The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-02-20

the opening OF the present Congress as
heretofore mentioned in the Intelligent
GER the secretary of war transmitted
10 the house OF representatives a re-
mort made by Major Charles F. Powell,
through General John NJ. Wilson. chief
Of engineers. United States army in
compliance. with the provisions Of
Joint resolution passed at the last
preylous session, OF a survey made OF
the west. Fork river. The report em-
braced an estimate for the improve
ment of the river from It's mouth near
Falrmnnt to the city of clarksburg, by
n system Of locks and dams, and also a
suggestion as to the adyisablllty OF the
proposed Improvement.
The survey was made during the fall
and winter Of 1898, and. as will be re-
membered. the resolution authorizing 1t
was introduced in the house by Repre-
sentative Dovener, OF the First West
virginia district. Mr.. Dovener is not
discouraged by the report, but ex-
presses the utmost confidence in even-
tually securing the Improvement over
the route surveyed. 1t is pointed out
by him that nowhere in the comments
Of Major Powell is there a suggestion
of non-faaslbillty, nor is it stated that
the improvement is not necessary as
future consideration.
ut does not seem to mc that a sys-
tenn of locks and dams is now desirable.
on account of uncertainty of adequate
water supply and absence OF present
public necessity" said Major Powell.
~ report that the West Fork river,
from Its mouth to Clnrksburg, is not
at present worthy of slack-water i'm
provemant by the general government. :"
Mr.. Dovener Hopeful.
That it is not worthy of present"
Improvement, Mr.. Dovener says, is not
an important matter. and he believes
the Developments, present and pros
pectivo, in the region to be served, viii
warrant continuous agitation until the
locks and dams are secured. This agi-
tatlon he proposes to maintain. He re-
ferred tonight to what he conceives to
be Misrepresentation of the purpose of
the project, as indicated in Major
Powelrs report. The main object of
the Improvement, Mr.. Dovener says, is
to assist in bringing to the markets Of
the world the immense mineral depos-
It's and other products of the West
Fork valley and its contiguous terri
tory, and 1t is not so much desired that
passenger packets shall run between
Morgantown and Clarksburg, as to
have small towboats or tugs to traverse
the stream from Fairmont to Clarks-
burg to assist coal barges and timber
RATS to an outlet.
Major Powell's Report.
The report of Major Powell, to which
reference is made. says, in part:
'The last dam on that stream (the
Monongahela), No. Is, win back the
water into the West Fork. From pool
level of this dam to near an existing
mIlldam and to the foot of a natural
and considerable slope Of the river at
Clarksburg Is total fall of fifty-sIx
feet, The project of Improvement upon
which the estimate of cost herein is
based provides for six locks and dams,
located and having lifts as follows:
No. i, near White Rocks. 20 miles
above river mouth. s
No. 9, at Bryan. CO miles above river
mouth ...........,............ 10
NO. 3, at Hutchinson, 1913 miles above
river mouth Observation-Disclosures. 10
No. 4. at shinnston, Is miles above
mouth ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,
No. s. above Lumberport, 1873 miles
above river mouth .....,..,........ 10
NO. 6. at Lambert's Run, 22.T miles
above river mouth. ............... 10
'From cInrksburg to proposed Dam
NO. s, the width of pool of depth Of
eight feet would average about 165 feet
and range from forty to 27O; below head
of pool No. the average width for
same depth would be about 200 feet and
range from 50 to $40 feet. Even after
extensive dredging for n widening at
sharp bends. provided for in the esti-
mate Of cost, navigation by tows would
be somewhat inconvenlent, At other
places the project of improvement in
tends dredging where necessary to give
channel way 100 feet wide at o pool.
stage depth of eight feet.
R..Af... "a ~.
"The dams are located where exist
ence OF good foundation seems probable.
in straight reaches and wider places of
the river, and preferably next below
sharp bends in order to widen che river
there. AS tho rivers volume is small
except during short-liyed freshets, the
dams nre intended to be Of masonry for
making them tight; concrete construc-
tlon ia estimated for. The lock walls
nFe to be eight feet high above dams;
the chamber thirty-six feet wide or as
narrow as practicable and afford any
reasonable accommodation. The dams
must be necessarily short 80 that wi.
der locks like those on the MOrOngahela
river are lnadvlsable. The locks arc
planned to be long for enlarged cnpac-
ity and for giving useful length Of
chamber Of 1856 fect. Such u lock would
accommodate email towboat and coal
boat or towboat and four coal fats at
one lockage. or stern-wheel packet.
Larger lows could not DO handled in
the pools, It is thought, oven at favor
able stages. intermediate gates are in
tended for saving lockage water in