Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-04-06
FULL REPORT,
Continued From First Page.)

lNOHGlllueu fIOul Il lESI fdSe.D
tion in hand is such as to warrant my
advising change.
At the time the present location was
made, such location was probably the
best which could have been made for
Dam Is with the information then in
hand and allowable by the Pittsburg-
Marietta survey. The original intent
of the Pittsburg- Marietta survey, as
ordered by Congress, was evidently to
provide a dam for Marietta harbor. A
location further upstream was prevent
ed by reason of Marietta Island and the
narrow channels just at Marietta, by
reason of the entrance of the Muskin-
gum River just below Marietta, and by
the existence of long deep pool for
over two miles below Marietta, which
latter would have caused expensive
foundations. A location below the
present site was supposed at that time
impracticable because of Muskingum
Island (about three miles long) and its
narrow channels just below the pres
ent site, by reason of crossing in the
river channel just below Muskingum
Island. and by reason of similar condi-
tions at the head Of and opposite James
Island, the next island below Muskin-
gum Island. Were slack-water navi-
cation of the Ohio River to be ended
at Marietta, the present location of the
dam would be sufficient.
The conditions, however, have been
somewhat changed by reason of the
further survey of the Ohio River from
Marietta to the mouth of the Big Mi
ami ordered by the river and harbor
act Of March 8, 1899 three years after
the other survey, and which, as stated
above, evidently contemplated the ex-
tention of the lock and dam navigation
past Marietta down the river. This
new survey was not completed suffi-
ciently last year at the time the present
site was selected and the land bought,
to allow of the discovery of better
site for Dam. Is. This survey has,
however, now been so far completed as
to show the river slopes, depths, and
widths from Marietta two-thirds of the
way down to the Big Miami, and has
made evident that another site for Dam
iC Tncci,la me ply q
blue print) which will give to Marietta
harbor all the advantages of the pres
ent site, will make the construction of
Dam 1S more economical and also
probably quicker in the end, and will
further render such construction much
less troublesome to navigation during
its progress. The new site which is
about five miles below the old one and
below both Muskingum Island and
James Island will require the dam to
have lift of Sc feet, which is 0.S feet
higher than that of several of the dams
just above Marietta, in order to give
to the pool of Marietta harbor the
same level as it would have at the
present site; but it will avoid the nee
essity of the special dredging at and
below the head of Muskingum Island
referred to in the report of December
2S, 1898, will give immediate good nav.
/, igation past Muskingum Island (muci
needed, and will increase the length o
Marietta harbor by five miles. The
lift can be reduced to SO feet by divid
ing the 0S feet between Dams II ant
18 and making them both 80 feet
which is only 0.4 feet higher than Dan
II was originally planned; and this il
recommended. AS stated above, tht
! original report Of December zS, 1898
provided for possibly lowering the nav
| igable sill of Dam No. 18 about two
feet in order to allow of future dredg
ing of the bar at Muskingum Islant
below Dam Is and the limits of tn,
survey. The nayigable sill of Dam Il
can be lowered the desired two fee
much better at the new site five mile
further down stream; and, moreover
by the moving of the dam itself fiv
miles further down stream, the exten
sive dredging of the bar of Muskingun
Island will become unnecessary.
will be far better to have the narroy