The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-04-28
Hon. Tn. Nj. Howe and the wheel ling
urih

Hon. Tn. Nj. Howe aud the wheeling
Bridge.
This gentleman proper to travel out of lis
iorum TO discuss the question Of the W heclne
bridge. But few days since the Lteuigencer was
Undue TO transfer to its columns article from
the Pittsburgh Post false in all essential parc
Jacob g. Mlcalf, John l. Newly, aud other
gentlemen who made the statement in relation TO
the passage o! the Cincinnati under the Wheeling
bridge, are gentlemen Of character aud tcgfity
and personally endorse their statement having
no doubt of its correctness
The present GOOD is higher than any known
Hood in the Ohio river except the flood of 1892
twenty years ago. Then, and now, the towns ON
the Ohio were submerged; the wood Yards on The
river were carried OIL and no means vi supplying
boats with fuel; the coal yards were generally iu
the came condition; and for of fue l. as well as
| universal arrangement of business every port
on the Ohio, no boat having n sensible commander
would go out ON such flood. Houses. ware
houses, and all kinds of property, floating 10
this, common ruin The STEAMBOATS, were in the
streets OF the cities; and 1t 10 rational to conclude
that Tor any purpose Of contntrce there good
sense or proprcty Tor any boat being of port in
such disastrous condition Of things.
Ihe honorable gentleman quotes the opinion Of
Chancellor Walworth. believe this is the same
chancellor who denounced the Inteiiigencn for ts
course on kossub lie Ia the same chancellor who,
In this cause, gave occasion 10 the people to say.
1T wac the misfortune Of the defendants or of the
commsSloner that, before This officer had entered on
his duties, Pittsburgh newspapers announced that
he had reported or decided the bridge to be N OBJ.
struction OF The navi gationa conclusion which a.,
did not himself officially make known Until several
months afterwards" This is the same report Of
which Judge fancy said, .Aud a case where there
Is more conflict in tho testimony of Inen of high
character, and undoubtcd skill and kDowled ge
could hardly be imagined than is presened in the
record before US, nor case mh1e he injury ismOre
doubtful. For, after the experience of Two years
We see how email the loss has been compared witt,
the Immense trade and the multitude of steamboats,
which during that time have passed under ito
Again, the chief Judge says, "The injury after two
years experience has not been found serious enough
to lessen the navigation and commerce Of the river
On the contrary, they haze been continually increasing
since this bridge toas built" This is the report ii
which Judge Daniel SAID, abiding to s'some pa
rade of learning" on dynamic and static forces that
"ths difficulty Is in degree lessened by the fact
disclosed in the record that ust the commissioner
wandered beyond ms commission TO pronounce upon
the capabilities of the bridge for railroad nsit he
rejected all the eoidence rendered by The d.ftndcnts TO
prove the usefulness and importance OF The bridge
either to the local population public and com
nercGl taciiity. This regularity OF the comnis-
sioner 10 OF no small iDsig nifcance, il betrays
bias on his part, however honest which led hun to
throw the weight OF his opinion against the useful
mesa OF the bridgea fact entering essentially into
its character as being nuisance or not.''
Pittsburgh, with n counsel SANITY busy; with
member of Congress volunteering in the news
and unfairly pr.judicipg the cause by incorrect
statement OF facts and testimony, is determined
that the public usefulness OF this Brio &C shall Weld
to local interests and private passions. Mr.. Howe
has not given specific facts
Permit me TO give few The Atlantic steam
crs, With three times the tonnage, have not higher
cbimneys than the Pittsburgh packets The boats
which ply between Cincinnati and Louisville and
New Orleans, and which pass under the Louisville
canal bridge, are Of much greater tonnage and
lower their chimneys constantly in making that
passage and no loss of life or natcra! injury has
ever occurred The same on the Kentucky river
The fact, ms shown in Judge McLean's report
49, that IN an average of twelve years there are but
tour days in each year in which any boat CAN'T pass
under the Wheeling bridge on n flood OF nrsnfu-
screen feet, (Which IS high watcr,) with pipe sixty
feet above the water line; while the record shows
that Tor want OF bridge across that branch Of The
river there lie average Of ticenty fee days in the
year in which the mails and the land commerce OF
the country cannot pass that stream Eight mil
lions OF people beyond the Ohio asked for the con.
struction Of the bridge, and desire il TO be main
tanned. The forty two thousand miles of railroad
against twenty five thousand miles of river navi
CATION, create new questions and PROFOUND consi-
deraiions for these correlave systems Of commerce
Hoping will not, in the discharge of my duty TO
my people AMI to the people of the West be again
dragged into the newspapers,
am, very respectfully, your obcdient servant,
GEORGE w. THOMPSON
Having given 9th sides hearing, we shall de
cline publishing anything further on the subject,
except as an ndvertisement.-ED. REPUB