The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-08-02
BIG MONEY.
Lots Of it to be Spent on the
Local River
Major Powell Has lots Of Cash to Blow
ju-Locks and Dams will be Fixed
MP and New Ones Built-Importanc
Of Pit'sburg as Shipping Point
Bigger things ahead.

UP anu new OHeS built-lmpOTtaucc
OF Pit'sburg as Shipping Point
Bigger things ahead.
Maj. Powell, Of the United States
engineers Office has stated that he
was 10 commence next mouth to spend
$l5, 900 in making the Allegheny river
more navigahle In addition to this
there will be spent upon the old locks
and dams Of the Monongahela river
81 1000 while the expenses for gen
eral contracting will be as great as
last year, 100000 This will make
minimum of $4,000 to be spent
upon the Allegheny, Monongahela
and Pittsburg harbors during one
year says the Press.
The object OF all this expenditure is
to restore the local harbor and rivers
to the condition required by so impor-
tant city as Pittsburg. This will
be simply restoring the local waters
to the condition that existed many
years ago.
Shipment on the river in the fiat
boat days, was only during the spring
and autumn floods, although an oc-
casional summer rise, such as we are
now exp Getting, would cause general
activity In the autumn of 1914 Hall
reports that SO, 900, 600 Of merchandise
was lying on the shores of the Monon-
gahela, waiting for rise Of water to
float it to its destination. The steam
ers did something TO alleviate this
condition of affairs, and still more re-
lief was experienced when railroads
came to carry goods quickly across
country. The local wharves, however
have not for long been SO busy and
thriving as they were In the pre-
steamboat days, and it is to effect
such revival that the government is
cow expanding such vast sums of
money on these rivers.
For the Monongahela improvements
Maj. Powell said he expected to spend
at least 1925, 600 The greater part
Of this will be expended on the alter
alton and repair of the old locks and
dams but he anticipates by special
contract work to have the river given
an average depth of 10 feet, while
Maj. Bixby will see that the Ohio has
general depth of six feet through
out the year. If this be accomplished
the palmy days of Pittsburg as port
will be revived and still higher pres.
tige given to the city as center Of
transportation.
In connection with this Maj. Pow
ell wishes specially brought before the
public the tonnage from the harbor
during the past financial year. In
the dispatches received from Wash
ington concerning his report it was
forgotten that the harbor now is reck-
oned separately from the Monongahe-
la and Allegheny rivers. He states
that 9,33S, 900 tons were shipped from
this locality, consisting mainly of coal,
iron, brick, pottery, glass, limestone
and general merchandise As he said
considering the size of the city and
the present difficulties in the way of
navigation such tonnage is equalled
| by no other city of like magnitude.
Maj. Powell expects that the opera
tions thus mapped out will be well on
to completion before the annual
| freshets commence. 1t will be re-
membered that last year the work on
hand was greatly delayed by the floods
commencing as early as October 18th.
On account of the number of floods
that continued until late this spring
he does not expect the freshets this
year until late in the fall, and thus
much greater progress will have to be
reported.
OF the three great contracts now
under way that at Springdale, on the
Allegheny, is making satisfactory
progress. The work at Hers Island,
also on the Allegheny, was greatly re-
tarded by the floods, but the Golfer
dam is now reported under control.
At lock No. 10 on the Monongahela,
greater progress would have to be re-
ported were it not for the fact that
they are unable to secure laborers
The contractor sent word to Mai.
Powell that he found 1t impossible to
obtain labor as everybody seemed to
be employed