The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-06-26
rain AT ONCE
OR SUSPENSION
ON THE RIVER
Is ths, Very DiscOuraging Situation
the steambOatmen Are Fac
ing This Week.
YlRGlNIA'S HARD EXPERIENCE.
She Goes Hard Aground at Merri-
mans, and the Crew Have to
Go Ashore for Water

Rain at once or suspension OF paVl-
CATION on the upper Ohio is the very
discournglng situation the steamboat
men are facing this morning. Sunday
the marks registered 4 feet inches, and
last evening the decline had sent the
stage down to feet s inches and still
falling. Without rain the decline will
continue. with me result of sending all
but the smaller packets to the bank
However, Captain John Crockard, of
the wharfboat. believes that the In
tensely hot weather of the past week
will bring rain to-day or tomorrow in
SUFFICIENT quantities to create a rise in
the Ohio.
The Pittsburgh and Cincinnati packet
line passenger ana freight steamer Vir-
ginia has been aground at the head of
Merriman, near Glcnheld. Pa, since
Saturday night sixty passengers, who
were sent from Pittsburgh to Dixmont.
to which place the steamer was only
able to go on account of low water, and
who had intended making the round
trip to Cincinnati, are greatly disap-
pointed.
Capt, James A. Henderson attributes
the grounding of the steamer to the
raising of the wlckets at the Davis Is
land dam. This shut or the water be-
low the dam. causing the river to fall.
Then Captain Henderson says that the
removing of the old dixie at the head of
Merriman, where the Neville Island
dam is being built, has caused MerrI-
man to be the shoalest place on the up
per Ohio river. He regrets the occur
renee very much and says that the
grounding of the boat was not only an
annoyance to the prospective passen-
gers. but caused great loss to his
company.
Many of the passengers, however. will
take the Keystone State to make their
outing. The Keystone State here
tofore has always been able to
reach Pittsburgh, when the marks at
Davis Island dam show So feet, but
the removing of the dixie at Merriman
prevents her coming on that stage of
water. Captain Henderson says that
the Virginia lays well and that he ex-
poets u rise to float her in few days.
Captain Crockard. of the Wheeling
wharfboat said last evening that ow-
ing to the raising of the wlckets at the
Davis Island dam, the Virginia was
placed high and dry. and will stay at
Merrlman's until there is a substantial
rise. According to the captaIn-cnd
who is more truthful than Johnny"
Crockard?--ths boys or the boat have
to go ashore to get water for use on
board
The Keystone State, as stated above,
was unable to go beyond Rochester.
and she is expected here early this
morning. She will depart for Clncin-
natl at n. m.
The Queen City is coming up the riv-
er and viii reach this port this morn
ing. 1t is likely that she will turn hera,
and return to Cincinnati Wednesday
morning, or sooner, If the river con-
tInues to fall fast
The Ben Hur arrived from Rochester
at p. m, and got away for below at s
O'Clock. She had to transfer her freight
and passengers for Pittsburgh to the
Cleveland & Pittsburgh railroad at
Freedom. The Ben Hur will lay up on
her arrival at Marietta this morning,
but Captain Cramer expects rain and
rise in time to enable his boat to come
out next Saturday
The hull of the steamer City OF
Wheeling was brought up to the public
landing from the La Belle landing yes
terdny morning, and is receiving her
machinery. Her engines are from the
old City OF Savannah, which ran on the
Cumberland between Memphis and
Nashville, and are so amply large for
the Wheeling that the prediction is haz-
arded now that the latter will be one of
the speednst packets ever seen on the
upper Ohio. She Will be used exclu-
sIvely in the excursion business out OF
Wheeling, which is expected to boom
upon the completion OF the locks and
dam below Benwood.