The Evansville journal., 1868-05-27


lion bushels annually, but when we
estimate the vast lumber business, the
salt business, and the iron business
that is carried on upon that river, IN
connection with all the ordinary pro
duce business of that vast valley, we
can but family comprehend the i'm
portance Of protecting the navigation
Of the Ohio River.
Mr.. President, want to read,
in the hearing Of the Senate,
the opinion that has been given
by fifty eight licensed pilots of the
Ohio River. Opposite the name of
each pilot is placed the length Of time
he has served as licensed pilot, and.
the average is over twenty years; ae
Opinion Of RestsrJ1 Rtuer plots.
CISCISSATls May g, Loos.
We. the undersigned licensed hi ots on
the Ohio River, hereby decal le thaJ 10
won 4 be dffficuit and dangerous for as to
navigate large and heavily laoen steam
boats and boats with tOws or
barges between the piers 0f
hundred feet between the piers over Ine
channel. even though the bridge was built
at right al giles to the current ana lLle piers
in a line with the current
While this danger and obstruction at e
afiveiv small il would be increased with
stage Of twenty feet and upwards, when
the heavy business, especl ally IN u1Wingt
is done, 10 would be very serious. We re-
gard 10 as clear 10 the mind OF AIS sensl54e
river IN and navigator thaE the placing
of hve or six pi ers Within the oankS OF our
narrow river VIII, Dy IlNidluS the waters
at the piers. create f cross currents and
" e0dies" dangerous to navigation. me
water above the piers Will be higher than
below, and tine force OF the current mate
rally increased, varying, OF couIs Sc, with
the stage OF water. ITO DE reasonably slLe
the length Of span should be i've h0ndret
eet.
This, I repeat, is the testimony of
fiity-eight licensed pilots OF the
Ohio l,lver, whose average e2Xpe-
rience Is over twenty years. lt Is
the best testimony that can be offered
IN regard 10 the dangerous character
of these Obs-ructieus. In connection
with these obsJructl0ns and the IN
creased dangers of navigation, delay
and so on, Is the question OF insurance.
Iheiusurauce of steamboats,, 1atbOats,
barges, and the insurance Of their car
goes is now necessary element 10 all
cOmmercla calculations Of profit and
loss. L now present resolutions sign
ed Dy the agents and officers of forty
four insurance companies, 20 show
that by the construction of bridges
having only a span OF three hundred
feet over the current of the river the
rates of insurance must be increased,
and that this increase of the rates
Of insurance must Increase with
the construction of every new
bridge; and therefore, if one
bridge at Steubenville Is a great
obstruction, twenty bridges Of the
same kind would make an obstruction
twenty times as great, and IN this
way, by the gradual multiplication of
these bridges. the navigation of the
river will be destroyed The follow
ing is the statement made by the IN
derwriters representing forty-tour IN
surance companies:
C1NCrSSATI. April %, 1865
GENTLESIES: In reply TO your letter OF
Aprn Is, asking the opinion OF the Board
OF Underwriters of this ty If he con-
structiOn of pier bridge across the Ohio
with three hundred ieet space between |
the piers would so ObStrucb the naNl9all0n
as to require an advance rate OF premium
on boats and their cargOes plying between !
Cinc,nnari and PittSOurg, at a meeting OI
me Board held at their rooms April %. l
1865 the following resolutions were unani- |
mously adopted by the Board, and are |
herewith 1uclOSed as an answer 10 your I
. ResoIgsd. That 1t is the deliberate and |
settled opinion of the Cincinnati Board Of 4
Underw4 tiers that bridge butH across /
the Ohio River between the clues OF Cln- /
cinuai and Newport, Kentucky, with /
piers in the river three hundred feet \
apart would prove a serious and danger
Gus obstruction to the navigation of the 4
river; and that all underwriters, IN Justice
to their stockholders, w II be Obliged ~
charge increased rates for the insurance Of
property passing these piers.
"Res0iued. That IL is the judg gnent of the
mem bers Of this Board that where bridges
are built over the Ohio River, that in order
TO leave the naVle alton OF the river Fea- I
sOnably safe, there should be a main span
over the channel not less than five hun
dred feet l0ng.
JOHN BURGOYNE,
President pro ten1p0re.
JOHN J. HOOKER, Secretary.
will simply say, in addition to
this evidence on the part Of these in
surance companies, that the carrying
trade is In the hands of the insurance
companies In 5his way: by increasing
the rate of insurance the carrying
trade can be controlled as to particu-
lar ships or channels 1t was not the
Alabama in herself that drove the
carrying trade into British ships dur
ing the war and drove American ships
out of the trade, but it was the in
surance companies that so increased
the rate of insurance upon American
ships and cargoes In American Ships
that shippers could ship far more
3heaply IL British bottoms and thus
it was that the carrying trade of our
country was virtually destroyed during
The war by one or two rebel cruisers.
The same thing will operate IN the
Ease of Obstructions placed upon any
lavigable river. They increase the
.ataS of fnrurauoe IN cuah a n avtap% Z