The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-13
OHIO RIVER IMPROVEMENT.
Response of Major Bixby to Queries
of MIR. K. p. Wilson.

A few days since Mr.. E. +. wilson, or
Cincinnati, sent to Maj. W. II. Bixby, of
the United States corps of engineers, the
appended queries:
"First-Are you sufficiently advised to
express opinion as to whether lock
and movable dam located below the mouth
of the Salt river would have the effect or
raising the waters OF Salt river to nav
igable stage and creating storage pool In
the Ohio which would reach the mouth OF
the Louisville canal?
"Second--Can you give me an idea Of the
practical effect upon the harbors at Ev-
ansville and Henderson and upon the out
let of Green river which would follow the
construction of lock and movable dam
near or below Henderson.
"Third-Will you similarly advise me as
to the physical and commercial effect or
the location of lock and movable dam
below Brooklyn, On the Ohio river, as 10
it's effect upon the harbor OF Brooklyn,
Paducah and the mouth of the Tennessee?
as il possible to forecast that the i'm
provernents above referred to would be so
located as to become part OF the general
scheme of Improvement now in progress,
which has for it's object the securing Oh
minimum depth of six feet between Pitts
burg and Cairo?''
| To these questions Major Bixby respond
ed as follows:
yours of Nov is duly received, making
Inquiries regarding the usefulness and
practicability of dams in the ONO river at
| points below Salt river, below Henderson.
| and below Brooklyn. Each dam as now
| proposed for use in the Ohio river above
| the mouth of the Big Miami, is intended TO
| be so arranged as to raise the water about
| eight feet at each dam, and to give least
| depth of six feet in the harbor or pool
| thereby formed above such dam.
Between Louisville and Salt river the
present river slope at low water stage is
| about seven feet in twenty miles; between
| Green river and Henderson, about four or
| five feet in twenty miles; between the
rlo drix- and II
| lyn about three four feet in twenty
| miles. a dam of about eight feet height in
| the Ohio river just below the mouth or the
/ Salt river would therefore probably back
| the water for fifteen or twenty miles up
| Salt river, and for about thirty-four miles
| UP the Ohio river, to probably the foot OF
| the Louisville canal to insure six feet
| depth throughout the pool thus established.
| A similar dam below henderson would
| probably form a similar pool OF about
! thirty to forty miles length, to in
clude Henderson, Evansville, and the Green
| river up to the foot of the lowest lock and
dam on that river. similar dam below
| Brooklyn would form pool of probably
over forty miles length, so as to include
| Brooklyn harbor Paducah harbor, the
mouth of the Tennessee, and the mouth of
| the Cumberland. AT each place these pools
shoals now exceedingly troublesome.
Dams as above described could probably
| be so located as to become part Of the
| general scheme OF improvement now au-
| Marietta and now under the consideration
| of Congress from Marietta to the mouth of
| the Big Miami, the Indiana State line. So
4 far as now seen, the construction of such
| dams is entirely practicable and is merely
| question of dollars and cents. Such dams
would probably cost-the one below Salt
| river 81, 500 600: below Henderson s., 500, 600;
| below Brooklyn SS,00O,00O; the cost per mile
| length of pool or river affected being, how
| ever, about the same in the upper half
/ of the upper Ohio river, where work is now
| in progress.
| my official report of April II, 1900 on the
| survey of the river from Marietta to the
mouth of the Big Miami, now before Con-
gress for its consideration, stated that in
my opinion. special advantageous results
| to commerce, obtained with special quick
ness. would follow the construction of dams
across the Ohio river. whenever such dams
were built short distance below large
| tributaries and large cities; partly because
| the large harborages thus obtained in the
| river would afford fine places for the load
| ing and unloading Of coal fleets and other
| tows. and for the stoppage and assemblage
of such fleets and lows while awaiting
| favorable stages for departure I'D and down
| both the main river and its tributaries, and
| partly because such increased harborage
| would be most advantageously placed by
| being at the already established centers of
| population and freight communications,
| thus giving special stimulus TO general
| commerce and related business interests
| THE above estimates to length of
| pools and cost of work are merely ap-
/ prOxlm2te. no uennlte estimates can be
| we'll submitted until the lower portion OF
| the river from the Big Miami to Cairo has
been carefully surveyed, in the same way
| as is being done above the mouth OF the
| Big Miami under the past authority of
! Congress. Such surveys are roughly esti-
| mated as requiring appropriation of
| 100000 for their execution. Should Con-
| gress desire to authorize such surveys, the
| locations of individual dams and careful
| estimates for their cost, to be made by this
| office TO Congress on its request. will
| naturally follow closely upon the compile
| ton of the survey.
| 1.-THE desirability of such n survey is :,
| matter 10 be settled by Congress through
| its representatives. In response to the re-
| quests of their constituents. accompan MED
| by reasonable proof of the necessity i'm
portance, and value of such work to the
| public at large"