The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-04-20
THE NAVIGATION OF THE OHIO
Important Meeting at Pittsburgh.
History OF the matter before Congress

DfluSeS over the ONO river There was
full attendance of those representing
the river interests of Pittsburgh, de-
pendent in whole or In part upon the
unobstructed navigation of the western
waters, and the liveliest interest was
manifested in the proceedings.
The Committee had been appointed to
visit Washington City for the purpose
of getting Congress to pass a bill au-
| thorizing the Secretary of War to ap-
point Board OF Engineers to survey,
examine and report to the next Con-
gress upon the practlcability of allow
ing only three hundred feet span rail-
road bridges to be built over the
channel way of the Ohio river, and
prohibiting any bridges being built
in the meantime with less than four
hundred feet span over the channel.
They report that they were met at the
door of the Committee Room on Roads
and Canals, by "the paid agents of
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
pany waiting our arrival, ready as
usual to use all the means in their pow
er to procrastinate legislation this ses-
sion upon the bill, in order that they
might proceed in building their two
bridges this summer under the existing
law, passed in 1862, allowing bridges to
be Built OF only 300 feet span over the
channel of the river, and 200 feet be.
tween the other PIERS" We quote fur
thur from this report:
We presented our statements of facts
to prove that spans of three hundred
feet in width, no matter where they
are placed in the river, are dangerous
obstruction to navigation, and under
no circumstances could our towR ofCORl
pass through with any degree of safety
| at night. We called the attention of the
Committee to the sworn statements of
siXty-One pilots and captains of tow
boats to this fact, and after presenting
| many other incOntrOvertible proofs in
support OF our side OF the question, we
urged upon them the Importance of
their immediate action, as Monday
would he the last day OF the session for
Offering bills.
The paid agents of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad Company who were
present during our examination, in
sisted upon p0stpOnement of action,
under the plea of being able to offer
| rebuttinE testimony, but in fact for the
purpose of pOstponing action until al
ter the morning hour of Mondays ses-
sion, and although their side of the
question had been argued before the
Committee by the President and Engi-
neer of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road Company on the Wednesday pre-
| ViOusly, nevertheless they granted the
pOstpOnement until Monday at three
| O'Clock, T.. NJ, when the representatives
/ OF both sides appeared, made statements
aud presented facts both pro and con to
the Committee, after hearing which
| they agreed almost unanimously to re-
port the bill through their chairman,
Mr.. IngerEOll, who made every effort TO
do so on Tuesday morning. Its being
x,f rNFl NV1Ui IN
quired n two third vote to get it before
the House. The attempt called forth
vote of seventy. five for and fifty-six
against taking it up. There being only
three days of the session left for pas
sing upon the unfinished business, it
was impossible, under the circun-
stances, to have it taken up and acted
upon. Your Committee on learning
that postponement had been granted by
the House Committee until Monday af.
ternOon, consequently fearing the fatal
result that did occur, went Immediate
ly to Governor Morton, of the Senate
(who fully appreciates the Importance
OF this subject) and requested him
to bring it before the Senate, which
he did. He had it referred to
the Committee on Post Roads,
asking their immediate action. The
| Chairman of the COmmitte, Gov. Ram
sey, called them together 10 hear US on
Thursday morning. The Baltimore and
Ohio Railr DAD Company agents, as
| usual, were present, and the same game
of postponement gone through. Mr..
| Garret, their President, telegraphed he
could not be present until Friday morn
| ing, when both sides were again heard
prO and con with the same result. The
| bill, faVorably reported, laid on the
| speakers desk twenty four hours before
| adjournment, and, of course, could not
be called up for want of time. w. Mill
/ 7 SDF
| engaged by the Government in making
surveys of and removing Instructions
from the Ohio river, and perfectly fami-
| liar with the present necessary econOm-
| ical mode of transporting coal III large
| quantities by tOwboats and barges down
| said river, being struck with the stupen-
dous absurdity OF the Governments al
| lowing distractions to be placed in the
river of much greater magnitude than
any he was authorized to remove,
thought it eNpedient to accompany us
before the Committee OF the House of
Representatives., 10 whom he gave
| valuable information, presenting maps
of the river where the proposed bridges
are 10 be built this summer by the
| Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, also
drawings of tow boats with their barges,
calculating clearly the fact that bridges,
with their widest span only three hun
bred feet, would be dangerous and
l
this river, ard also that railroad
bridges of five hundred feet span could
be built as strong AID safe as any of
three hundred, the question of cost
being the only difference.
This same resolution or bill, asking
that the Secretary OF War should APP
point Board of Examiners, with au-
thority 10 report to the last Congress as
| to three hundred feet span over the
channel ofthe river being AN obstruc-
| ton or not, was before the Senate COM
mittee of the FOrtieth Congress. Those
interested in river navigation and
others opposed to the obstruction of
the river, and those interested in build
| ing railroad bridges over it, appeared
before said committee and presented to
them arguments and facts for and
against it. The result was that the bill
was reported fhvOrably, and passed
the Senate. 1t then went to the House,
and was referred to the House Commit
tee on Roads and Canals, where it
died.
AT the last session of the Fortieth
Congress the same routine of evidence
was gone through with, both sides APP
pearing before the House Committee
on Roads and Canals with the same
result. The bill was reported upon
favorably TO the House of Representa-
tives, and passed on the Monday pre-.
vious to adjournment; went to the Sen
ate, WAS referred to the Committee on
Pest Routes, and never more heard of
that session.
Thus, by the powerfully concentrate
| ed, active and overwhelming iu1lu-
eHces brought to bear upon Congress
by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company. just and proper legislation
| has been prevented until now, when
HNyH 10 mil "a