The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1866-12-07
The Susquehanna Bridge.


A prominent citizen of Havre de Grace writes
us a glowing and critical description of tho Rail-
road Bridge just completed at that place. Were
it not that so much has already been published
on the subject we would publish his graphic ac-
count Of the Bridge, and the excursion which
took place on the 26th of last month. The first
passenger train crossed on the bridge on the
26th of November, and since the 2sth Of the
same month the trains, except freight, have
crossed regularly. The employees on the road
made an excursion to the bridge yesterday week,
and of which our correspondent says:
"With band of music they passed over and
recrossed the bridge after which they marched
through the streets of our town, with the old
War Horse, J. II. Cushing, at their head, and
who has been the master man in building this
great bridge, for which too much praise cannot
be given him. After which the excursonsts
sat down to a bountiful repast prepared for them
on the Cecil shore After dinner, the whole
party made an excursion to Port Deposit on
board the steam tug Pacific, Capt. Mann. Much
cheering took place on the occasion, and
throughout, good humor and pleasantly pre-
vailed"
To the Railroad Company this work is of
great advantage, but to the citizens of Havre
de Grace and surrounding neighborhood, who
labored SO assiduousy for years to aid the COM
pany in obtaining the charter it is of no ad-
vantage. Perhaps it may, with some show of
reason, be said, that the company were expect
ed to do their work with view to the wants of
the travelling public, and without any regard
to local interests. But iflocal interests could be
benefited without injury to the company, or
detriment to the general travel, we can see no
reason why persons located near this work
might not justly complain. Now for the COM
pany to have provided way for foot passen-
gers, rs well as the general travel over their
bridge, other than by the railway, would
have been no very great matter TO them even
in the first cost, and would have been a
source of revenue ever afterwards, as under the
original charter they could have charged the
same toll as was charged at the Port Deposit
bridge. With this addition to their bridge, the
structure would have been stronger and more
substantial than it is now, and with the addi-
tional width, it is extremely doubtful whether
the accident of last summer would have happen
ed. 1t is folly 10 say or to think that the
bridge could not have been thus constructed, for
bridges are thus built all over the country, and
could have been built at Havre de Grace, as
well as elsewhere. However, be this as it NAV,
the people of Havre de Grace and surrounding
country were induced'to support the measure, by
promises that this would be the plan of the .su-
perstructure, and had it been thought other
wise, no charter would have been granted in the
winter Of 1853, nor would the citizens of that
place have appointed committees in the winter
of ls47-4s, to have visited Annapolis to urge the
charter. If the bridge was never intended or
could not be made to accommodate the travel
other than by the railway, these people ought TO
have been made acquainted with the fact, when
they were urging the passage of the law, mainly
for the reason that they were led to believe that
it could and would have been done. Bridging
any navigable stream is a serious disadvantage
to the public, and never can be justified upon
any other grounds than that the general benefits
20 be derived from such obstruction greatly ex-
coed the individual injuries which follow in its
wake, and hence everything which adds to the
general advantages which can, should be scru-
pulously adopted, that disadvantages may be
overcome. have the same right to travel I'M
Distracted lengthways, that you have to travel
crossways navigabe stream, and whether my
passage or yours should be DISTRACTED, depends
entirely which results in the greatest public
good and no legislation which is not governed
by this rule in obstructing public highways, is
neither just nor judieious, and time will demon
strate whether this one is clear of objection.-I
We happen to know something of the history of
this case, as well as the difficulty of obtaining
the grant to cross the Susquehanna with q
bridge at all. The testimony in favor of obshuc-
ting the navigation of this stream was by no
means overwhelming, and we thought then, and
and we think now, that to justify the obstruc-
tion of that river, no public convenience ought
to have been neglected. and no public advan-
tage or benefit should have been disregarded.
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