The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1898-11-23


SIaelS-VVater NaVIgatIOns
The completion of the locks and
dams ON the Great Kanawha con-
stitutee an epoch in the history of
the Great Kanawha Valley and the
country adjacent.
For a quarter of a century or up
wards the United Government has
been making appropriations to
make Kanawha river nayigabIe at
all seasons of the year, for barges
drawing from six to seven feet of
water. This important work of the
general government was completed
last month, so that not less than
six feet of slack water navigation
on the Kanawha, was furnished
for a distance of ninety miles, that
is. from Loup Greek shoals 90 the
Ohio river. The construction of
ten locks and dams was necessary
for this work, which costs the gov
eminent 81, 200. The first lock
and dam located near Cannelton is-
designated Lock and Dam No. 2,
the last Lock and Dam located
near Point Pleasant is designated
No. IL. The length of this slack
water improvement is ninety miles,
and the fall in the river, that dis
lance, is Sc feet. That is'less than
L
BY an act of Congress passed in
1882, this slack water navigation
was made free and no tolls are
charged thereon.
The chief object the General
Government had in view by this
liberal policy to the Great Kama
VIVA region was to insure cheap
fuel for centuries to come TO all
the country along the Ohio river
and the Mississippi river from the
mouth of the Great Kanawha to
the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of
1000 miles.
This free transportation, by wa
ter on the Great Kanawha, is a
guarantee that no railroad compa-
ny can ever bottle up the vast coal
deposits situated on the Great
Kanawha and its tributaries, Elk
river, Coal river, &c.
This slack-water improvement
gives great commercial advantages
to the coal and timber lands situat-
ed on the Great Kanawha and its
tributaries, Elk river, Coal river.
&c, &c.
Cincinnati purchases seventy
million bushels of coal per annum.
louisville and other cities pur-
chase largely every year. Pitts
burg heretofore has furnished these
markets with greater part of the
coal SO purchased. But now
that slack water navigation on the
Great Kanawha is completed to
the Ohio river, it follows as con-
sequence that the present Kama
wha collieries and coIlieries yet to
started on Elk river, Coal river and
other tributaries of the Great
Kanawha can end will furnish the
very best of coal to Cincinnati and
the lower markets at less price
than Pittsburg can.
Galleries now in operation on
and near the Kanawha river and
those yet to be put in operation
when railroads are constructed
from slack-water navigation on the
Kanawha up Coal river and other
tributaries of the Great Kanawhe
must supersede the Pittsburg coal
trade in Cincinnati and the lower
markets on the Ohio and MISSES
ippi rivers.
Hams, Major Thomas Turtle, Maj.
Ernest Ruffner, Maj. Jas. F. Greg
DRY, Maj Hener and Maj. w. 81.
Bixby have been the U. S. Engin-
GERS, who at different times had
charge of this important slack-wa-
ter improvement.
Gen. Craighill had charge of the
work from 1874 to 1876. when he
was made Chief of the U. S. Engi-
neers. Major Bixby, of Cincinnati,
is the officer at present in charge.
Mr.. A. NJ. Scott, of Charleston, the
resident engineer, is now and has
been in charge of this improve
ment all the time since its CON-
mencement in 1873, and well done
has been the work of all these En-
gineers. -Charleston Gazette.
People who go into private
houses to use phones have no idea
of the trouble and bother that
they are. Their neighbors dislike
to tell them that they are nuis-