r 
Humphreys and Abbot's Report on the Mississippi River. 231. 
Of the Alleghany branch, nothing need be said except that near its 
sources it flows betwee n hills, through a very narrow strip of fertile bot- 
tom land, and with a more unifown ‘slope than near the mouth, where it 
traverses a rocky and seh ne ravine, with a bed composed mainly of 
sandstone or gravel-bars. [Captain Hughes, Topl. Engrs., 
f the Monong: ela peabahe some curious facts stated by Dr. William 
Howard in 1833 merit attention, It rises in the Alleghany mountains 
and subordinate ranges in Virginia, yeni is formed by the junction of the 
East and West branches and Cheat river, The former streams hea 
Laurel ridge, and flow in rocky see a The tributaries of Cheat 
river rise in the summit of the Alleghanies, and form mountain torrents 
until they unite in a river scarcely less wild than themselves. The Cheat 
forces its way through deep gorges with nearly Segtime! side- at 
to the Pe rrentela Ripa 2400 feet in the | il 
junetion the river is gentle in character. It ak with a fa 
coursey without slate: through a terraced valley. Its slope here is dess 
than that of the Ohio. Thus the fall from the mouth of Cheat river is 
Brownsville (35 miles) is 44 feet, or 1:26 feet per mile, and from Bro 
ville to Pittsburg (55 miles) only 31 feet, or 0°56 of a foot per atid 
while the ae aherd fali of the Ohio near Pittsburg is about one foot 
a mile. The fall of the Mononga he la, bo v i cae of Cheat 
nin low water, 
if usual range at Brownsville ine 15 or 20 feet more than that at 
Pitts urg. At low water the Monongahela is a succession of pools sep- 
.Mtated by bars composed of gravel and loose stones, not subject to sud- 
den changes. Its water is quite free from sedimentery matter.” 
Low-water slope of the Ohio, aecording to Ellet. 
REE ae migeetereta 
Distance |Elevation; Fall 
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Locality. aie ci ty Lael 
eran te CURA Peeters pti tA Fanta 
: Miles. | Feet, | Feet, 
Lwoua, of ee 
uth of Wabash tel oe, aa 4 : 
Evansvit Wabich (approxima “ vhs d G P 187 320 | 0°25 
te W Albany, below the falls, - - - - - 358 3538. | 0°20 
olde settee the falls, es em ey se oe a ree 
Porn ee eb 620 | 474 | 0-40 
outh of dine Ravkwhs, 6-2 5. 2s 714 
fad 0 "A _ “i $ paw - ; ote oa eo a3 pe pan 
ee of a - epee 
Psi ee |e ee 
Frank ee ee ee 
Warr ee ee ea 11% | 1187 | 324 
Chantaiqae lake, be es ee ee ee ree 228 
n poin a ge ee ye es 1225 
ser of O Pe ee Og onl or eh 1419 
Smithy Si dando 2 weg Seite er eee 1480 
ouderspor Dg a ye oo ee et 1000 | Op 
Surface of lake Erie, ee eee 
0 Of lake EB UT a 
cen oH will be noticed that these elevations correspond Z the low-water 
The range between extreme low and extreme high water seems 
. . about 45 feet throughout the entire river. Thus, at at Wheeling, | 
