The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-17

1t Is confidently expected that the
rivers and harboTs bill will be reported
to the house and passed this week. SO
d!ligent have been tho subcommittee
since Congress reconvened. What IS
equally important to tho people OF
Wheeling. 1t Is also believed upon In
formation received from reliable
sources. that the bill will contain an
item approprintlng $3.50, 900 for Dam No.
u, located about six miles below
Wheeling, (nenr the Wegee coal works)
with the work to be done under con-
tinouous contract. The sum Of 900
Will In that event be appropriated to
meet the expense Of preliminary sound
ings, In other words to make the local
survey as to the character OF the foun-
dalton upon which the superstructure
will rest, and to pay for site. etc.
The estimate OF S3I5,988 made in the
preliminary draft OF the bill for main
talning navigation" on the Ohio. will,
In oil probability, be Increased to $780,
600, owing 10 the numerous points at
which the necessity exists for dlyGrtlng
portions of the general fund In the
maintenance. of deep water In hurbors,
and for other similar purposes.
Dam No. 13 will supply six feet OF
water ut the lowest stage in the har-
Dor of Greater Wheeling. {Wheel;nS,
Bridgeport, Benwood, Martins Ferry.
Aetnnyille, Bellairc and other points
within Il given radius), and insuring
n navigable channel the year around.
The advantages In getting the dam APP
proprlated for at the present session,
and early enough TO insure passage OF
the bill, are apparent ~ river men and
others interested: chief among them is
the gaining of time. The present be-
Ing the short aud last session OF the
present Congress, TO defer action might
cause a renewal OF the work In the
rivers and harbor committee from the
initial proceedings to the finish. and
postpone results until 1900. with the
risk Of defeat under changed condI-
tlons. 1t Is the purpose, OF course, TO
make the appropriation Immediately
available.
The rivers and harbors committee.
like all committees dealing with ap-
preparations, says Washington special
to the 1nteligencer, has been exceed
ingly d!llgent since the holidays. a
W
tain Dovener Is chairman, and of which
Messrs. Acheson, Reeves and Berry are
members, was appointed last Friday TO
consider the needs of the Ohio. 1t sat
that day and evening: resumed work
next morning, and subsequent to the
adjournment out OF respect to the MEM
DRY OF Representative Dingley, aguln
took up work, and prosecuted 1t until
lutte hour Saturday evening. TAX
Ing time only to attend Mr.. Dlngley's
funeral, the Subcommittee yesterday
repeated Saturdays progress, With the
result that the report Ia now about
ready for submission, together with
those OF other sub-cobmittces, to the
fun committee. The details have been
numerous. and 1t WIGS only by Industry
that the substantial progress noted has
been possible.
Captain DoYener. when Intercepted
last night. concerning the details OF the
forthcoming bill, said: II can give you
no Information, except that the COM
lnittee has been hard Mt work. In re-
spect to the prospect for an approprla-
ton. 1 can only say that the sub-com-
nittee OF which am member was APP
pointed Friday. the thirteenth Of the
month, and admit We have had Dam
NO, Id, W
l do not believe there is bad luck In
making q beginning Friday nor In the
number thirteen"
Major BlXby. the engineer. IN charge
OF the Ohio river, has been at Wash
ington since Friday, IN consultation
with members OF the committee, he
having been summoned at the request
Of General Wilson, chief OF engineers.
In his report to General Wilson, here
tOfore referred to In the Intelllgencer.
Major Blxby gave his reasons fir To-
eating the dams at the points named
In previous dispatch, In brief as fol-
lows: To allow 4 navigablc pass ut least
GOO feet wide, with It's center nearly In
line with the channel at tow boat
stages of water; TO admit OF weirs ut
least 30 feet In length. protected
from Injury by floating drift; TO allow
passage OF coal tows around each hale
or the dam during construction OF the
other half; to avoid the thanking OF
coal tows: to allow of the view OF dams
half mile each way: to avoid shifting
sand or gravel bars, and the mouths Of
sand-pearing rivers: to allow of posi-
lions below mouths of large tributaries,
like the Muskingum, near enough 10 eX-
tend navigation TO the nearest dam In
such tributary. and yet avoid trouble
from deposits or ovcrilows, and to avoid
the cutting up or otherwise injuring the
harbors OF large cities, especially
Wheeling and Marietta.