The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-03-31
NEW YORK.
Dyke w.. The Erie RailrOad-The
Accident to the Steamer Granite
nj

Dyke W.. The Erie RailrOad-The
Accident to the Steamer Granite
state.
New YORK. March 30.-ln the case
of Camden G. Dyke against the Erie
Railroad company, where Dyke recov'
cred $3j, 900 from the company for in
juries sustained by the Carrs Rock dis.
aster, a petition TO bond and writ oI
error from the United States Supreme
Court were filed yesterday in the county
clerks office of Kings county. The writ
was issued by n. J. Swayne, associate
Justice of the United States Supreme
Court. The ground taken is that the
injuries were sustained in Pennsylvania,
where the law Of that State limited
damages for such actions to $4,000.
The steamer Granite State, recently
aground at Hallett's Point, where the
channel is being deepened by blasting
rock, ran ashore just over tunnel No. I,
which is l0l feet long, 20 feet high and
II feet wide; the roof is about : feet
thick. While the steamer was on the
reef IA charges were fired in the tunnel
Immediately under the steamer, and the
vibratory motion created great conster-
nation aboard.
steam Power on the Canals-RewRrd
Proposed for the Best InveutiOn.
ALBANY, \. V, March 30.-In the
Assembly last evening, when the House
went into committee on the bill to tos'
ter and deveiope internal commerce
by inviting and rewarding practicable
and profitable introduction upon the
canals OF steam, caloric, electricity or
any motive other than animal power
for the propulsion Of baots, which pro-
vides for giving to the inventor whose
plan proves the best $4,000, Mr..
Weed proposed to give 5000 to each Of
the five persons whose plans are best
and that $4,000 be given to the
one whose plan is selected by the com
missioners as superior to all.
Mr.. Alvord said it was already known
that there are forty plans offered, and
to select five which, when put to prac'
tical test may prove worthless, would
be perfect folly. The better way to
proceed is to let them compete in
practical test and let the best one win.
Mr.. Weed replied that his PROPOSE
ton was to select five of the most prom,
ising and then let these five compete
for the main prize. In this way, it
seemed to him, the practical plan wor!d
be the most apt to be secured.
Mr.. Alvord insisted that in making
the selection of Eve plans from models
merely, five of the poorest, so far as
practicability is concerned, might be se'
lected. There was but one way to pro
ceed, and that was by practical tests.
Mr. Weed amendment was lost.
Mr.. Gleason moved to strike out the
reward of $4,000 to be given after two
years use, to the inventor. II any one
can produce such an invention as this,
$4,000 will be as nothintg to the value
of it to the inventor.
Mr.. Allserger spoke Of the import
'ance OF this proposition to inventors.
He knew $4,000 would be mel baga.
telle to the real value of such an in.
vention, but he was frank enough
TO say that he did not believe the State
would soon be called upon to pay the
$4,000. Such an invention would be
worth a million Of dollars, and whose.
ever could produce what was wanted
ought to be paid million of dollars
instead ofS50,0O0. ..... ."
NJ. Fields announced his willingness
to vote for the bill. At the same time
he did not believe the speed looked fol
could be secured without washing the
hanks Of the canals.
The committee then rsse and reported
progress, and the bill was ordered te
. third reading. ..s