The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1899-12-06
ments. Major Powelps Report
Thereon.

The Wal Department has made public
the results of the survey by Major Chas.
G. Powell of the Allegheny river for the
extension of the slackwater navigation.
Summed up his report shows that the
river is we'll worth the improvement
that it " ould make the entire valley one
chain of manufacturing towns from Oil
City to Pittsburg, and be the source of
fabulous wealth to Pennsylvania. The
annual haul is placed at $4,000 tons, and
the project contemplates 81 dams and
locks, to cost sl3, 900. The following
are extracts of the report from a special
to the Pittsburg Dispatch:
The river was surveyed from Oil City,
Pa, 134.7 miles above the river mouth, to
Tarentum, under tine direction of Major
r. L. Hoxie, corps of engineers, or Ma
jor Charles +. Powell during the late
falls, when low water generally obtains,
in 1896 and 1897.
The present navigation Of the Iiver is
confined to favorable stages, which in the
aggregate do not occur more than four or
five months in year. Years ago pack
cts ran to Warren, 1872 miles above Pitts
burg. In later yosrs steamboats, have
not attempted TO go above Oil City and in
the last year a single boat only made
few trips from Pittsburg as far up as
Kittauning.
Portions of the Allegheny valley, not
ably on the Clarion river. below French
creek, aud on the Tionesta river and
Hickory creeks, above Oil City, still
abound in timber. Parts of the cut and
barges and coal bottoms built for the
Pittsburg river coal trade and loaded
with lumber, mine tlmbers, or tan bark
are rated down the river on raises. This
traffic foots up about 200. 600 tons yearly,
and comprises about all there remains
to-day of river business above the reach
of Pittsburg harbor business.
AS. to the practicability of extending
the slack water improvement on the AL
legheny river in Pennsylvania it is found
volume for the purpose. The Allegheny
forms the Ohio river, and is larger
stream than the tributary Monongahela
and Kanawha rivers, where slack-water
Improvements are successfully operated.
The ba ks and the bed of the river are
reasonably firm, making its course stable,
especially below Oil City, and atlording
| foundation for structures, although not
rock. A filling of pools is not TO be eX-
pected from the very moderate amount
of sedimeat carried by the river. An OBJ
| lection to fixed dams is the destructive
action of frequent heavy ice gorges. The
very cold winters, rapid current and
shoal bars combine for forming the ice
gorges, but it is probable that the in
creased depth produced by dams would
reduce the extent of the gorges.
A drawback which has been urged
against fixed dams is their interference
with rafting. The dams would give some
compensation for the disadvantage tC
that interest by affording mole reliable
depth of water than during the short.
lived freshets, the opportunity of moving
RATS at any time during open river, and
cheaper tying-up places in the pools
while awaiting sale than at Pittsburg
harbor.
The useful natural products along the
river, except coal, lies upstream from
Kittsnning
In answer to circular letters Major Pow.
ell learned the following annual amounts
of named comodities, exclusive of pres.
ent rafting, would be accommodated Dy a
slack water Improvement: