National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-04-23
A BARRICADED ROAD.
THE CONFERENCE AT CUMBERLAND.
Georges Greek versus the Baltimore snd Ohie-The
Ground Inspected by the Arbitrators-Huse
BOMiders and Armed Men to Pre-.
vent the Proposed Crossing.
Special 10 TIE Republican.

accordance with the notice fixing this date for
hearing before the board of public works of the
State of Maryland of the issue pending between
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the Georges
Creek Coal and Railroad Company relative to such
crossing and connection as will permit the latter
company to run its cars 70 connect with the boats
of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, the following
parties in interest assembled here to-day: Repre-
senting the Georges Creek Company-Henry Love-
ridge, esq, of New York; President George
?. Lloyd, esq, of New York, president
of the American Coal Company, and A. NJ
Brandt esq.,, of Washington, D. c., representing
the Maryland Coal Company. The Baltimore and
Ohio was represented by John Z. CoWan and
William F. Frick, esqs., the regular attorneys OF
the company, and Engineer Bowling. The Board
of Public Works which has been constituted the
arbitrator in the dispute represented by Gov
ernor Hamilton, State Treasurer Compton, and
State Comptroller Heating. The interests of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal were represented by
Senator A. P. German, president of the Canal Com
pany; Stephen Cambria, superintendent, and Lewis
G. Stanhope, division superintendent. To watch
the interest of the District of Columbia and the
United States in this controversy there were pres
ent Commissioners Dent, Morgan, and Twining,
A. Ross Ray, esq, Of Georgetown, and II. 4. Colds
borough, esq.
THIS CONTROVERSY,
which has been pending about twoyears, is the re-
suit of the persistent efforts of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad to perpetuate the monopoly of trans
portation from the Cumberland coal-felds which
was initiated by the absorption by the Baltimore
and Ohio of the stock of the P:ttsburg and Con-
nellsville and the Cumberland and Pennsylvania
Roads and the formation of combination, which
enabled them not only to dictate freight rates
over their roads from the mines, but
also, in great measure, to regulate the amunt of
coal which should be transported by the canal and
thus render the interest othe canal of the District
including the matter of shipments by vessels from
Georgetown and Alexandria, subservient to what
might be decided as most advantageous for their
own corporation. The result of this complete
monopoly to force all those outside of the COM
bination to seek some relief, and the
construction of the Georges Creek road
begun. Through an endless series of
itigations the new road was pushed ahead until it
has reached Cumberland, where the Baltimore and
Ohio have now rallied for last desperate effort to
prevent the former company crossing its line and
reaching the waters of the canal. The parties at
interest assembled at an early hour this morning,
and it was decided that the first business of the
day should be personal inspection by the mem
bers of the Board of Public Works of
THE PROPOSED CROSSING,
and the general plan which the Georges Greek
Company, under decision of the courts rendered
in January last, had adopted to reach the canal.
Accompanied by the engineers, bearing maps and
charts of the network of tracks and defining the
rights of way of the various companies, the whole
party proceeded to the proposed crossing. Here
the members of the board of public works COM
menced careful examination Of the topography,
and listened to the statements from the
engineers and representatives of the two
companies as to the general outline of the
crossing and the methods by which
a connection was to be secured The general ap-
pearanee of the scene clearly indicated that
disputed territory. Stretching away toward the
d" Narrows," which is an abrupt gap in Wills
Mountain" was the line of the Georges Creek
Road. Just at the edge of the city, on this track,
a coal train its long line of hoppers piled high
with the black diamonds, and the huge engine,
with full steam up waiting to drag its load to the
waiting canal-boats. In the foreground, just
where the tracks divide from the main stem of
the Baltimore and Ohio for the coal fields. tenn
porary track has been built, and train of half
dozen cars run out upon it and their wheels
BLocKADED BY HUGE POWDERS
and tons of broken stone This is the barricade
which prevents the Georges Creek Company from
making crossing and as a further precaution
the cars are garrisoned by forty armed men of the
special constabulary of the the Baltimore and
Ohio Company. This force is constantly on duty,
the appearance of the arbitrator the garrison
tumbled lazily out of their quarters, and two or
three hundred men, evidently citizens OF leizure,
Joined them in watching the movements
of the little knot of gentlemen who
stood coming maps and scanning lines
of levels, the two groups representing two of the
extremes of civilization, brute force and the ma
jesty of law. Governor Hamilton, as the president
of the board public works, questioned the ex-
perts of both companies, and listened to the sug
gestions of opposing counsel. From the point of
crossing down to the point of connection with the
regular coal track the party proceeded slowly,
carefully comparing the statements of the en-
gineers and the maps submitted, with
the actual outline of the ground. This
done, the arbitrators returned to the
hotel, where meeting of the board was held to
consider the propositions of the one company and
the objections OF the other Just after the board
had been called to order petition, signed by up
ward of l, 800 miners and another bearing the
names of nearly as many canal boatmen, was pre-
sented, praying that the crossing should be located
at the point selected by the Georges Creek Com
pany.
THE DELIBERATIONS
of the board were conducted with closed doors
and beyond an occasional call for maps and fur
ther information from engineers and experts it
was impossible to ascertain what direction their
consideration of the was taking The citizens
of Cumberland generally, outside of the few i'm
mediately connected with the Baltimore and Ohio
Road, are anxious that this question should be
definitely settled at 1t stated to THE Re-
PUBLICANs representative by wealthy resi-
dent of Alegany County that as soon
as the Georges Creek Company should sue
coed in acquiring this indispensable connection
between fifteen and twenty new mines would be
at once opened in that portion of the Cumberland
coal-field which it tapped and employment given
to hundreds who were now idle al do not won
der, said he, that the authorities of the District
should feel deep interest in the settlement of this
question. The new road is the only chance for an
Independent feeder to the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal, and an increase of tonnage on the canal
could not but increase the shipping interests of
Georgetown, and carry with it additional business
for the people of the District. The General Gov
ernment too has an interest in the matter in the
shape of the two and half millions it holds in
the canal. OF course every effort has been and
will be made by the Baltimore and Ohio Company
to hold its grip; but public policy and sentiment
is against this species of monopoly and sooner or
later it must be broken down."
From the testimony of other citizens of Cunber-
land evident that the Older corporation has used
some very
INGENIOUS MEANS
to choke off IS rival. A little depot was built
directly over the proposed route of the Georges
Creek roar, and in the slow action Of the courts
on he proceedings for its removal time was gained
for further expedients such as the laying of coal
sidings, and other similar work-slI intended, |
under the specous plea of providing better facli-
ties for the accommodation of the citizens of
Cumberland, to obstruct and delay the new COM
pany in its efforts to complete its road to the canal
The session Of he board of arbitrator was pro-
ip40 H.,
sion for dinner. During the afternoon Major
Twining, the Engineer Commissioner of the Dis
trict, invited to appear before the board and
give his views as a disinterested expert. In re-
spouse,
MAJOR TwISING