WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 3 



locks, would be of great benefit to the citizens of these two 

 counties. 



Many investigations have been made by the U. S. War 

 Department regarding the improvement of this portion of the 

 river, most of which have been unfavorable. The last report 

 by a board of engineers reached the following conclusions and 

 recommendations i 1 



"This river is so narrow and in places so tortuous that even if 

 improved by locks and dams a steamboat and one barge would have 

 difficulty in moving. A tow of such size as is used on the Monongahela 

 or Kanawha Rivers could not be operated. If a coal mine were opera- 

 ted on the river, the plant about the tipple and the necessary opera- 

 tions at that point would almost block the river. Due to the width 

 of the river, locks would have to built smaller than on the Kanawha 

 or Monongahela Rivers. Even if the river were improved, it is not 

 believed coal from here could be brought out cheaply enough to com- 

 pete with coal from either the Monongahela or Kanawha Rivers. 

 There is practically no trade that could be supplied, except where 

 such competition would exist, The valley itself is undeveloped and 

 sparsely settled, has a generous supply of oil and gas, and would 

 afford no market for coal. In fact there seems to be no demand for 

 a new field in this vicinity as the other near by tributaries of the Ohio 

 can readily supply the available markets with* more coal than they 

 do at present. 



''Should the effort be made to improve the river, the scarcity of 

 water would entail extra expenditure. 



"It is believed that this river is unworthy of improvement at this 

 time, and it is recommended that no survey be made." 



It would seem from this Report that there is little hope 

 of any immediate improvement of the Little Kanawha River 

 and that transportation must be provided in some other 

 manner. 



Steam Railroads. 



Richwood Branch, B. & O. R. R. The Richwood Branch 

 of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which extends in a north 

 and south direction from Clarksburg to Richwood, Nicholas 

 County, a distance of 121 miles, passing entirely across Lewis 

 County in its course, had its origin from a narrow gauge road 

 chartered and built by Hon. J. N. Camden and others under 

 the name of the Clarksburg, Weston and Glenville Transpor- 

 tation Company, and extended from Clarksburg to Weston. 

 That portion of the line between Weston and Clarksburg, ac- 

 cording to Capt. Thomas Smith, a veteran conductor of the 



1 House of Representatives, Doc. No. 12, 63rd Congress, 1st Session, 

 1913, page 9. 



