year around.
President John l.. Vance is accred-
tied with the origin of the campaign
Of education, which had its beginning
in the present tour of the upper Ohio
now being made by party of promi-
nent citizens of the interior of the
State. In his work at Washington and
elsewhere Colonel Vances chief en-
barrassment has been the general lack
of knowledge and appreciation of the
vast importance of the Ohio river he
has encountered. Even. among the
people of his own State Colonel Vance
has met with a state Of affairs that he
believed should be removed. The
first step in this direction is the trip
referred to- Selecting men of affairs
and influence from different sections
Of .-.e States interior, Colonel Vance
proposes to reach. through them,
wide circle of influential citizens, and
indirectly the men from Ohio who
make the laws and pass the appropria-
tions at Washington. When Colonel
Vance has acquainted the people of
the State with the Importance Of the
stream that skirts her southern
boundary the association may induce
committee from Congress to make a
trip OF inspection on the river, as was
done in connection with the purchase
of the locks and dams on the Monon-
gahela river.
AS has been stated, the step now de-
sired on the part of the Government
is survey OF the river from Marietta
to it's mouth at Cairo. The survey
has been made from Marietta to Pitts
burg The survey is necessary to en-
able the location of the necessary
locks and dams to make of the Ohio a
slackwater stream in low water. Col
onel Vance believes when the survey
has been completed it will show that
less dams will be required than at
first anticipated, thus reducing the to-
Lai cost Of the proposed improvement
There Is little room for doubt that
when these dams are located one of
them will be at or just little below
Cincinnati. Y, neither the committee
recently appointed by the Chamber of
Commerce can procure the erection of
such dam out of its regular order is
another question. Some of the friends |
OF the general improvement OF the |
river are inclined to question the ad- |
OF urging its construction
out OF its order, lest the whole move
ment be embarrassed. Colonel Vance |
believes that the survey once COM
pleted, the entire system OF locks and
dams could be constructed in three
years. In that he is borne out by Ma
jor Heuer, formerly in charge of the
river here, who said II sufficient force
was given the Engineers Department
10 prepare the plans and specifications
and look after the work it could be
done in three years. That would, Of
course, require the work to be done on
I'll the dams simultaneously.
1t is difficult for the average person
% appreciate dam in navigable
liver that will not be an obstruction at
Ill times. Even Senator Cromley and
'x-Congressman Pugsley, who are
n members of Colonel Vance's party on
he Queen City, failed to see how a
lam that would be substantial and
lold steady stage of water behind it
'ould be removed in a few hours time
when good rise was announced as
coming. Their doubts were entirely
'emoved after an inspection of Davis
-sland Dam on Tuesday. Thirteen
No'9 Va uoC hoo pIONCd luc
and the entire efficiency
of the movable dam. The two gen.
lemen questioned Captain Martin, the
engineer in charge of Davis Island
Dam, very closely when that official
by means of small work
ng model and with the dam itself to
supplement his explanations, just how
he wickets are operated.
Next to the north shore at Davis
sland is constructed of solid and
ieayy masonry the lock, more than
me hundred feet wide and four hund-
ed feet long, which is used by vessels
n low water. From the outer wall of
he lock extends the dam, with "pear
rap" for getting rid of accumulated
rift in the center. At present this
am lies fat on the bed of the river
nd can be passed over at any point
y steamers. When the water in the
iver gets below six feet preparations
re made for raising the dam. The
am consists of series of wickets, or {