, 1859-04-30
19rrss 4 Trihu1tt.


0ePAflHaeht ofcr the navigation ot tn S':s5l
supp River? Why does tue Secretary .: 81!
Involve h!s department in the lcS5:s! e.'n''e' =
~ cow e'in. on between the S. Louis tpa'l
oei q Commerce and the Bridge COMPANY
ID " 1or tic purpose Q. influencing puohc opn'
.un or making testimony for either parry
-uese questions have l,ccn so ottcn put 10 u
tnat We have taken paius to set the necessary
1aets and propose to answer them
4st Tie War Department has no lnrisd'c'
'1oo over the navigation or the river; II Is HOT
charged with the protection Of it, and any in
teflef'nce on its part is without tue authority
81 law and is entitled to Just as much weight
s''o consideration as the acts done aud Tue
motives inducing sac, action, would have
coming lrom an individual
md. As 10 the reasons why the Secretary
o1 War has engaged in this quarrel We pro-
pose tn let the documents speak for thcn''
Selves IL the following letter the Hon gen
fle:nea who signed it could :aot know personal
y the accuracy of tie facts recited. The stale
meat that many steamboats, have been ell
tlrely DESTROYED is not true. Only one toa&
mas been lost IT the Br;d.e-,he E!hc Alton
der owners have onc. tried the question "s
the liability Of tae Bridge Company, and
le|!as that tlv Elult was with the boat and
not with the hr:Gce.
lcorr.}
To Tt Hue !. &. FI,Tp. Secretary OF War.
4 question affecting very materially the in
teres1 Of all persons navigating the Western
rivers. has been raised hy the erection Of Rail
road Bridge o-er III: Mississippi river. between
Rock Island in the Stale Of Illinois, aud Darcn.
port, in the State Of Iowa.
7a' te<'tm'ony ytr<" 1y captains Of Steamers.
pi1ft ant alter rtr<: mn rt3"ft3< as|h Mat o7
1n"* q th~ Gic1 knyinetrs who Aatt esamtnsd
Tie h:rnrtHrt.
These Civil Engineers. however, being in the
employ O: different Eai:road Companies, Their
opinions are open to the charge Of prejudice. is
by many persons the question is regarded Us
slalf!y one between the Railroad and River H.
tcTrats,
Une :hinc is certain S1ty-four steamers and
a large number OF ratts have been more or less
injured rpuu this brjA .c-nnAny Of tl,rm tn1:fti.
destroyed. In one instance the amount Of los,
was nearly two hundred thousand dollars.
Twn suits in r:tuily 2rc nav pending III the
Supreme Cour, Of the United States relative IL
the said bridge in ri which the United
States are 1hr c"ml''aHant*.
Il seems 1u the undersigned very desirable
that Ibis structure should he examined by some
Engineers whose Judgment would not be liable
10 b. warped by any local or other pref juGicc>; !;
mud We therefore request TINT y"u will appoint
Conl~,nn 10 be composed OF three Army
Engineers, IL proceed to l"ck island ,oun after
the npeuIng nf navigation, aud examine s"lt
briG md, maxi. fht.jf- tf,4r1unnH.
N~. j. " Kt":{, fAf -4""t q ~ 81 Louis
ClaM1,r u CpmMe'rt, h"zo in Mt* c.t4, a"d
il und.,stonl 10 IL authorized to dttray tAt .r-
Pehs.s1 q s'hA Commission.
WAsIJS-1os. ts5ru7sy 34.h, 1ss2.
TnrsTEx po1k,
T., t. NASHBuESE, JAMES S. GREEN,
+. =. Hl41n, Jr.,
.]nuS :, PHKLr5,
II. 5. GnoEsgEck,
GEO. H. pESpLEroy.
We suppose that this letter was prepared
by Mr, B:=scll, the Agent Of the St. loui>
Chamber Of Commerce, and ii is untitled t.
Just such weight AZ the representations ot such
raytzan would be, aud 10 morn. That l4r
slou!i attrmrt to cast j slur upon the lta-
pa-:;:litr Of tAc Civil Engineers who lsayt
exmn;.4.i The structure" aud ignore entirely
the pErialiras II captains. pilo,s. AMI other
river men results very Naturally from Liz ell
ploynlcnt and til s:,lc IN which he is engaged
We 10 IN, lclicvc the sirners u! tlt letter i1i
tended 10 snccr Ut any Set ii :lir1. The statt-
ment tl.at "six,y-iol!E steamboats, have l,cen
more or less injured is Misrepresentation; :;
the fact being 1hat there have l,eeu over tA'cc
thousand passages Of steamboats, through the
jrred and nearly MI u tAose that hare re-
ccivrd damage ;lln7c. have passed int draw il.
safety both lef,r: ard after the dates lllat they
received the injuries.
The following is 4 copy Of The Letter ap-
point::4 4 Eoarsl If Examiners:
yrErAr ~ Tt,tnsu,rutcA, l.se,s.zs.,
"a-nlngiun. March /, ~.
s1E: hnv" t''e honor to acknowledge Your
direction I" select frum the Corp, IF 1.foSraph
ical Engineers "t tile Army, three ol4rrrs, for
the purpose ot rSll':ng and reporting. uI"'n fls
construction uftIc Railroad Etid=r acr.'ss thu
Mississippi River, between l.oca 1>lalld in thu
Stne o! i!nu>. :1n.l Davenport in ii.r State ot
Iowa, in il b'arn.s upon 1Ele navigation OF t'4r
AEss>>l River, and respectfully rer.'"-
e. Mca'lr aud Capt Vim. Il. Franklin, uf TN.
C"Tps a Tn.H@,1 ai'h!ca n@inrtrs. constitute
Board %; Engineers tnr such rurI",-.. ltis ,'Et'-
posed t'!at thu EnArd Shall vAar.iuc and rrfn1:
lst. hh:rr the Railroad l;i',! - w!,c1.
crosses tie Mississippi River brw"rll Euv'-
Island, IL ttir Stlte IT Illinois. nnl Davenport.
III ti'r >a" "t l'wa. is constructed accottlinS I"
correct p'tnc!rlrs. reference being lad to tlts
Interest ii isistl-atlnn.
I'll. W!n::srr tr piers Of said bridge ar. ii
the btst t".u and. ii n"t, whether tlIr bcst form
il practicable III that place. md what is tile II
feet ii the defective furiu
.d Whether !1!y nt The riers are larger ttnn
necessary, AMI il larger. Inv much larger, and
what il IN" effect "ftniS Increased size upon thu
passA4r ii water un! ot steamboats,.
4''s: " hr'l,cr tue piers ARE placed as near as
possible parallel with tle Current and if mt
par4ei, lind tile angle as NEAR rs possible, and
assrltan the effect Of tile ubli,ui:y upon the
passage Ut water ut,d Of steamboats,.
9Th. Ascertain the velocity uf the current
ab"vr aud beluw tin bridge aud in the draw
pas,are-
IN. Ascertain the SIC. Ms near ~ possible
auu I'll" i''~h' ii III. cddirs nrnr the steitln.
boat ii>~A=v, :siI vhrtllrr they Interfere with
the I"s>Acc u! steamboats,.
'tl -s>r' rta''i rs i"arlv rs possible The lei .h
anu "A'tI.t u: lie :tlDyca caused by thu pier TIL
Wilt tt!r draw lMrn,
ia II said bridge is badly located aud is AL
ob>'' "ctf"H ~ t'lc passage If atrl,,l bnats a.!
rats. 4>r' ra rhr:l."r t!,rr, !. any point in t!.e
Vicinity Where Il h'lt!.r might laayc bccu located
~ As tu cause les, o3>trur;iou.
:th. And t" ,a"kr such other examinations ,.s
lie E"ar'f may deem NECESSARY during tie pru.
grrA. u ,''e Investigations
II 1'';rr1 nf thu i!o.rd vii; be made to the
t"i"n'l Of Typographical Engineers.
- u "h"''AF'"d f"at tie >rrrn<,< attending tie
%o'n; =" :::"''"h sfuH 1e iornt hy tx 81. Lou.s
t':4"''r O.: r. t"mm.r.,, Msrr Mi"y ne Ju,.ds !.
II" N"'*n" Hly'etoalt IL The pu'p'*r.
Respectfully, 4'r. .our nb't >crv't.
&. WOODRUFF,
u,,< rap:: Topl Ensrs, Asst in charge.
HON. JOHN T.. FLOYU.
Secretary ol War
lue rol'ts nai,lcd in this let1cr Of i,lstruc-
1'oaS nr'er originated in tie War Department
they "-r'e undoubtedly the work Of ,nc
sa'ne ft<.1t=r:s's3 o3chl that drafted the orig
mai application addressed tn the Secretary ii