The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-04
SHOULD BE RAZEG.
THAT LoNG-sTANDENG NUISANCE.
Referring of Course to the MOnOngaheIa
Suspension Brtdge-What the PresI-

c me 1ftegraDh man called on ColCJ. n
burg, and Brown & Jones New Orleans]. pres
ident OF the Coal Exchange. this morning and
ask asked the question: Hoy. as heavy shipper q
His reply was. 1T has been such q thorn in
our side, that | hardly know where TO be-
gin gin roiaf. He. however at once came to
great nuisance, as follows: The bridge is is
very sadly In our way on account Of the mar
rowness OF the span through which we have to
boat all OF our coal, and its exceeding lowness
IL was originally constructed to prevent the
large boats from Cincinnati. which were the
only means =, OF transportation to and from the
South ana West from going above Pittsburgh
AT tnat time all freight was reshipped upon
small packets running from here to Monon-
gahela City and Brownsville, and from these
by canal to Baltimore. The object In view
was to make Pittsburgh the terminal point
for large boats from the lower country and
force their trade, to stop at this point. Then
there were no coal shipments such as there are
TO day. and the building Of railroads and the
opening OF competing transportation lines has
changed all the conditions then existing. The
approach to the bridge from the Pittsburgh side
declines from Smithfeld street instead Of hay-
suit OF the manner in which the bridge was con
structed there is one narrow span over the
channel through which all the product from the
me risk fs very great from collision, on
account o. lhe narrowness OF the spaSa be-
tween the p,grs on either side of the ctSnnel,
put while this is a serious objection, 1t is not
the main one. for when the stage OF water
reaches fourteen feet only the smallest pool
towpoat can get under the bridge at all. making
an absolute embargo On getting the coal out OF
the pool at the very time when We can take 1t
out onn 70 the ne best advantage. The only possible
OF c0a under n r the bridge at that
little boats bring the barges one By one to a
point Ia the chaonel above the bridge and let it
another boat bolow. This Is dangerous bust
ness. On the present rise the getting Of coal
from the pools above was practi ally delayed
boats that would otherwise have been started
upon their voyage down the river on Sunday
Thi and Monday dld not leave, until Tuesday.
Ihelr crews being all shipped and under pay |
the loss to the operators is a serious matter |
We com plain very bitterly at the maintenance |
Of this bridge. and the losses it forces on the
,oal industry, especially when it can be 80 cas-
Dfer, from the, Pittsburg side and raising the |
grade .r o1th 1T, bridge to the level Of Smithfed
street This can be done with very little ex- |
oense to the bridge company. by simply fore |
'hortenlng the wire cables and building up the |
present 2 piers under the columns. Mr.. schoon-
manufacturers were interested In having this |
mango ma made partieuI4 4rly At this time when
70 be h assal that the rsd T.
u the bridge for trains crossing from the |
south Side TO the city proper is very heavy
would be means OF conferring great benefit |
lpon concerns bringing heavy loads across to
his side. With this. he dismissed the subject |
or the present. but. as will be observed not |
Without making very strong case against the |
ridge company and the antiquated structure
Which Is so thoroughly in keeping with the old
ogy management. 1t is OF very little use, how
yer. to reason with such people, and the most
hecttve course for the coal men and South Side
manufacturers to pursue would be to get an act
'assed by the incoming Legislature to make
ne changes which the times and our business
nt-rests require, The bridge is not even en-
ormer times.-Pittsburg Telegraph, Nov. 20.