The Evansville journal., 1868-05-27
IN THE SENATE.
THURSDAY, May q, 1868.

across the ONO RIVER at Paaucan- KEN
tucky, be recommended TO the Committee
on Post Offices and Post Roads, and that
the said committee be requested TO cOnsld-
er of and, n in their Judgment thought
pest 10 report a general Dill authorizing
bridges TO be constructed over the Ohio
and Mississippi Rivers upon such terms
and conditions as VIII not materially in
terfere with navigation.
Mr.. Morton - Mr. President: I
should like the indulgence of the
committee and Of the Senate for a
short time in making a statement on
this subject and laying before the Sen
ate and the committee certain facts
which I have collected.
The subject is one of great interest
and Importance 10 the people o. the
Northwest, and to all Ia fact, who
are interested In the navigation of the
Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Ten
bridges have already been authorized
by act of Congress across the Upper
Mississippi, which, | undertake to
say, if constructed Will substantially
destroy the navigation OF the Upper
Mississippi. This bill, which I pro
pose 10 refer back to the Committee
on Post Offices ana Post Roads. has
passed the House OF Representatives
authorizing the construction of q
bridge across the Ohio River at Pa
ducah, and another bill is now In
possession of the same committee
authorizing the construction of a
bridge on similar terms across the
Ohio at Cincinnati [ viii state
briefly the terms of the bill which /
propose to refec back to the com
mittee.
The bill itself does not prescribe
the character of the bridge, but it re-
fers to the act of 1866, authorizing
the construction Of a bridge across
she upper Mississippi, at Quincy. Iili-
nOis, and those provisions are made
applicable to this bridge. That act
first authorizes the construction of
draw, to be a pivot draw, and to be
one hundred and sixty feet in the
draw; or it authorizes the construe-
tion of a high bridge. tbe spans to be
two hundred and fifty feet u length,
and the central span, over the cur
rent. TO be three hundred feet In
length. 1t gives the company in the
case of the Paducah bridge, as Is done
in regard to all the bridges on the
upper Mississippi that ( have refer.
red to, the privilege of constructing a /
draw Of only one hundred and sixty
stantially destroy the uayigation of /
those rivers, because boats, tows, and /
large steamboats,, cannot pass them In (
safety except in the day time, and /
cannot pass them 10 safety then with |
high winds or high waters; but with 1
rats and tow boats they cannot be |
passed at al except under the most /
favorable circumstances.
Il =
structing a draw-iridge ought to be /
absolutely wl,hTaWn, for reasons /
which I will present 70 the Commit I
tee, and the privilege of constructing I
a high bridge with a span of only /
three hundred feet over the center or .
current of the river ought TO be denied I
and the span should not be less than /
500 feet. The bridge author zad I
at Steubenville, aud which has been +
constructed, has demonstrated he
yond all question the fact that bridge !
with a span Of only three hundred
feet is a great Impedlment to Daviga-
tion. and that a few such bridges CON
structed over the Ohio River would
virtually destroy its navigation. One
bad bridl becomes the protection of 4
another, and if these oh, truetions
are multiplied they will become too
great for any power of removal
and the substantial navigation Of
rhe river will be gone forever. II Is
therefore, Mr. President, Of the ut,
most importance that without delav
there should be some general law en-
acted in reference to the bridging of
the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. some
general law enacted which will pro
tect the interests eff navigation.
We most foster the railroad inter
est also. The interests Of navigation
and Of the railroads are not incom-
patible; they are not antagonstie.
but may exist together But, sir. the
navigation of the great rivers is of
the first importance to the pebble
of the URited States, and It is the
duty Of Congress to protect the navi-
CATION of those streams against the
construction of improper BRIDGES
The Ohio Rive- Is one tbonsand
and fifty miles IN length. The extent
and value of the freights that mass mn
and down it are almost incalcnIabId ]
/ have seen one estimate thar tbe
freights on the Ohio River are euuaI 1
10 extent and value to all the freigb+e
carried by all the railroads in the
United States. l will not voucb for
the truth Of this statement: but 7
have seen it presented as having been
carefully made. Freight upos the
great rivers Is cheaper from four fiftbg
to one-half than it can possibly be on
railroads; and Il is, therefore, to the
interests Of all the people living near
these rivers, or whose commerce or