The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-07-14
THE B. 4 o. RAILROAD BRIDGE.
The Question Under Dsease-oppositien
to the Proposed Style Of Bridge.

A delegation from Port Deposit, and
vicinity this county met the board of public
works at the Executive Chamber in Annap.
oils on Thursday, and objected to the con-
struction of the bridge over the Susqueh-
anna river as proposed by the Baltimore
and Ohio r. r. The delegation consisted
of a number of well-known citizens, repre-
senting large interests in Port Deposit, and
its most influential business men, among
them j. NJ. Touchstone, James A. Davis
county clerk; j. VI. Merchandising, w. w.
Nichols and f. Is. Frazier, of the town
commissioners, board j. Harvey Rowland,
| f. j. Rinehart, II. A. Stump, J. j. Buck
and others. Mr.. r. Harris Archer of Har-
ford county, and Milton Y. Kidd, joined
the delegation.
Mr.. Touchstone, in behalf of the citizens
of Port Deposit and vicinity interested in
the bridge matter, said he did not desire it
to be thought that he antagonized the Bal
timore and Ohio Railroad Company in the
construction of bridge over the Susqueh-
anna river, but that certainly their PROPOSE
ton according to the present plans seemed
preposterous. He pointed out the disad.
vantages of continuous bridge which only
admitted an eighty-foot masted vessel to
pass under, and the Inconvenience which
would accrue if it became necessary, as had
been suggested, to take down topmasts of
vessels which desired to pass through. He
represented that vessels engaged in carry
ing yellow pine were of large class, and
it was out of the question to think that
they could pass bridge SO feet high; that
to construct such bridge would practi-
cally close navigation and intiict an outrage
upon the rights of the people of Port De-
posit. "What right has any corporation to
dictate to the captain of vessel to take
down his mast? You can't make them
strike their masts. Has, then, any corpora
ton the right to infringe upon the rights of
Individuals" He did not want to be I'M
derstood as opposing the bridge altogether.
He was willing, and so were the people Of
Port Deposit, to have a draw bridge or a
bridge sufficiently high to admit the pass
age Of large vessels without draw, say
125 feet high.
Mr.. Rowland, who, it was stated, manu-
features about 1000, 900 feet of lumber
year, also spoke of the disadvantages of a
no-draw bridge, and insisted that it would
close navigation. "If you put bridge
with draw we don't care how low you put
it."
Mr.. Cowen, of the Baltimore and Ohio
Company, said, from the best information
he could get, 175 vessels u year of 50 to $50
tons burden 60 to Port Deposit, aggrrgatng
81, 900 tons. In citing this he said he did
not mean to throw discredit upon small
tonnage vessels. The company certainly did
not desire to infringe upon the rights of any
body, but he certainly thought there should
not be any serious objections to master of
vessel lowering his toprnast in order to get
under the bridge, whea it would prevent the
hazardous passage to commerce and to
passengers that might occur in the swing
ing Of a draw eighty feet in the air. He
did not consider it at all practicable to build
u bridge more than eighty feet high, or to
build bridge with draw. The Baltimore
and Ohio Company would not lay 4 single
burden on the people of Port Deposit. 1t
wanted their trade and traffic, and proposed
to put $4,000 in the town in building the
bridge alone.
Gov. Hamilton desired to have more in
formation on the subject, and the board de
cided to consider the matter again next
Thursday afternoon in Baltimore, to hear
Mr. Williams and others.