The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-03-24

provision for height Is required, Is TOW
boats are always lower thqn first class pas.
senger steamboats, Whatever height will
suit the latter will necessarily suit the for
mel, and consequently 5he widths neces.
sary1oF coal fleets will more than suffice
btor passenger and freight steamers. II Is
claimed that for safety, coal fleets should
have channel spans OF 500 feet, and in this
Claim | fully agree. The necessity for such
an increase in the river below Louisville,
where coal tows are doubled, Is too appar
ent to need much discussion. No bridge
has thus far been built on this part OF the
river, although one has been authorized
and Is now under construction.
The projectors at the urgent request OF
the representatives OF the Pittsburgh Coal
Exchange, voluntarily agreed to increase
the channel-Fpan SO as give clear open.
ing Of five hundred feet. Above Louisville
the matter rests in different hands. There
Is no difficulty for an upper river coal fleet
to run during daylight the ChaRhel.span
OF any properly located bridge giving
clear opening Of four hundred feet; but il
is not ut all an easy matter to do so during
the night, Under the present distribution
Of bridges across the Upper Ohio, coal
shippers select such hours Of starting, and
such rates OF travel as will enable them to
reach each bridge during daylight. A
bridge has, however, just been authorized
at the mouth Of the Great Kanawha,
which Is at such q distance from the
next bridge above, that at parkersburg,
that 1t will be almost impossible 10
avoid passing Il at night unless the
iieet is stopped to await daylight. But 1t
is not an easy matter to land coal fleet ut
any time, and suitable landings are not al.
ways available. Even should II be found
practicable TO make landing, the result
would be u loss OF twelve hours in passing
the bridge. Il is possible that the running
Of bridges at night may be facilitated BY
additional lights on the bridge and on the
banks, but even at the best any bridge
built in u section that isnOw haLituallyrun
at Aight, must either cause an expense in
the length OF the voyage, or extra hazard to
life and property. Even with the present
system Of daylight running, there is no
bridge over the Ohio, except the two sus.
pension bridges, which has not record Of
boats lost against its piers, and in u few
cases there has been loss OF life.
It must not be forgotten that every ad.
ditioRal bridge is an additional and indie
pendent obstruction OF our existing navl.
CATION OF immense value to the Communi.
ties which are supplied by it with cheap
fuel, and hence the importance OF adding
as little us possible TO burden already
oppressive. For this reason l am decided.
y, Of the opinion that the channel spans OF
all future bridges over the Ohio river
should give clear openings Of 500 feet. But
on the Otherhand l think one such a span is |
enough, provided the whole bridge is built
us u through bridge. The effect OF such
law upon the cost Of bridges built under it |
will be discussed further on. Upon the
question OF height the steamboat men Of
Cincinnati and Louisville are the best au
th0rities, us Pittsburgh towboats are ALWAYS
lower than the packets which ply between
Cincinnati and New Orleans.
When preparing the tirst draft Of the |
present bridge law, the Board OF Engineers
recognized that the heights prescribed were
insufficient for the large steamboats, which
run on the lower Ohio and the lower Mis-, |
sissippi, and in order not to stop such |
bouts during high waters, they Introduced
the provision that bridges below CEcin.
natl shouldalso be provided with Il high wa.
terspan. There was no necessity for such n
provision above Cincinnati rs that, boa,s
running on that part OF the river are much |
lower than those which run to New Or.
leans. While this high water draw is a ne. |
cessity in bridges Of the present legal height
above high water, it is undeniable that
draw span is nuisance and danger to
the railroads which build and operate it
and to the steamboats, which must pass
through it. The draw OF the Cincinnati
Southern Railway bridge is equipped
with steam engine for handling, and vet
on several occasions boats barely escaped
serious accidents ia passing it. ANY in.
crease in the height OF bridge that will
make draws unnecessary will be boon to
both parties, but the increase should not
be so great as to prevent the construction
OF the bridge.
All the Ohio river steamboats, are now
equipped with an apparatus for lowering
their chimneys, so that their tops shall
come below the tops OF their pilot houses,
and II sufficient room be given to pass the
latter, it would tie unnecessary to have
draw. The following table, originally ure.
pared in December, 1851, for use in dis.
cussing the proposed bridge Mt Evansville,
gives the height Of the pROt houses OF the
largest steamboats, at that time running be.
tween Cincinnati and New Orleans: