The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-10-28

/
bear trap weirs and the Chanoine weirs
| are designed
The bcar-trap weirs CshoWn at &,
rag. - as used In the Ohio river, con-
sist O. two movable leaves hinged on
a horizontal axis Parallel 10 the dam
! dho Tree TO move between two ma
sOnry walls. These leaves on the lat
est designed dams are 81 feet in
! length across the river. The leaves
arr hinged To the foundation. the up
per leaf at its upstream end and the
| ioWer one at its downstream end.
| w hen the leaves are down they over
zap. TIE upstream one being on top.
, ne leaves are raised by water pres-
sure under them, and in going up. the
paris overlap less ana less UNI
t- when the leaves are up as
| Ia as they 10. the end OF the up
per one is almost in line with top
side OF the lower one. In this posi-
tlon, the highest point OF the leaves
IS at same elevation as the rest Of the
Dam ana forms part OF what is known
as the crest OF the dam. From the
underside OF the. bear-trap leaves are
Eohuuils THAT lead above and below
the dam. and In the Conduits are
waves Tor opening and closing them
/ 10 raise the bear-trap. the Conduits
/ l' ldlng above The uam are opened
/ az those leading below are closed
MS gives the pressure from tho m
| per pool under the bear-traD. while
above the bear-trap on the lower side
Is the smaller pressure from the low
/ er pool This difference in pressure
causes the bcar-trap 70 rise and form
Dam. To lower the trap. the con
quits leading TO upper pool are closed
, ana those leading 10 lower pool omen
! ed. This drains the water under the
leaves. relieves the pre- sure under
the trap. and it falls by its own
weight. The typical bear-traPs as now
"a IL a
Ieet long when up, and IL will be ap-
preclated by the reader that when II
II lowered on "a fun upper pool 10 uro-
WOES an opening for an enormous
amount OF water TO rush through for
regulating the pool levels. the neces-
previously explained.
origin OF the Name.
Ohiolbtedly. u viii interest many
readers 10 know why the previously
described Weirs are called hear-traps
when nothing about them hears any
resemblance TO bedrtrlp This type
OF dam was invented by Mr. Josiah
White. and he built the first one In
1878 m Mauch Chunk creek In eastern
PENNSYLVANIA. To appcase the curl.
osltt OF the people VINO asked the
b workmcn what they were building
he told them So was br,r-fran'
and that name has remained TO this
day.
Ch5noine Weir.
Bear traps are very expensive. and
are needed for quick work To save
expense a Chanoine weir is desired.
aS a slower and cheaper aid 20 the
bear trap. The Chanoiue weir.
shown AT u. Figure -. is like the
navisable pass IN construction cv.
cept that the wicAets are shorter and
can be handled with fun pool above
me dam Upstream from the wickets
is what is known as service bridge.
being series OF steel trestlas
hinged AZ the bottom 20 the founda-
non. and at the top OF each ircstle
Us hinged steel platform with a
! narrow gauge track which when
/ raised. reaches to the next trestle
! and makes a continuous walk and
| track BOZ front OF the weir wicke,s.
. The track is 90 support q winch for
raising and lowering the Wickets The
! Servi"" bridge can be- lowered 10 tho
/ foundation like tho wickets. but the
tresiles reyolve in direction across
4 the river instead o. up and down
. stream. Ike The wick,-s
Met q Operation Of Dams.
me- e." or movable dams ON the
. Ohio river present. an entirely dir.
. ier"nt proposition in their operation
and care than 10 they were fixed
. dams. which require no work on them
. except occasional repairs That meth.
. Oh OF operating 81 as follows They
are Kept down as long as the river
lS hiEh enough 90 Civ" good navig.
ahir stage without them m which
case. The boats pass over that part
or the lam previously referred tl
I as tu" uavieatle pass and shown at
. Is In Figure 7 They are also as q
RUE. NOT pu' up during January and
4 February. when 'hr extreme cold
/ weather of winter occurs and ,ra
river iS fu'l of heavy foafur ... or
i7 frot.n over as tia wicket. cannot
b" handled BOO heavy ice and ar. Ha
bic to De- destroyed
AZ other times. rho raising Of me
. oHlI- b" commenced when the river
. idll- fu ~ STAG" from seven fo ten
i"'t over On" sill. depending some
. what on t.' location. and IN. ufD.-
meets for continued fail ~ the riya-
no locks r't"s are first pulled across
me chamber closing the channel
. through fhr ipek Sex. the wick.
,'s are 20 .el and % pool allowed %
form ahot" until tI, di-cl.rs.
through dee bear traps about equsis
. fN" natural flow .r fln river 90 that
point ana Do" pool stops riain.
To fh' vicinity of Wh'cIir. This
generally occur. when there D. ffon
four fO .N feet Of head on tho dawn
on" bear nap b. then ra. .od. and NJ
This leaves .fiI TOO much ousufn.
boo ftr oHu 'u rIl fls pool above ID
normal level the other bear tran i.
also f1i "d. IN" reason both boar
ft H'' not put up 90. soon aa pos
Die b. That 70 fhr pool ia allowed
20 '.o g.t 'he river below taus
FOB .. '"w 90 .fHs" char na,raftor ..
.'r.Ir .v .rfrrf.r"i with s. Irfrf,