Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-04-06
any such change viii be very expen.

change of site is permissible without
special action of Congress. The ori-
ginal appropriation was given by a
phraseology as follows Improving
Ohio River: Continuing Improvement
at Dam Numbered Eighteen, fifty
thousand dollars, to be used for the
local survey acquisition of site, and
commencement of construction of said
dam in accordance with the report of
December twenthty-eighth, eighteen
hundred and ninety-eight" The origi-
nal report of December 2S, 1898, gave
the location of the dam as 1879 miles
from Pittsburg and about miles be-
low Marietta, Ohio, stating that the
location of about two miles below Mar
ietta was required to satisfy condi-
tions and 8 of that report which were
to allow of position below the mouth
of the Muskingum River near enough
to extend navigation properly to the
nearest dam in such tributary, but yet
far enough below the mouth of the
tributary to avoid trouble from depos-
it's flood overflows, and to allow prop
er handling of boats entering or leav-
ing such tributary, and to avoid the
cutting up or otherwise injuring the
existing harbor of Marietta The new
site now proposed will be about 179
miles below Pittsburg, and about seven
miles below Marietta, (that is five
miles lower down the river) but other
wise will fulfill all the conditions of
the report of December 2S, 1898, much
more salts factorily than the site al
ready selected. The change of pool
level at Marietta will be only a few
inches and insignificant. Under such
conditions it seems to me as if the
Secretary of War might have authority
to approve of the change of site with
out special fction of Congress.
If special action of Congress be how
ever considered necessary, request
that immediate steps be taken towards
securing the same, and that mean
while the work of actual construction
at the present site be postponed indef-
initely.
AS above stated, the total loss due to
the change will be $4,000 and perhaps
one years time. while the cor 'espond-
ing gain will probably be at leas, ever
$4,000 at Dam is and probably more
tGan an e7uai amount at Dam ID when
the latta" comes to be built. and win
place both dams in position better
adapted to economy and faclli;v OF
DO h construction and future opera
tion; so that the change appears BOW
to be very desirable from all consider
ations engineering, financial, and navi-
gational.
Very Respectfully,
Your obedient servant
w. H. BIXBY,
Major, Corps of Engineers, u. S. A.
REASONS FOR CHANGE.
U. S. Engineer Office,
Room No. 405 Custom House.
Cincinnati O., March rs, 1901.
Mr. S. j. Hathaway,
President of Marietta Board ofTrade,
Marietta. Ohio
Sir:-Yours of March "a is duly at
hand.
| see in the newspapers a statement
that your Board of Trade has appointed
committee to go to Washington to
protest against the proposed change of
Dam No. IS, and has enlisted the co
operation of various members of Con.
gress in the matter.
The newspaper account is in decided
error in some respects, and is probably
in error in many other points as to
which | am not well informed. |
therefore think it desirable to give you
some information which will allow
you and your citizens to understand
better what change has been proposed
and what are the effects of suck
change.
The change recently proposed by this
Office regarding Dam No. IS is to move
the location of this dam about AZ miles
down the river to just below the foo.
of James Island. This will add Al
miles length to Marietta harbor when
the dam is finished. Marietta harbor
Will then extend from the foot of James
Island all the way up to Waverly
When the dam shall be completed ant
raised, there will be at least II fee
depth of water all along both sides o.
Muskingum Island, and at least seve.
| feet of water at the head of Marietta
Island. The pool level of this harbol
will then be 9.7 feet on the Marietta
guage. The proposed change will no
affect the pool level more than five in
ches either way, which is insignificant
The great gain to Marietta will bt
that nearly five miles more of splen
did river front will be left within it
harbor.