, 1880-02-15
DEARB0RN-sTREET BRIDGE.

| interested persons to delude them into q
| policy Of bridging the river which may
eventually lead to costly and serious conse
| Quences. It is proposed to build bridge al
| Dearborn street, and some persons owning
| property in the vicinity have taken active
steps to promote that end. The owners Of
property on q street near the river have
no more rights in the matter, except to be
paid for damages, than have the rest Of the
population, and hence the City Council must,
in deciding upon SO important matter, be
governed by considerations of the general
interest Of the city, and especially with ref
erence to the navigation Of the river.
The policy Of the city, established from the
beginning, has been to have bridge not
oftener than at alternate streets, 1t has not
been until within 3 comparatively short time
that even this number Of bridges has been
constructed. Originally the bridges were
floating ones, and were swung to one side,
thug affording the least obstruction to the
free use Of the river BY vessels. The adop-
ti0n of the present system furnished a more
serious obstruction to vessels. It is no un-
usual thing for vessels to be compelled to
stop in their course and wait between the
bridges; at times there are as many as
six or eight vessels arrested In their
course, and waiting for the bridges to
open, between State and Clark streets.
The absence Of bridge at Dearborn
street renders this possible; but if there
we're bridge ut that point, there would be
no room for the vessels to wait, and it would
be necessary to keep Clark, Dearborn, and
State street bridges wide open to enable the
vessels to pass east or west to avoid collision
with each other or with one or more of the
bridges. To build q bridge at Dearborn
street, therefore, is to take from vessels in
tow all Opportunity of waiting between Clark
and State streets; and, when vessel pass
ing up the river crosses the line Of State
street, the bridges at Dearborn and Clark
streets will have to be opened of necessity at
the same time, no matter how urgent the
travel over the bridges may be. Instead of
facilitating travel over the bridges and re-
duclng the crowds Of vehicles and foot~pas-
sengers detained each time the bridges are
opened, the construction Of a bridge at
Dearborn street will necessitate the i'm
mediate opening of the three bridges, -
as Clark, Dearborn, and State streets,-be-
cause Of the want Of room between such
bridges for vessel to lay to, and the neces-
sity for such vessel to escape the close quar-
ters occupied by three swinging bridges. In
point Of fact, the erection of bridge at
Dearborn street will not increase facilities
for crossing the river, but will add to the ex-
listing distractions.
independent Of all these considerations,
the Council should bear in mind the impor-
lance Of the river to the trade and commerce
OF Chicago. The river is an essential high |
far greater Importance than any |
Of the streets of the city. The !
vessel-owners and the population whose trade
is carried on by means Of the river have |
the greatest possible interest in the safe
transit Of the river by their steamers |
and sail-vessels. Economy in ship-build- |
ing now demands the longest possible
vessels. Two of the larger class Of steamers
will now, one following the other, occupy all |
the space between Clark and State streets
that can be used with safety. To thrust |
another bridge into that space will be an out
rage upon the whole navigation interest. It !
S questionable whether such bridge at that
point may not be adjudged by the Courts to
De such an obstruction to the navigation of
he river as to demand its removal The City
Councl cannot afford to thus trife with one
# the largest interests Of the city,-one on
which the trade Of Chicago is so dependent:
md we trust it will hesitate long before it de-
'arts from the policy Of having bridges at
llternate streets