Daily Republican., 1888-11-02
THE PORT WARDENs.
THEY MEET AND CONDEMN
TWO BRIDGES.
one BFiuge ROttInK DowD, the Other
Not Butt kiEht-Ths Third street
Bridge aud the New Rail-
road Bridge.

met In the Otty surveying Department
ct noon yesterday, but It WAS body
With considerable authority after all.
1t is called the Board OF Port WArdens
and Is composed OF Captain Alexander
Kelley, JOB II. jackson and Joshua L.
Pussy. They have Lns executive Cfii
oer, Seth Feaster, called the HerboF
Master, and he met with the Beard.
What the Street Commitsion Is to the
streets, Gewefa and avenues OF the oity.
the Water Commission 10 the supply Of
water TO the city, the Board Of Po:t
WArdena Ii 10 the water ways and
navigation that concern the oity. No
bridge AoFosB any pavlRsble stream OF
water oAn 10 built without = license
from this Board Of Port WArdens, and
the Bard can compel corporations 10
keep bfidges Ia order.
Besides the gentleman named, Fred
erick II. Robinson, 0hisf Euainser ol
the Olty Surveying Department, is seq
rotary and surveyor also for the B laId
The board first considered the o1ndi-
ti0n OF tbs bridge orossinR the Ohris
tianA at the foot OF Third shest. This
bridge IL under the oontTcl Of the Levy
COURT OF New CASTLE County. For mAuy
years the bridge has been In = dilApi.
dated condition, Mr.. Hickman, mem.
bsr Of she Lsvy Court from this olty, has
always advocated the immediate build.
ing OF . new bridge mora com mensurA.G
with the large aud growing istereuts oil
the oity, but the couIt never yet gave
Its sanction TO Mr. Hiokman's ideas.
Under the plea, however, Of making
repAlrs TO The biidge, Mr.. Hickman has
succeeded IN getting new approaches
bulll, but stlll leaving the draw and
tho ienders TO the draw In . miserAbly
di iapjdated condition. II wAB foI
forcing the building OF the Approache'
TO this bIidge that MI. Hickman has
been 80 severely oeDBuTed by one Of the
oity papers, that ls now also trying II
prevent his 70 election TO the Levy
Court. Had Mr.. Hickman have had
his way, there would have been q sub
stantial and beautiful new bridge At
that place IL stead OF the miserable OLD
tenders aud draw that are rottlng down
and VII oh were the burthen OF the
complaint Of the Port WArdenB ytBier.
day.
The board haS from time to time noti-
fsd the Levy Court OF the dangerous
condition Of the bridge, but no Eoslon
was tAken that resulted In changing the
conditions. Recently q vegBel ran into
tbs bOnthern approach TO the bridge In
an effort TO bear far enough south TO
clear ib0 diiGpidAted tenders In the mid
e 10 Of the OhE,BtlanA, and both the yea
| sol and the approach were Injured. Two
other boats have also been considerably
injuTed in The same manner, and even
sith the greatest care accidents arc
.l:.,s =. sls to occSsss auy iiS--ept Wbilb yes
sells are gOisR through. 1t is knoRr
that the Levy Court intends to put IN
new ienoeTs and have o new draw
N sds, but the disposition TO DvssPPS22osa
action from limo 20 s.i11i5 % I.ssGt causes
ironble. New fen ierS and o new Ora 4
are needed immediately and thsre
should be no delay.
After talking over the matter fof
5lme time yesterday tue board, on mo
lion Of AT. Pussy, Instructed tho score
tary to aaain notify tho Levy Court o.
the dangerous condition Of the bridge
md to urge immediate Gotlon.
II will b. nsWs 10 many to be iu form
sd that MS beautiful new railroad dra n
bridge or0sslnf the Christians o. the
aew p, W. & B. Rallr1Ad oul-oF Is =
nuisance. Strong In its construction
and beautiful and symmetrical in IT.
proportions, still It has not been erected
IN accordance with the rules and Tsgu
atlOnB laid down BY the Board Of POri
WAidebs, and therefore the board hn;
| The po Rer To order lts removal or TO re
move Il themselves. The latter, oI
course, Wenld lead to endless litigation
80 the PennsyiSania Railroad Company
would be q lard 90. ,noration to haht b.
suoh q small body as tSe Board OF POrl
Wsrd6ns, but with the Law on the tldf
Of this latter there cOuld bs no question
syeotually As TO the result. The rAilroh0
company seem to have erred In the fol
lowing pArticulGrh; The company did
not take out q license from the Board OF
Port WArdenB to build the bridge, NJ
required by law, and no plan OF the
bridge WAS submitted TO the board. rdC
two approaches and plling OF The bridge
have been extended beyond the wharf
line. The ignoring Of these require
mentS hes clearly resulted In the eEeo
tlOn OF an unlawful bridge so far % the
Board Of PORT Wsrdens are concerned,
The draw 10 only o. feet long, when the
law requires Il to be 100 feet. All theat
violations Of the law, 1t Is urged by the
hoard, hAa resulted In making . bridge
which 10 . dangerous obstruction tc
/ uhNlhNbiohs
It e argued in addition that the two
approaches extending 80 far into the
river will set 90 . Ratherer OF REFUSE
which will eventually make the rivel
narrower. The narrow BpAoe between
The draw pier and the approaches Ii
almost completely allied by some OF thi
large vessels that pass up and down tht
river.
At 3 previous meeting Of the board
the matter WAS fully discussed the
bridge condemned and letter contain
log . list OF the complaints was sent Il
the oompany, but no attentlon what
ever was paid TO 1t, The board then ap
plltd to p. G. Bradford, Esq, for lega
advice As 10 Its powers, and that gentle
man prepared q form OF notice, ssttiGi
forth tha objections to the bridge an'
Stating that unless the obstruction
souplsined OF be removed By nertAiI
date the board would pFooeed to remoV'
them. The matter was fully discusses
yeeteFday and the board decided not &
send suoh nOtics until the company b
| notified again OF the complaints, Al
AnsWsr 10 expected from the oompAn!
Ia reasonable time and the board ia no =
waiting to sea what the company ]
going To do about 1t. From pTesens 40
DeArSnoes, however, q big litigation
! issms to be looming up In the near 10
ture.
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