The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-10-04
ION TO CAIRO"
IS THE SLOGAN
Effort TO Secure Permanent
Stage OF Water From
pITTSBURC TO CAIRO
THE YEAR ROUND-MOVEABLE
DAMS ARE THE REMEDY
SUGGESTED BY COL.
JOHN /. VANCE.

Colonel John L. Vance Of Columbus
o.. addressed The members of tn,
Cairo Board Of Trade and the Mer
chants league yesterday morning q
the office OF c. r. Stuart in the inter
est Of the Ohio Valley Improvement
association and he work being don,
! by this organization in improving tn,
Ohio river it's tributaries and contigs
Gus territory. which IS proving Of IN
estimate value 10 all cities and town.
within the scope Of the Ohio and Mis-
sissippI valleys.
/ The speaker was introduced by Mr.
George Parsons and his talk was, III
part. as follows;
The Ohio Valley Improvement A.
ISOLATION was organized at Cincin
natl in 1885 At that tlme your town
was represented by Capt W. p, FIal-
liday, whom | Well remember.
He aud Captain Wright were the
only representatives from Cairo pre-
sent at his convention at C.acinna j.
This association was organized
with the object Of securing d perma-
nent stage Of water between Pttsburg
end Cairo. Our cry has been On to
Cairo! You will zee T. On an the
letter heads OF our association
Your city is the objective point Thu
far we have succeeded in improving
The river from Pittsburg down ve@
s., hnnlrea miles, but our object Is to
improve the entire river what is
The use Of improving part and leav-
ing the rest?
The invention of the movable
dam was the first step in the inaugur.
alton Of this great system Of locks
and movable dams which we have
commenced and must complete for
the improvement of the Ohio river
and the increase of the commerce OF
the Ohio valley through this great
waterway.
We now have q system IF tea
locks and dams working to perfection
and contracts have been let for sever
al more
BY he establishment Of This sys
tem Of locks and movable dams, the
large manufacturers and coal opera.
tors can send their products and coal
down the river at all seasons Of the
year whereas now they are Obliged
to wait for a freshet to come and
take .heir, products thus losing valu,
able time on account of low water
quantities Of coal AMI manufacture
products by means of this waterway
Before the building Of Davis Island
dam. Pit.sbnrg had no suitable harbor
where boats coEli enter and barQas
could be loaded shipment by the
Ohio river was somewhat impract
sble Large numbers of bargea
crowded the river below Pittsbure
waiting for a freshei to give then
enough water 20 float down. The
building ct Davis Island dam elimina
Ted all this delay and saves at beast
$500 a day.
Here Col Vance explained jus
what was meant by a movable dam
He placed an ordinary envelope on
he table at which he sat When the
envelope was held upright i: repre-
scented the dam in operation and when
fat as not in use In Other words. the
am les aat on the bottom or bed OF
The river the water flowing over i;
when al a high stage and when the
water Us low enough to require dam
ming for navieablo depth the dam.
securely fastened TO its foundations.
b perpendicular, holding the water IN
geck until il rises 10 desired
height The illustration was a sim
pie one and explained what few peo-
pie have understood, JUST what is |
meant by the term movable
Continuing The speaker said:
BY a system OF these movable /
Jams and with the aid Of a few locks. /
he Ohio can be made navigable all I
he yeaI round We now have a sys-
en- Of ten OF these locks in operation /
IN the upper Ohio and they work to- /
BY the establishment Of this sys-
EN- OF locks and movable dams. the
lrgo manufacturers and coal opera
crs can send their coal and manufac-
urod products down the river al an
cas0rs OF the year. whereas now the
.elay caused by low water sometime
.eepa as many as 5000 barges waiting
lear Pit-Eburg for a freshet &c float
hem down the river. This delay IS
cry expressive. and the large .aru-
ac.uring concerns find il cheaper 10 /
hip by rail These improvements
.ill dc away with all the expense (
ausad by the low stage of water al
crtain seasons OF the year.
when the Ohio Valley Improve /
lent association was organized and
agan 80 investigate the improve
tents necessary 10 he made in order
) secure a navigable stage Of water
be- eatire year. IL was found much to
ieir surprise that the government
I'D never made a survey of the Ohio
YER The Oilio river is 1000 miles
ug ana its tributaries 1900 miles in
neth. making a total IL 400 milo
uavigabie waterway it g. The
.eatest inland waterway in America
r. cral not turn a wheel until q
lrvey was made. In the course Of
nc this survey was started and frOn