Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-02-08

draw OF one hundred ana sixty feet. The
distinguished gentleman from Illinois asks
the question, "Why do you not require
this draw to be one hundred and sixty
feet?' Sir, we do not require II because
the structure is built II il there, mon
ument of the enterprise aud genins OF
those men WHO have sunk their money
deep down in the bed of tho Mississippi
that the constituents Of the distinguished
gentleman from Illinois may reap tho
benefits Of that -fiyplty which is afforded
10 carrying their products 10 makct eith.
or through the city Of Chicago to the city
Of New York, or on the .'Father of Wa.
tcrs" through tho Gulf Of Mexico.
Mr.. Speaker, permit me to call attention
to tho facts connected with this bridge.
do not state them merely from personal
observation. but state them as proved
before the committee. know the gentle.
man from Illinois produced before that
committee certificates from steamboatmen,
from pilots, from men interested in the
navigation Of the Mississippi river and
sworn 10 by them; bot We had before MS
not only men connected with the naviga-
tion Oh the Mississippi river, but men who
bad beon brought from other sections oil
the country, entirely disinterestcd pilots,
hsteamboatmen and raitsmen who had been
called there by parties interested in the
bridge to investigate and examine whether
II was or pot material obstruction TO the
navigation OF the Mississippi river We
had their evidence. We took it together
with that Of the men who were interested
in the navigation Of the river; and taking
it altogether, there was no doubt in the
minds of the committee, il was oyerwhelm-
lingly proved there was no material oh
struction to the navigation Of the river.
The gentleman has read in the hearing
of the House to-day certificate us sworn
to, where il is alleged the piers of that
the river. uuhesitatingly say those gem
tcmcn are mistaken in regard to that fact.
The evidence is clear and satisfactory that
the piers are set directly parallel with the
current of the stream. This is the fact,
as the evidence Of Mr.. Taylor, the engin-
eer Of is construction, clearly shows, who
is sustained and confirmed by the distin-
guisEed gentleman from Massachusetts,
chairman Of the Committee on the Post
Office and Post Roads; and other gentle
men Of this House, who actually saw for
themselves that these men were entirely
mistaken in regard TO the matter. The
bridge itself Is not at right angles to the
banks of the river. The current runs diff
Iercnty from tho general course of the
stream at this point, and no competent
engineer would construct a bridge across
so important riscr without planimg his
piers parallel with its current.
Mr.. WAsnBuRNE, Of Illinois How
about the Rock Island bridge?
Mr.. FARQUuAR. | know nothing about
II except from tho testimony before the
committee, and that was slight. My in
formation is from the gentleman from Ill
inois ip the speech he made here last win.
ter, aud | would like, IL had tho time, to
show tie House the misrepresentation,
The misstatemcnis, the misunderstandings,
| presume OF The gentleman in regard to
tho Rock Island bridge, as applied by him
to the Clinton bridge on former oeca.
sion.
Mr.. GGNSFtL. Let mo say word ia
reference TO the Rock Island bridge.
Mr.. fAaQunAR. ! do not yield, rs
cannot spare tho timo. / desire to ay
In this connection that there was evidence
before the committee that impartial and
disio,erested men from other portions Of
tho country tried experiments by floats
upon the river, giving them fee wny in
the current, aud the result was that they
vent clear of the piers and between them,
showing that the current of tho stream
was directly parallel with the length Of
the piers.
The gentleman from Illinois says that
hereafter from fifteen TO twonty bargcs
will be towed by single boat from the
headwaters of tho Mississippi TO the Gulf
without breaking bulk, bat he lorgels or
omils 10 sny that steamboatmen oply place
one barge upon each side of boat, the
others being towod TO tho rear, aud that
the bridge affords ample space for that
purpose.
But lhore Is stronger evidence than that
to sustain this case. The bridge was com
plelod ia December, 1861, more than two
years since, and there is not single ease
OF damage or injury established, with n
single exception, during tho whole period
OF time from then until now. No materi.
al obstruction whatever has resulted from
tho construction of this bridge to the nav
igation OF the Mississippi river. While
the gentleman from Illinois Mr.. Wash
burne charges that sixty barges aud boats
have been destroyed atRock Island bridge,
the gentleman has not dared 70 charge
before this House to-day that more thana
single craft has been injured ut this bridge.
And, sir, there arc suspicious IL was run
against the bridge TO make an experiment.
tai case to test whether il was a legal
structure or not. Yet the gentleman
would ask the committee 10 come into the
House, aud in the face Of sworn evidence,
aud after deliberate examination, TO decide
IL was an obstruction TO tho navigation OF
Mississippi river. We could not do il
aud serve our constituents; We could not
DO 10 and serve our country; wo could not
do IL aud stand before this House and the
testimony in this case. But We coslo here
impartial and disinteres,ed. as much so as
the gentleman can be, taking the facts us
thoy came before the committee. This
bridge is one of the finest structures, not
only In America, but in the world. Ii
cost over five hundred thousand dollars,
and tho whole purpose Of tho gentleman
seems to DO 10 tear II down because II be.
longs 10 an incorporated railroad coin-
pany.