The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-12-13

t and Cecil counties, TO solicit subScri ptionS
and inausurate the enterprise The com
missioners exployed Hugh Beard, alluded
| to in connection with the town at Creswell' 5
| Ferry, to lay out site for the bridge. His
certificate of survey is dated the 10th of
August, 1913. From it we learn that the
bridge, or bridges, were to extend from the
| Hartford shore to Woods Island, thence to
Kerr's Island, thence to Steel's Island, and
| from there to the Cecil shore. BY this route
the bridges between the Hartford shore and
| herr's Island were placed further up the
river than the others, ana the turnpike con-
Meeting them crossed Kerr's Island at a con-
| siderable angle This route required $500
feet of bridging and 200 perches of turnpike
across the islands.
This site was not satisfactory, probably
for the reason that the route was longer
than was necessary, and by supplementary
act passed in 1915, the company was author
lied to change it.
Eight years had elapsed since the first
effort to erect the bridge had been made and
still it had not been commenced This long
delay was no doubt caused by the scarcity
If money and the reluctance Of capitalists
to invest in an enterprise that seemed haz-
ardous and uncertain. Probably they had
doubts about the practicability of maintain
ing the bridge, after it was erected, on &C
count of the tremendous ice floods in the
river. Bat financial ability seems never to
have been wanting among the citizens of
Port Deposit, and they tried perhaps the
only plan that could have resulted success
fully-that was to have the charter amended
SO as to allow the company TO carry on the
banking business. This change was effected
in 1916 and seems to have been eminently
successful.
The site selected at this time, which was
the enc upon which the bridge was built,
crossed the river, which at that place was
only twenty feet less than mile wide,
nearly at right angles. This route was up
wards of a Thousand feet shorter than the
other one At the same time, about four
acres of the river bank on the Cecil side,
contiguous to the abutment, was condemned
for the of the company, for the purpose
of obtaining stone for the construction OF
the abutnents and piers.
1t is worthy of remark, as showing the
changes that have taken place since that
time, that the owners of this land, in most
cases, received but one cent damages each,
which was equivalent to about one cent an
acre. The bridge was in course of construC-
ton in 1917 and was probably finished the
next year. At this time Kcrr's Island was
owned by Robert Kerr, whose large family
of seven daughters and four sons were born
on it.
At this time, DIR. John Archer was Presi-
dent and Thomas l.. Savin Cashier of the
Company. The Company was authorized
to discount notes and issue bank bills, and
though it is probable that the bridge could
not have been built at that time without Il
resort to this or some similar means, it is
doubtful if it finally was not productive of
more harm than good, for the company ulti
matcIy failed, and the stockholders and
holders Of the notes in circulation lost heav
ilv This bridge was built by contract by a
Mr.. Barr, and WAS consumed ny fire, on the
LIST of January. 1923. The fire is said to
have originated from friction caused by an
iron shod sleigh, which was driven rapidly
over it, but we do not vouch for the truth Of
this The bridge was rebuilt in 1S29-30, by
Il Mr.. Wormwag-who was the contractor
and remained standing until 1854, when one
span Of it WAS broken by drove Of cattle
which were crossing. 1t was never repaired
and the remainder was carried away 10y a
freShet in 1851.
The Susquehanna Canal seems never to
have paid the propretors much interest on
the capital invested: indeed, there is reason
10 believe that they were always in debt.
In 1917, the prorrietorS owed the Bank of
Maryland upwards of $50, 900, for which a
Judgment was ohtainstl, to satisfy which
the canal was sold by Robert G. Iusby, who
was then sheriff of this county. 1t was
purchased by Samuel Sterritt, of Baltimore,
who was Treasurer of the Canal Company,
for $40, 600. There being doubts Of the va
lidity Of this sale, Sterritt conveyed the
canal back to the Company, in February,
1919, i'll order that it RI sht be reSoid for the
benefit Of its creditors. An examination of
the minute book of the Company, from
1921 to 1885, which is all that is now cx-
tant, throws some little light upon the his
tory OF the Company during that time We
learn from it that there were SAW mills III
operation at Conowingo and Octoraro, and
that the Company We're qnarreling great
deal with the proprietors Of the mills about
the quantity Of water they used. The man
ayers were also annoyed ly persons, who
used the tow path for a highway, and in
1929, they passed resolution requiring their
agents to place such Instructions on it rs
would prevent it from being injured by
wheeled carriages This year the Company
opened 4 quarry, near the east end Of the
bridge, which was probably the beginning
Of the trade in granite that has added 50
much to the prosperity OF Port Deposit.
This year the managers fixed the rates ot
toll for coal barses or arkS, which indicates
that but few of them had come down the
river before this time.
A motion was made, this year, by one ot
the managers, that model of the boats
used for the transportation of heavy goods
and merchandise on the river Mersey near
Liverpool, be obtained, for the purpose O.
ascertaining whether such boats We're suit
able for Use on the canal and for the passage
to Baltimore. This was onl ~ a half a cell
fury ago, and it seems hard to. realize that
the people of that time were little ac-
quainted with the best means and appli-
ances for canal and inland navigation. But
we must not forget that this canal was
among the first constructed in this country
and that steam navigation was then in its
infancy.
In 1882, the Company memorialiZ-d the
Legislature in reference to two dams erected
across the river, one at Nanticoke and he
other at Shamokin. These dams were no
doubt erected to prevent the free navigation
of the river ami were in violation of the
compact between Maryland and Pennsylva-
MIA, in consequence of which Maryland had
consented to charter the Chesapeake < Del
aware Canal. The Company asked the Leg
iSlature to Use such means as would cause
the dams to be removed. In 1882, they pur-
oh aSed thirty acres of land for the loo Dond