The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-09-04
DAMS COMPLETION
CELEBRATED TO-DAY
Important Link in Ohio Riv.
er Improvement Makes
Cincinnati Rejoice.

CINCINNATI, O., Sept. 4.-The
city is gaily decorated and the big
crowds in the downtown streets lend
festive air to the opening today of
the great celebration in honor of the
completion of the Fernbank dam
across the Ohio river The festiyi-
ties Will continue through the week
ana the program comprises the Off
clai dedication of the dam, upon which
occasion six bottles,' containing water
from the Great Lakes. the Mississippi
river, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans,
the Panama canal and the Gulf of
Mexico. will be broken over the new
dam, SO as to mingle their waters with
the water OF the Ohio River; river
and street parades, rowing resattas.
motor boat races, band contests and
many other features of entertainment.
Through the efforts of the chamber
OF commerce. the committee of citi-
zens in charge of the celebration and
other civic bodies the week has been
made a homecoming week for large
number of former Cincinnatians and
the meeting of the Ohio Valley I'm
provement association, the reunion of
Alumni of the University of Cincinna-
ii and other gatherings of similar ma
ture will contribute to swell the
crowds of visitors and add to the fes-
tive character of the occasion.
An Important Link.
The Ferbank dam, the completion
of which. on July % last.is the occa-
sion OF this weeks celebration, is one
of the important links in the chain of
Ohio river improvements undertaken
by the United States government for
the purpose of improving and facilitat-
ing navigation upon the Ohio river,
which forms an important waterway
giving an outlet for the commerce of
a large area of the middle west to the
Mississippi river and by the latter to
the sea. In accordance with the gem
eral plan for the improvement of the
Ohio river as sanctioned by the Unit
ed States government, a chain of fifty
four dams will be constructed across
the river between Pittsburg and Cairo
each provided with locks for passing
river craft around the dams. The en-
tnre improvement is expected to in
volve total cost of about $50, 0O0, 900
and, when completed, will insure nine
feet of water in every part of the riv-
er from Pittsburg to Cairo, all the
year round. In view of the fact that
heretofore navigation in the upper
and middle course of the Ohio fire.
quently had to be suspended for sever
owing to the low stage of water, the
importance of this improvement can
scarcely be over-estimated.
The general project of the Fern
bank dam was adopted by Congress
on June 3, 1902 when an appropriation
of 100000 was made for the prelimi-
nary work of surveying and planning
the dam. The actual work on the
dams was begun in May, 1905, and
the work was practically completed in
January of the present year. Addi-
tional work on the river banks near
the dam was necessary, however, and
the sand accumulated in the recesses
of the lock-gates and had to be remov-
ed and not until July %, last, was the
American flag hoisted from the big
flagstaff at the dam by Mai. Jervey in
charge of the work, and the dam and
lock placed in commission. The first
craft which passed through the lock
on the morning of that day was gas
oline launch, named Ramona, owned
by the Ramona club. Capt. Albert
Bettinger, who worked indefatigably
for thei Improvement, and number OF