Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1899-07-29
OFFICIAL REPORT.
Major Charles F. Powell Makes
His Annual Report.


Have Done Better-WOrk on Other
Dams Begun-Old Locks Inadequate
to Supply Demands of Traffic.
Maj. Charles f. Powell, the engi-
neer officer in charge of the improve
ments for the Pittsburg harbor and
the Allegheny and Monongahela riv-
ers, has submitted his annual report
to the chief of engineers.
| Regarding the work done on the
Monongahela river, Maj. Powell
states that at the beginning of the
year the contractor had built cof-
/ fer-dam for Lock No. 10, near Nor
gantown, and made excavation for a
lock pit and partly built two guard
cribs. The coffer-dam was flooded
by river freshet in October, and
although pumped out and concrete
work resumed, little construction
was done thereafter. The work was
suspended necessarily during the
winter, resumed in April and sub
jected to temporary stoppage by a
freshet in June. The contractor how
ever, it is thought, could and should
have made better progress.
Additional behring's into the under
lying rock were made at sites for
Locks Nos. 13 and Is for further
showing of the character of the foun-
dation. The river and harbor act
of March 3, 1899, provided for the
enlargement and improvement of
Lock No 6, certain accessory struct-
ures at Lock No. 3 and for addition
al pieces of floating plant. The pro
ject for the work has been submit
ted, but has not yet received final
action. Preparations have been made
for prospecting the greater part Of
the work during the low stage OF
next fall
Mai. Powell states that the traffic
from Monongahela is hampered and
restricted by insufficient capacity
4 in the pool channels. The tonnage
of the river is almost 100000, over
1000 crafts Of various kinds using
the locks. During the year 22,926
lockages were made at Dam No. /,
nearly as many at Dam No 2, 13, 243
at Dam No 4, and 1889 at Dam No.
6. Maj. Powell states that the winter
! was unusually severe and greatly
hindefed navigation. At Lock No.
/ |, Pittsburg, about 100 feet OF the
dam, near the lock wall, was repaired
4 by the addition of new sheeting
sticks and about $50 cubic yards Of
stone ballast. AT Lock No. 2 Port
Perry, semi circular shaped pile
work protection crib was added to
the lower end Of the middle wall to
prevent boats from damaging the
masonary. To replace a former
structure, curved DETECTING dixie,
about 200 feet long, was constructed
at the mouth of Turtle creek, about
400 yards below the lock, with the
object of turning drift, ashes, clink-
ers and coal mine refuse down the
shore, and thereby obviate the nee
essity Of dredging the bar formed by
this creek. Upon an average, dur
ing the past five years, about l50,
900 cubic yards Of material thrown
out by Turtle creek has been an
nually dredged from the channel. At
Lock No. 3, above Elizabeth, Golfer
! dam was placed above the head of
the large lock, and the old gates re-
moTed in order to cut down the
walls for the reception of oak quoins
for new gates, but owing to the wa
ter remaining higher than was ex-
pected second coffcr-dam was nee
essary, after which the upper end of
the lock chamber was pumped out
and the work completed. There was
no improvement of any considerable
extent done on Locks Nos. to 9.
! The total quantity of material
dredged during the year from the
! several pools of the Monongahela
river was 6S,092 cubic yards. Dur
ing the year 10 wrecks were re
moved from one channel of the river.
The total amount expended during
the fiscal year on the Monongahela
was Sl4S,755. During the year g.
$4,000 tons of coal passed through
the locks on the Monongahela, and
163, 245 passengers.