Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-09-26

HAaBoR OF REFUGE-Much has beer
said and felt of late about that proposed
Government work. break water, or har.
bor of refuge. Engineers have been re.
connuiiering and surveying for the pur-
pose "f ascertaining the best point for its
location Cleveland has been big with
expectation, and all the arguments for
locating it at that place, have been aired,
but, though Cleveland has the influence
to demand the first. attention, she has
not the bottom, as the engineers tell US,
for the economical building and safe
standing of the work In this respect,
Ashtabula can put forth much stronger
claim for the location of the work than
Cleveland. The essential consideration
for the building of such a work, is a sold
bottom This Ashtabula has in. Superior
degree to any other point, the Harbor
and offing being underlaid with shale
rock, presents an advantage that is not to
be found, within the required range of
such work. Beside this fact, already
known to the engineers, the additional
fact, known 10 all vessel men. is, that
AshiabuIa presents better location, than
Cleveland, from being more central, upon
the lake line, and therefore the more
likely TO favor large proportion of YES
sells when they would most need ref
uge. Another consideration still, is, the
Harbor of Ashtabula lies out upon the |
line of travel up and down the lake and |
therefore more easily reached than a
harbor, located, as for instance, as Gleve-
land is-witbln a deep indentation of |
the shore, and comparatively distant
from the travelled line. But our object |
in this writing was to introduce an article
upon the snbiect that appeared in the
Cleveland Leader of last week over the
signriure OF W. which has been read
with some interest by our citizens, and is
called for by those who have not seen it.
1t is as follows:
To the Editor.
Your editorial on the "Breakwater in
Politics" in last Mondays Leader, is true
and 10 the point Allow me TO suggest a
few other points that bring the vi tai i'm
portanee-O this question nearer home.
We have just east of US the port of Ash
iabula, which is making rapid strides as
commercial point, through its connection
by rail with the coal and iron regions of
OHIO and Pennsylvania. A year or so
ago, two or three arrivals and departures
of vessels month represented the bust
ness OF the port This season it averages
SO many day--a very significant in
crease. Il strikes an observer that the
commercial aud mercantile interests Eof
Cleveland may, not nnwisely regard
Ashtahula rs future rival in the receipt
OF ore and the delivery of coal More
over the natural advantages OfIhe Har
Dor and coast are greater than those of
Cleveland (Or have been so regarded as to
the last mentioned until our recent bor-
ings here established our equality as TO
the character as TO the bottom for break
water purposes) The Harb0r is better |
than ours, and as great or greater depth |
of water is maintained without dredging. ,
The Government engineer reported a-
Vorably on that point for a harbor of
refuge, and it answered all the purposes &
as to position, for the great through trade i
Of the Lakes, and the soundings were
more favorable, hence a great saving
could be made on the cost of such a
structure The Member of that District l
is power, and let US hope an establish 6
ed one for time to come. Will he be
slow in avsiling himself of natural advan-
lages for his constituents, in case we, c
through divisions and jealousies, sacri- q
ice a Member whose position In Con-
gress is unquestioned whose efforts du- 4.
ing his own term have been unremitting
to secure for his District the all import t
int work, and to secure which, all that is /
needed is the hearty endorsement of his /
abors by his constItuenisi- It would be ,
worse than suicide to jeopardise such an
interest by swapping horses" at this
uncture. Our business men and all clas- n
es know well that our present Members
position as prominent member of the
Committee on Commerce gives him
sreat power in securing us this grand |
work. They also know that change of
Member atthis time is accompanied with =
great risk, if not certainly, of the new
Member falling to secure a position on t
hat all-inportRnt Committee, and pas e
ing bis first two years in gaining pO- q
iiion and power already had by our :.
dember. s-5s. ef u
Cleveland should remember that, no V
natter how well established its position b
5 at present, with Ashtabula on the one .
land and Black River on the other, both !,
Fith prominent and active Members, 0
3arheId aud Monroe, tits in danger of d
laVIng ITS prosperity seriously checked f
y future riYalries. So it IS wisdom to ;,
rasp the present moment, and work for u
be Interests of our beautiful and thriving c
itY, fT;7, ~ ffH 1iff II w. Il
Cleveland, Sept. Z. a