The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-05-04

touched, with loss altogether OF Gss lees--
u not loss. for they wese rsco. cred I've !
minutes siterward BY the rsnsmen. Thus,
We may say, not che raft Of shs forty three !
which have passed this season has been In.
lured. r., NJ. Bissell, ths RepubMcsn's
sfidec authority, estimates the additional
cost to lumber passing this bridge BY acct
dents. nc, Al one dollar per thousand
feei
fnrh are the Jscts--undeniable. indis.
pot ole iact-. Our readers can form their
own estimate Of the truth q he Repabli'
cans statement, that property BY me million
IS lost a, thus bridge. I,.ay lives BY the
! scores are los, through the same instru.
m entality. New the fact Is. UHy one lie
has been lost through tho dir, Ct .nstruacn.
tsiity of TIN. bridge. A bsre, truck, and
. msn on the barge tell owe bcard. Last
week a msn fell of the bri IRE and was
drowned, and lev weeks a.-o = skill up.
Sc, BY striking log at the bridge. and one
man sss crowned. This 10 the whole fa,a.
lily connected with the bridge s,ncs ito
erection, and yet the Republican speaks
Of ives being los, BY scores at this bridge!
The Republican speaks Of boats " sitinR
days and weeks for an opportunity to psss
shss bridge Thi. 10 ridiculous. At sny
time OF high wind. the boa, which can ven.
ture 10 navigate the Rapid. above. cas- ven.
s"Fe 70 pass his bridge, aud any pilot who
viii venture on the one undertakes no, hai,
the task 10 Fiskins the ether Steamers oil.
way- have lad the hab. OF /. ying up here
u iines Of high "nd on asclunt Of the
Rspids, and they do the same now, al.
though the bridge may by some be made
the excuse. No boat ever laid here pseks
for The wind.
The Republican 10 entirely mistaken in
assuming tina, the people and journals oi
Rock Island are opposing this bridge. Ou,
OF three journals IN Ro.k Island only one
opposes the bridge, and the character o,
it, editor and It's column Of stes.nbost ad.
ver,isements tell that tale. The peopl. are
scy generally warm advocates OF the
bridge The exceptions are those ares,ly
interested by river business 10 thu ecsts..
Ity For any ci, zen Of Rock Island looking
alone To the interests OF the city. to advo.
cate the destruction OF this bridge. 10 TO ex
hbi, shor, sighted policy behind The spiri,
oithe aye.
ID view 81 the facts above given, the
more prominent Of which are notorious
the pilots on steamboats, aad rats are be
ginning to find that for a boat or raj
under their care TO meet with an acc iden,
a. THE bridge. 10 an injury to their pro
fessional reputation. They now appreciate
the fact. that the pubic know whe q boa,
or rsit meets with an accident in naviRa.
ting this bridge, IL mas, happen either
through negligence, design or ,neficicney
on the part 81 the pilot Consequently ~.
cry pilot ieels tina, il there is a dtffculty il
navigating this bridge. HE reputation 10 .,
much a, stake IN passing his boat through
safely, ss IN overcoming any other diflicul
~ No one can read the facts we have
stated. aud rceollect that the passage Of III,
draw OF this bridge Is nearly 100 lee, wide
and not cay that the pilot who permits hi,
boat even to fsb pier. uniess some acci
dent happens TO machinery, .. gully Of
either gross negligence, u igno rance OF hi,
business. Or malicious dssign. We now say
thu, any pilot who viii not guarantee .
sste passage OF the bridge TO the boat undeI
hi. control. unavoidable accidents not con
ner'ed ~i,a me bridge excepted. 10 UNI,
for his position and unworthy OF trust.