Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-07-27
important FACTS
And Recommendations Relating to the
River

LAID BEFORE COUNCIL LAST EVEN
ING, BY CITY ENGINEER A l..
wHITEA SPECIAL JOINT COM
MITTEE APPOINTED TO CONSID-
Err THE HARBOR LINE QUESTION.
Following is the full text of the re-
port and recommendation made to
Council, last evening, by City Engineer
A L. White, upon the question Of
harbor lines and the city's interest in
the natter
Wheeling w. Va. July Is, 1898.
ITO the Honorable Mayor and Coun-
Gil, Wheeling, w. Va.
''Gentlemen:-As you probably
know, a board of United States en-
gineers, consisting of Major Powell, OF
Pittsburg; Major Bixby, of Cincinnati,
and Captain Warren, of Louisville.
gave a public hearing here at the
rooms of the Chamber OF Commerce,
last Friday morning. July I'D IN REFER
ence to the petition OF the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad Company to the Sec
rotary OF War to change the harbor
lines established at this port by the
United States government.
1T was the purpose OF this meeting
to give the public an opportunity 10
be heard upon the propriety OF grant
ing the request of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company. The meeting was
supposed to be advertised, but 1t seems
that but few citizens Of Wheeling
knew of the meeting or recognized its
Importance. Having attended the
meeting as City Engineer, by personal
request Of Major BiXby, | deem 1t my
duty to report to your honorable body
the proceedings of the meeting insofar
as they concern the city and to call
your attention to the Importance or
the barber lines to this port, and to
make certain suggestions for your
careful consideration.
"All navigable streams and water
ways are owned or controlled by the
United States government for the ben
eft of all the people Of the United
States.
ITO properly protect and improve
such waterways the War Department,
through its corps of engineers by
authority of Congress. has made sur
veys of the most important ports of
the United States, and after careful
consideration of all interests involved,
has established certain lines or boun-
diaries called harbor lines, beyond
which it is unlawful to dump rubbish
or cinders or construct buildings or
tracks This regulation the United
States government enforces by severe
penalties. In establishing harbor
lines, present conditions and require
mentS are not alone considered, but
the future is anticipated and provided
for. In a large navigable stream like
the Ohio river two main objects are
considered: first, riparian rights, its
capacity to carry off flood water with
the least possible damage to riparian
owners; second, its value as a means
of transportation. The first demands
that the crossed section of the chan
mel be the greatest permissible, be-
cause as width of channel is narrowed
it's depth must be correspondingly in
creased to give the necessary cross
section to accommodate the same
volume of water The second de-
mands straight or gently curving
channel with gentle currents. The
survey of Wheeling harbor was made
under the direction of Lieut.. Col. VIM.
E. Merrill, Corps of Engineers. U. S.
A. The board of engineers having
charge Of the work were composed of
Amos Stickney, lieutenant colonel Of
engineers, U. S. A.; d. w. Lockwood,
major of engineers. u. S. A; H. L,
Waterman, first lieutenant of en-
gineers, U. S. A. After completing
the surveys and maps a public hear
ing was given in the chambers of this
Council, which was quite generally at
tended by the rivermen, mill owners,
railway men and q few private citi-
zens. After further deliberations. this
distinguished board of engineers made
its report to the Secretary Of War.
Daniel A. Lamont, June Is, 1894, and
which report was duly signe< by him
June q, 1894, thus establishing the
official harbcr lines of the port of
Wheeling West Virginia. Since this
time many applications have been
made to the Secretary of War to
change the harbor lines in the inter-
ests of various corporations The
Pennsylvania Railroad Company petit
toned the Secretary of War to extend
the harbor lines at the freight depot
on Fourteenth street % 6-10 feet,
which request was referred to Major
Bixby, Of Cincinnati, who has charge
of this port and who reported to the
Secretary that the request be not
granted, giving strong reasons therefor
and at the same time suggesting to the
Secretary that such an important
change should not be made without a
public hearing at Wheeling duly ad-
vertised.
Following this advice the Secretary
OF War appointed the distinguished
Board Of United States Army Engin-
GERS who held their meeting here as
stated, last Friday. When the Chair
man, Maj. Powell, asked what the city
of Wheeling had to say, l replied in
substance, that the City Council OF
Wheeling and the Board of Commits
sioners of Chic county were the only
bodies who could speak with author
ity. that the matter had not been
called to their attention, that | was
sure that the subject was one Of great
importance to the city Of Wheeling
as a municipal corporation, and also
to various private interests of its cit
liens that any Entertainments upon
the river, however small, must neces-
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