Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-01-26
CONDITIONS OF TIE RIVER.
Rain at Upper Points Yesterday Will
Cause Another Swell.
Will Not Amount to Much, as the
Water is Falling from Big Stage.
Rivernen Dissatisfied With the
Situation on the LandinG-Other
River News

The river again reached a stage yes
terday morning that caused residents
of the Island and lowlands to become
fearful of flood, and their apprehen
sion was gradually strengthened dur
ing the day, owing to the rains which
began in the morning and fell almost
necessarily until evening. In conse
quence the wharfboat officials were
kept pretty busy answering inquiries
through the telephone. Rain fell yes
terday at most Of the upper points and
will cause another swell in the Ohio,
but it will not come in time to make
any trouble. 1t would require vast
receding volume at dangerous altitude.
1t is not likely that the river will
reach the marks which were touched
yesterday, as colder weather prom
ised for to-day will stunt the effect of
yesterdays rain 70 a great extent.
Yesterday at daylight the gauge on
the landing showed a stage of n feet
and Z inches with the water stationary.
his was the height Of the present
swell and after remaining on a stand
for few hours began to recede slow
ly, showing at p. M, a fall of II
inches. This was an extremely slow
recession for such volume of water,
but was due mainly to the showers in
this locality during the morning and
afternoon, which caused the side
streams to put out considerable
amounts Of water, and another thing
high stages prevail at lower points.
Early morning reports showed the
water to be falling at all upper points.
Following are the points with their
respective stages, that play an import
ant part in big river:
Oh Clty-6 feet, 8 inches; Rices
Landing-12 feet. 6 inches; Parkers-S
feet, 3 inches; Morgantown-12 feet,
s inches; Greensboro-12 feet, in
ches; Brownsville-14 feet; Pittsburg
-16 feet, inches.
Dissatisfaction is at it's height
among riyermen and shippers gener-
ally in regard to the conditions on the
wharf, as there is but little space to
move around in when the river is at
any considerable height
A great deal of difficulty has been
experienced by shippers for the past
several weeks owing to the series of
swells, but yesterday when the river
touched the highest notch of the sea-
son, the small space on which the
team6ters and crews were compelled to
work made it extremely disagreed BILE.
At the centre Of the landing it was not
so bad, but at the upper end where the
wharfboat is stationed, the state of
affairs was simply intolerable. The
cause Of too small wharf at the upper
end CT the landing is the encroach-
ment of the G. & P. railroad wall,
against which the wharfboat was COM
PEELED to be placed on account of the
water. Yesterday, especially in the
morning, was a big day at the wharf,
as seven steamers passed in and out.
Some Of the transfers were forced to
unload their wagons at the wharfboat
in several feet of water while the road
running along the G.. & P. wall was
covered with mire to the depth of
half foot in some places. A river man
was heard to say yesterday that if the
city Council would have made an OBJ
servation on the landing during the
morning they would have seen their
folly in granting the c. & P. railroad
company the addition of wharfage on
which to build the wall. He further
etated that steamboatmen require as
much space to carry on their business
as the railroad companies, if not more.