Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-01-11
LOCKS
And Dams For the Ohio River Rec
commended by Major Bixby,

Washington, d. c., Jan. S.-The
long-looked for reporG of Major Bixby
of the United States Engineering Blu
reau on the survey of the Ohio river
from Pittsburg to Marietta with a
view of such improvements in that rlv-
er as shall provide six feet OF navig-
able water at all times of the year,has
been presented in the House and re-
ferred to the Committee on Rivers
and Harbors for consideration The
report contains a number of maps and
drawings of the river between the
points mentioned, and recommends
the building at an early date Of IL
movable locks and dams. 1t is esti-
mated that these can be constructed at
total cost of $10,000,000
Major Bixby states that the dams as
located by the survey accomplished
under his superintendency will cost
about $S50,000 each, and that, IL ap-
preparations are forthcoming, with no
restrictions on the work, all 12 locks
could be built and finished simultan-
eously. The work, he says, could be
followed by the construction of the 12
navigable passes the next season, and
by the construction of the 12 wiers the
following season. He advises, for. the
appropriation of $4,000 and for the
purchase of the sites from the owners
of the adjacent land an appropriation
Of 500, 600 each, and funds remaining
from these appropriations to be ap-
piled to the regular work on the dams.
The survey of the river was made as
the result of an appropriation provided
in the river and harbor act of June 3,
1896, of $4,000 for that purpose. At
the time it became available the Ohio
r.ver had already been surveyed from
it's head to a point below Beaver Dam,
Pa, or distance of 20 miles. Six
dams had been provided for in the for
mer survey, commencing with No. |,
at Davis Island, and running down TO
No. 6.
The survey was commenced in Sep
tember, 1896, and continued till No
vember 80 in that year. 1t was rec
commended in June, 1897, and practi-
cally finished October 4, 1897 From
that time until December 2S $685. the
engineers have been busily engaged in
working up their notes and in complet-
ing maps of the survey.
The exact levels on which the loca-
tlons of the dams depends were run
over twice and were made accurate to
within one hundredth part of a foot
per mile. Soundings were taken ev-
cry 400 feet up and down the river at
distance of 40 feet across and metal
&c monuments were buried at every
mile.
In their selections of locations for
the dams the engineers were subjected
to certain conditions of practical ex-
pediency and technical necessity.
These were in the main as follows:
1. 1t was necessary to allow room
for navigable passage at least 600
feet in width, with it's center nearly
in line with the existing channel in
the river.
| g Room had to be allowed for
wiers at least 200 feet in
length to protect the dams from injury
by floating drift and for the passage of
coal tows around one half of the dam
while the other half was in process of
bnilding.
g. Room had to be allowed for a
view of the dams from boats one half
mile up or down stream, and points
near the mouths of small rivers and
creeks had to be avoided, as we'll as
places where sand or gravel bars were
likely to form.
| 4. Care had to be taken to avoid
The cutting or injury of existing har-
bors. especially those of Wheeling and
Marietta, and to place the dams below
the mouths of large rivers, so as to
give additional depths to the harbors
natural to such places in the Ohio.
Owing to these conditions the site
for the dam at Aleeling will be some
five miles below the city, and about
one mile below Bellaire. The dam at
Marietta will be located about two
Onilno halnuf Hba al fu DIV 4, ,ie
ment locations for all IL dams were Sc
cured with lifts which will not exceed
rs feet, except in the case of the Mari
eta dam, where the lift will be about
go feet.
Dam No. 6, which Is $3.50 miles be-
low Pittsburg, has already been COM
pleted. Dam No. will be 36.44 miles
below Pittsburg, and will be located
in Penna. some two miles above
Georgetown; Dam No. s, 46.S0 miles
below Pittsburg, below Bast Liverpool,
Ohio, and above Wellsville, Ohio; Dam
No. 8, 56,68 miles below Pittsburg, and
one mile below Toronto, Ohio; Dam
No. 10, C5.38 miles below PlttsbUrg,
and one mile above Steubenville
Bridge, Ohio; Dam No, II, 1880 miles
below Pittsburg, and two miles below
Wellsburg, w. Va. Dam No. ~, 81
miles below Pittsburg, and two miles
below Martins Ferry. Ohio; Dam No.
10, 1915 mics below Pittsburg, and two
miles below Bellaire; Dam No. IA,