The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-09-15

river citics and toms In 1898 ana 1887
conventions were held In Pittsburgh
and Evansville, respectively. Now We
ere IN Wheeling and we hope 70 halE
grand convention. Before the Fifty
fourth Congress appeared representa-
lives Of the association and as a result
appropriations were made for six dams
on the Monongahela river, bringing
slack water navigation to Falrmont.
Six dnms are to be constructed on the
Ohio below Pittsburgh. In addition
survey Of the liver below these dams
has been made. and the engineers re-
port win be made In the Fifty-sixth
Congress. To-day glad welcome will
be extended by the people OF Wheeling
to the association. The captain paid q
glowing tribute 10 the officers of the as
ISOLATION, Messrs Vance and Wilson.
Concluding, the speaker presented Gov
ernor AtlSlnGon. who would formally
welcome the visitors to the city.
Said Governor Atkinson:
GOVERNOR ATKINSON.
"Mr. President and Fellow Cidzens:-
feel very much like the late General
y. P. Banks, OF Massachusetts, at that
time q member OF the Fifty-hFst Con-
gress, when a consideration OF the
financial affairs OF the country was be-
fore caucus OF the political party to
which he belonged. Said he. Mr..
Chairman, don't know anything about
the money problem. and therefore feel
II 10 be my duty TO make speech upon
the subject" / know very little about
the great undertaking OF locking and
dammlnG the Ohio river, and get I, like
General Banks, feel like saying few
words upon the subject.
1T has been assigned to me, my
friends, by the chamber OF commerce OF
this city, TO welcome the members OF
this association nd'their friends TO the
city OF Wheeling and the state OF West
Virginia. We are rejolced to have you
among US. Wheeling Is well known all
over this country, and the world, for
that matter, and for generation or
more she has been known, not only as a
manufacturing city, but also as city
of enterprise and wealth. Just how the
name OF Wheeling originated none Of US
can tell; but all OF Us who reside here
know that she never falls to wheel into
line on every movement which tends to
advance the interests OF all classes and
develop the intelligence and the re-
sources of our great country. The only
reason, my friends, why we have not
grown into a great city, is because we
had not enough level ground upon
which to build It. For half century
we have kept in the swim of progress.
and we are now, only In the dawn OF
what we are yet to be.
Again say, Mr.. President. on behalf
OF all our people, welcome the Ohio
River Improvement Association as dis
tinguished guests, and assure you,
gentlemen, that everything will be done
on the part OF our people. 70 make your
stay pleasant and, trust, profitable, as
well.
A NEVER FAILING HIGHWAY.
'.Alr. President, we have within West
virginia FIVE hundred miles of navlga-
BILE rivers, nearly two thousand miles
OF railroads, and no one can estimate
the extent OF our coal and coke and oil
and gas and timber. It Is the purpose
Of your organization to make the Ohio
river, which washes the border OF our
state for three hundred miles, more
naylgable and more useful. It Is your
aim, as an organization, By system
of locks and dams, to make this great
natural artery OF commerce a never
failing public highway for heavy
frelghts. The rivers OF the continent
are the natural arteries through which
the trade Of the country Is intended to
pass; and It Is therefore the duty Of the
people to improve these public high
ways 10 every way possible, because all
classes OF citizens will thereby be bene-
fitted. I am glad that this association
OF enterprising men was formed for the
purpose Of interesting the government
OF the United States In the Improvement
Of this great waterway.
ut Is believed by many, and am one
OF them, that the Ohio valley, In ad-
yantages and possibilities Is the richest
valley on earth. In climate, in location.
in soil, In iron. IN salt. In oil. in gas. IN
timber, in water-power. In stone. and IN
enterprise, education and intelligence. It
cannot easily be surpassed. To slack the
water OF this great river would very
s6sn cause It to be almost continuous
city OF manufactures from Pittsburgh
to C'inclnnnti; md hazard nothing
when / sag this will be done before an
other generation shall come and go.
81 find, Mr. President. that the United
States government has appropriated up
to this time, s.. 1906 900 for the locking
and dammIng Of the Ohio river. Lock
No, /. known as Davis Island Dam" a
few miles below Pittsburgh, was COM
pleted In 1885. Since that time 81, 900
has been appropriated by the general
government for the construction OF
locks ?, 3, 4, 5 and 6. which, when COM
pleted, will slack the water. from forty
TO fifty miles below Pittsburgh. No
work has been done upon any Of these
locks, except TO secure the titles to the
| land. except upon lock No. 6. II when
| No. 6 is completed. It would seem to me
not to be q mistake. but the course OF
wisdom, TO locate dam in the vicinity
of this city, and thus AFFORD a pool for
the benefit Of the manufacturing inter-
ests OF Wheeling and neighboring
towns; and, as n matter OF course, work
could be carried along upon the dams
| farther up the river. while the improve
ment Is going on here. Locks 2. 3. and
were skipped. and was taken up
which affords precedent. and II seems
to me a sensible one. to next begin work
upon n lock at Wheeling, and at the
same time so on with the locks laid
out above US. Now that the government
has taken hold of the work OF improv-
| Ing this river IN earnest. II should be
pushed along with all possible speed.
VERY HEAVY TONNAGE.
THE tonnage on the Ohio, even in Its
present condition. is very great. The
lock-teuder at the Davis Island dam re-
ported for 1895. the passage up stream
OF 1855 steamers and crafts, and down
stream of 1916, with total tonnage
OF s,sli,75s tons OF heavy frelghts, The
Ieatlre tonnage upon the Ohio river, ex-
| ,I,,st,,a - RATS and iOose freights for
the year 1895. amounted TO 9,sl4'435 nc,