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Improvement of the Allegheny River and Flood Control
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| Title | Improvement of the Allegheny River and Flood Control
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| Full Text | Social Science Section, Warren Academy of Sciences Later on in his book Captain Way, who has traversed this river of ours from Olean to Pittsburgh in a yawl, several times, continues; "Let us say, by way of illustration, that the United States Engineer Department concluded to extend the lock and dam system through the 'ailing' portion of the Allegheny's anatomy. What would happen? "In order to get some idea of a correct answer there is no need to speculate or guess. "The Kanawha River in West Virginia is a striking parallel; also the Illinois. Both these streams have been improved; both have come ahead 'full steam' since. The Upper Mississippi is the latest example. What actually happens is the same as when a four-lane Boulevard is run through a crossroads town. Things you would not dream about take immediate root and commence to grow; new industries, establishments, whole communities come into being where vacant real estate has gone begging since time immemorial. An improved river does these things on a more tremendous scale. No use to guess it would; put on your hat and go see. It pays to treat a river right." Back in 1929, just before the depression hit the country, the prospects of slackwatering the Upper Allegheny looked brighter than ever before or since. In 1920 water transportation on our inland rivers took on new life with the passage of the Transportation Act of 1920. Section 500 of that act declared it "to be the policy of Congress to promote, encourage and develop water transportation in connection with the commerce of the United States." In this pronouncement Congress recognized the value of cheap water transportation to the nation. From the date of this dictum, the Engineers at Pittsburgh showed renewed interest in the Allegheny. In 1923 the U. S. Survey Steamer Kittanning made a voyage from Pittsburgh to Red Bank and returned, partly on open river, the first such trip in years. During the winter of 1926-1927 the Kittanning reached Emlenton, and in March, 1928, the boat reached Oil City—just 100 years after the arrival of the first steamboat at that point. The Kittanning carried a load of notables led by Col. Jarvis J. Bain, Pittsburgh District Engineer and lover of the Allegheny. The eventful trip was celebrated at Oil City in a rousing meeting and banquet, the climax of a voyage that had excited the greatest interest all the way up the river. As Mrs. Kussart says in her book, "The Allegheny River", the result of the trip was a greatly increased interest in reutilizing, for the purposes of navigation, the largest undeveloped river and valley in the United States of America. In continuation of his policy of examination preparatory to further improvement of the river for navigation, Colonel Bain in 1929 took the |
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