The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-11-14
Secretary Wilson.

IN charge or river improvement on the
Ohio:
Secretary Wilson.
CINCINNATI, O., Nov. 1880.
Major William II. Bixby, Corps Of En-
gineers, U. S. A.. Government Build
ing, Cincinnati.
MY DEAR SIR:-If> consistent 10
furnish me information in reply to the
following inquiries. you will greatly
oblige:
First-Are you sufficiently advised to
express IN opinion as to whether lock
and movable dam located below the
mouth OF Salt river, would have the eff
feet Of raising the waters Of Salt river
to navigable stage, and creating a
storage pool In the Ohio, which would
reach the mouth Of the Louisville Ca
nal?
Second-Can you give me an Idea Of
the practical effect upon the harbors at
Evansville and Henderson, and upon
the outlet Of Green river, which would
follow the construction of lock and
movable dam near, or below, Hender-
son?
Third-Will you similarly advise me
as to the physical and commercial et-
feet of the location of lock and move
able dam below Brooklyn. on the Ohio
river as to its effect upon the harbor
OF Brooklyn, Paducah and the mouth Of
the Tennessee?
Is 1t possible to forecast that the I'M
provements above referred to- would he
80 located as to become part Of the
general scheme Of Improvement now In
progress. which has for its object the
securing OF minimum depth of six
feet between Pittsburgh and Cairo"
Any light which you can consistently
throw upon this subject, would be of
great present interest to the members
Of this association.
49, Yours very truly.
E. P. WILSON,
Secretary. Ohio Valley Improvement
Association.
The Reply.
Major BlXby's reply was rs follows:
-. ~. CINCINNATI, O.. Nov. 3, 1900.
Mr.. E. P. Wilson. Secretary, Ohio VAL
ley Improvement Association, CIncIn-
natl, o.
SIR:-Yours of November . Is duly
received. making Inquiries regarding
the usefulness and prncticablllty OF
dams In. the Ohio 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 ar
ranged as to raise the water about eight
feet at each dam, and to give at least
a depth OF six feet In the harbor or pool
thereby formed above such dam.
Between Louisville and Salt river,
the present river slope at n low water
stage Is about seven feet In twenty
miles; between Green river and Hem
derson. about four or Ave feet in
twenty miles: between the mouth OF
the Cumberland river and Brooklyn,
about three or four feet In twenty
miles. A dam OF about eight feet in
height In the Ohio river just below the
mouth Of the Salt river would there
fore probably back the water for NJ
teen or twenty miles up Salt river, and
for about thirty-four miles up the
Ohio river, to probably the foot OF the
Louisville canal. so MS to insure six
feet depth throughout the pool thus es-
tablished. a similar dam below Hem
derson would probably form similar
pool OF about thirty to forty miles
length. so as to include Henderson,
Evansville. and the Green river up TO
the foot Of the lowest lock and dam on
thnt river. a similar dam below
Brooklyn would form n pool OF prob
ably over forty miles In length. so as 10
Include Brooklyn harbor. Paducah hnr-
Dor. the mouth of the Tennessee, and
the mouth OF the Cumberland. At each
place these pools would give deep water
over a great many shoals now OK
ccedingly troublesome.
Dams as above described could prob
ably be located 50 as to become a part
of the general scheme Of Improvement
now authorized by Congress from
Pittsburgh to Marietta. md now under
the consideration OF Congress from
Marietta, to tho mouth OF the Big MI
ami. the Indiana state line. So far as
now seen, the constructions OF such
dams Is entirely practicable. and is
merely a question OF dollars and cents.
Sucn dams would probably cost: The
one below Salt river, $500. 900; below
Henderson. .2,5OU,0OO; below Brooklyn,
| 50. 000. 900; the cost per mile length OF
pool. or river affected being, however,
about the same az In the upper hnlf Of
the upper Ohio river, where work Is
now In progress.
Ny Official report OF April II, 1900, on
the survey Of the river from Marietta
to the mouth Of the Big Miami, now
before Congress for It's consideration.
stated that In my opinion. special ad-
rantAgGous results to commerce, OBJ
talncd with special Quickness. would
follow the construction OF dams across
the Ohio river. whenever such dams
were built n short distance below large
tributaries and large cities; partly be.
cause the large harborngcs thus obtain
cd In the river would afford fine places
for the loading md unloading OF coal
fleets and other tows. and for the stop-
page md asscmblngc Of such fleets and
lows while awaiting favorable stages
for departure up and down both the
main river and Its tributaries, and
partly because such increased hnrbor-
age would be most advnntagcously
placed by being at the already estnb-
llshcd ccnters OF population md freight
communications, thus giving special
stimulus to general commerce and re-
lated business interests.
The above estimates az to lengths OF
pools and costs Of work are merely mp
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