Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1926-05-30 | Page 16 | Plan to Build 50 Ohio Locks

vv- vv PLAN TO BUilD 50 OHIO LOCKS ByTh LOUISVILLE Ma May BY 9 21 The Associated Uncle Press Press Sams Sam's project to tomake tomake make the th Ohio river navigable the year round from to 1 Ill III where It empties In- In Into In Into to the th Mississippi river Is with with- withIn withIn In three thre year ears of completion I IThe The Th last lock and darn dam will wll be beIn bein b bIn In place and the th last bit of ot log Ing dredgIng Ini by 1929 1 2 said sald ald the United States Stat district engineer here The Th plan was wa authorized by the th Rivera River and Harbers Harbors Act ot of I 0 local Improvements had been made mad at various times since 1879 1 7 when hen the th first Ioel lock and dam darn was built near the th head of the th river When finished the th project will cOnsist of fifty locks and dams placed at over a 0 dis- dis distance dis distance I tance of miles The Th river I then n will have hiv a a minimum depth 1 of nine feet with compared with witha ft 0 former depth of ot one onD on foot toOt where It shoals CHIEF CHIEP ARTERY The Th Ohio Is I expected to become a chief clief artery of commerce and communication when the th work has been completed Figures for tonnage handled by boats ope rat rat- In log on the th river last year show an increase of fifty per p r cent over those thosa of ot 1924 In 1121 1926 shipments totalled tons against tons for tor 1924 1124 The district engineer pointed out that part of ot the th Increase was due du to toan toan toan an Improved method of o checking shipments but that the tb average would tall fall between thirty and forty orty percent Sand and gravel tonnage tonn i topped the list with coal second There was Willi a marked Increase In oil and gasoline shipments While the project Is concerned conc principally with Improvements of ot the th river and its tributaries river riTer trans trans- tran men declare that the cheaper transportation toIe to Ie be b af- af afforded af afforded forded 51 Si LOCKS AND DAMS DUIS With the tb exception of raising the dam at Louls Louisville Work ork has been boen n completed from Pitsburg to the latter point This has made all year navigation possible ex cx- cx ex-c ex capt pt during extreme cold weather Below Louisville LoulS three thre dams dam have been finished one on will bo be b com corn completed this year another In 1937 annd the remainder by 1129 1939 The project originally contemplated tour four fifty locks lock and dams but two above and nd below Louisville have been eliminated There Ther have hav been b n great treat changes on n the tb river Many landings prominent In the th days of the frontier have ha disappeared Those settlements at landings that re- re remain remain r main main have in many Instances grown to t cities The roustabout that once one sang sane met met- mel melodies odies peculiar to the th river have virtually disappeared At present shipments over the Ohio to the th gulf cult are ar Irregular duo to the th uncertainty of the river stages No transportation company Is operating boats on schedule over the th entire route