The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1900-05-18
CLARKsBURG. W. va. MAY Is. 1900
1As STORY is UNTRUE
That Judge Campbell Ever Wrote a
challenge to Capt. Dosener.
ONCE of the Chief of Engineers,
United States Army,

Office of the Chlef OF Englneeio'
United States Army,
Washington, ID. c.. May l6. l0Oo. J
Hon.B. B. Dovener, U. S. House OF
Representatives.
Sir;-Referring to your letter OF
this date In regard to the projected
improvement OF Ohio River along the
West Virginia front / inclose a copy
of House Doc. No. l22, 55th Congress,
3rd session, containing report dated
December %, 1898, by Major w. fl.
Bixby, Corps If Engineers, upon sur
vey Of Ohio River from Pittsburgh,
Pa, to Marietta, Ohio, with a plan
for Improvement of this portion Of the
river, by construction Of u locks and
dams at an estimated cost Of 1850, 900,
each Of a total of $40, 200, 900.
The river and harbor act OF March
s, 1900, appropriated $1O0,Oo for pre-
liminary work, acquisition of land and
commencing construction OF locks and
dams No. ID and Is under the plan
mentioned and authorized the letting
of contracts for completing the same
at cost not to exceed 100000 each
in addition to the amount appropriat-
ed. Those works will be built at To-
calities below Wheeling, w. Va, and
Marietta, Ohio, respectively.
All special surveys for location have
been completed and the necessary
borings for determining the sites Of
these two locks and dams have been
maze, the sites have been selected,
acquisition of the land required has
been authorized and the Attorney
General has been requested to instruct
the proper q. S. Attorneys to render
legal assistance in securing an exami-
nation Of titles which work is under
the law, ordinarily more difficult and
takes much more time than In the
transactions between private indi-
vidual
In my annual report for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1899, / submitted
an estimate of s470,O as the amount
that can be proftably expended on
these works in the fiscal year, ending
June 30, 1901, and it Is anticipated an
appropriation Of this amount will be
given in the sundry civil bill.
+. ALL the preliminary work for locks
and dams below Wheeling and Mari
eta has been carried forward as rapid.
ly as the importance Of the work and
necessary conditions have permitted,
and present delay in completing &C.
QUESTION Of title is due to necessary
action on the part Of the Department
Of Justice, and other requirements Of
law.
The statement "that not single
dam or other improvement has been
located, projected or constructed along
the entire river front Of West Wiz.
ginia" Is in error. One Of the two
initial dams of the series contemplat-
ed between Marietta and Beaver River
has been located on the West Virginia
front. The project contemplates II
more dams within the limits OF West
Virginia as soon rs provision for con-
struction is made by Congress.
1t is perhaps natural that those who
are interested in an improvement pro-
posed by the Government should be
impatient and conclude that unneces'
sary delay is being INDUCED in by the
officers of the Government, but in this
instance such thoughts are unfounded
and the work is progressing just as
rapidly as law and regulations and
proper work permits, and unless un
expected difficulty is met in perfectine
TITLES to land the apparent delay in
commencement of actual construction
will not have any material effect or
the time Of completion. Works or the
magnitudcof the lock and dams hereir
considered, and forming part of
slack water system must be planned
and executed with great care.
Very respectfully,
lSIgnedl JOHN N. WILSON,
Brig. Gen. Chief of Engineers, o. S. A