Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-11-10
IMPROVING The OHIO RIVER.

years and many enterprising citizens
have not only taken an interest but
have ben willing to do work for the
advancement of the city without ex-
pectation of selfish advantage or per-
sonal agrandizement. Many new citi-
zens have been added to our popula-
tion who have taken an interest feel
ing that the city can not stand still II
her prosperity Is to continue. 1t was
the Board of Trade which first began
the movement to securea movable dam
and lock in the Ohio River at this
point. Committees were appointed
who secured the sanction of the U. S.
Engineers to the proposition and from
that time on was strong at Washing
ton for without the recommendation
of the Chief of Engineers of the U. S.
Army all our efforts would have been
in vain. Marietta and her Board OF
Trade had a powerful ally, however,
in the Ohio Valley Improvement AS
sociation and it is doubtful whether
we could have succeeded if the Con-
vention of this Association which met
at Wheeling had not endorsed our
movement and exerted it's powerful in
fluence at Washington to induce the
Rivers and Harbors Committee to
make the necessary appropriation.
t. ,,,,;l1 0t do tbnrofnrn fnr Mari
eta to allow the meetings of this asso-
citation to go without taking hand to
help it along with its other enter
enterprises which are equally as i'm
portant as was our own a year or so
ago. In order that the readers of the
Leader may understand the scope and
character of these proposed improve
ments of the Ohio river and its tribu-
taries, we give below short resume OF
the work that is just ahead for this
association to do. We quote:
First: AS to the SCOPE of the AS
sociation. The Ohio Valley embraces
all the territory drained by
the Ohio River and its trib-
utaries. Every citizen of that
vast area of production is interested
in promoting improvement of these
navigable waters.
Second: The work of the Associa-
ton is largely educational. In keep
ing before the public and before their
members of Congress facts and statis-
tics explanatory of the commerce and
possibilities of commerce, dependent
upon the improvement of these water
ways. The government has recog-
nized the value and necessity of the
work, and the relation of the Govern
ment to it is best shown by analysis OF
First In what has been done. The
headwaters are the main beneficiaries.
The Monongahela has been freed from
toll, and appropriations have been
made for maintaining and improving
the slack water system of that stream.
The Great Kanawha has been pro-
vided with a system of locks and dams
which brings it's system to the Ohio.
The Dam at Davis Island has been
completed, and Pittsburg has a splen-
did harbor which has contributed
greatly to her present prosperity.
Second: What is being done is best
illustrated by enumerating the esti-
mates made by the Chief of Engineers
for continuing work on Improvements
already authorized in the Ohio Valley.
They are as follows:
Cumberland river, Tennessee
and Kentucky, beloW Nash
Vile ........ ........ ...... 100000
Cumberland river above Nash
vile ..... ......... ........ 100000
Tennessee river, above Chat
tanooga ........ ...... ..... $4,000
Tennessee river, below Chat
tanooga. -. .. ....... 49,. 100000
Ohio river. ...... ...... .... 100000
Mavable dams, Ohio river. %. $4,000
Locks and dams, Allegheny
river, Pennsylvania. -. .... 244,000 |
Big Sandy river, West Vir-
ginia. =. ..... ........ ..... 211 900 |
river, Kentucky. 10000 |
The falls of the Ohio at Louis
NlIIe.. .... ..,'... fl,uOU !
In this estimate the headwaters and |
upper rivers are again most promi-
nently benefciaries.
Third: In the immediate future
Congress will be asked to consider |
more particularly the middle Ohio riv-
err in authorizing and providing for
the construction of locks and dams be-
low Marietta, as far as surveys have !
been made or authorized, which extend |
to the mouth of the Big Miami river.
Fourth: Surveys, location, author
zation and provision for construction
Of locks and dams in the lower river.
firm the mouth of the Big Miami to
Cairo, are absolutely essential to the .
of the grand system of !
work to which the Ohio Valley I'm
Drovement Association originally ded-