Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1900-06-26
TWO CENTS
ENGINEERS HERE.
Col. Roberts Occupies Unique
Position in Army Circles.

Oldest Commissioned Officer in the SER
vice Major Powell Talks Of Work
on the Rlyer-IIe Is Very Greatly
Surprised Mt Senator Eikins stand
For Defaulting Contractor.
Col. III. NJ. Roberts OF the q. S.
Engineers who has charge of the
internal improvements on the Mis-
sissippi and Ohio and their tributar-
les together with Major Charles Il.
Powell who has charge of those on
the Monongalia and Allegheny riv-
ers has been here looking after the
work on the locks and dams between
this place and Fairmont. The con
tracts on these locks were recentIv
taken away from G. /. Mcdonald
who had been killing time on them
for the past two or three years,
Cot Roberts ID the oldest commits
stoned officer in point OF service iii
the United States Army having
been given his commission IN 1867
having served continuously for forty
three years. He has most interest
ing history and has seen service ali
over the country during his life.
Major Powell was seen by news
paper man and talked about the
locks and dams which have been
temporarily stopped in construction.
The government now has force Of
preliminary workmn ON them and the
co ntfaets for their actual construc-
tion arc expected to be let early
this summer.
The locks will not be let altogeth-
-rT as ia the first instance but will
be given ont ia sets of two. Ten
and eleven, twelve and thirteen and
fourteen and fifteen being given to
three separate contractors. This is
hoped will result in the work being
pushed more rapidly than it would
be done under any other plan. Ten
and eleven are expected TO be far
advanced toward completion before
fall and ten is expected to be finish
ed and ready for business by late
fall.
However" said Major Powell
it is "a little hard to get man to
take hold now on account OF the
fact that the summer SO far has been
so dry and there has been 80 much
low water that freshets may be ex-
pected later in the season. The high
est water ever known on the Monon-
gahela came ten years in July and
il was followed in August by anoth-
er very high stage of water. This
will probably deter them somewhat.
But we have gotten over the
worst OF it. We have succeeded at
ter long seige in getting the old
contracts annuiled. 1t was hard
fight and to my intense surprise 4
found that Senator Elkins and other
officials from this state were oppos-
ing the cancellation Of McDonalds
contract. They did everything they
could to hold it up and wrote strong
letters to the Secretary OF war try
ing to get him to delay such radical
action.
Mcdonald never intended doing
any more work this year at any rate.
He took the contract at price en-
tirely too low and could not finish it
without heavy loss. Why he wanted
to hold on is more than can tell.
But my surprise over Senator
Elkins movements is very great.
Why man would act in manner
so directly opposed to the interests
of his constituency is inexp!icable
to me. His own interests seem to
have been affected in some measure
but those of his people in this val
ley were even more so. But we have
overcome every thing in the way
and the work can now go ON with
out any more avoidable DELAYS