Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-17
RIYERMEN IN HOT WATER.
Not. Been Submitted TO Them-Cnptain
Moren Defends Himself.

The Plans of the Big Sandy Bridge Have
Not. Been Submitted TO Them-Cnptain
Moren Defends Himself.
The river operators are again stirred up
on the bridge question. A notice was pub
lished in the Pittsburg papers yesterday
morning that the West Virginia and Iron
ton Railroad Company would, on Tuesday
next, November 10, apply to Secretary Proc
tor, OF the War Department, for permission
to build bridge across the Ohio river one
mile and half above the mouth of the Big
Sandy. The owners of steamboats, and coal
lines say that the plans for this proposed
bridge have not been submitted to the river
operators, as has been the custom in the
past The time remaining before submls-
sion to Secretary Proctor is now so short
that it is not expected that the plans will be
submitted to the operators before preseDta-
ton to the War Department. The result
will be that a number of members
of the Legislative Committee ofthe National
Board, of Steam Navigation wi be COM
PEELED to 90 to Washington next week, and
visit the War Secretary in company with
the attorneys for the railroad company.
Captain Addison Lysle is a member of the
committee for this city, but at present he is
go to Washington in the interest of the
Ohio River operators.
Another matter which has stirred up the
big operators in this city is an attack made
editorially in the Ohio Valley Manufacturer
of the past week, on Captain John Moren,
the coal operator, for his breaking of the
false work of the Wheeling bridge about
ten days ago. 1t is charged that the Moren
boat, with its heavy tow of coal barges was
purposely run against the piles at the bridge.
1t is further said that the river operators
have shown general contempt for the rights
of more important transportation interests,
and that they have poorly repaid the cour-
tesv and kindness shown to them BY the
railroad and bridge builders along the Ohio.
Judge Cochran, the President of the bridge
company, is advised to close the eastern
span, which is the channel span, entirely.
Captain James Moren emphatically de-
mics that he intentionally ran into the arti-
fetal work. While the open channel there
is much larger than the width of the tow,
there is a strong cross-current at that place,
and Just below the bridge an island, which
it is necessary to avoid. The point is a diff
fcult one for navigators. Captain Moren
says he was on his tow at the time the strike
was made, and was on one Of the front boats
not have been on one of the barges. More
over, a number of his men were on the
barges. When the work was struck the
timbers fell all around the men, and it was
with difficulty that they escaped. River
men say generally that the tow was in great
danger of being wrecked and that no exper-
fenced pilot would have run against the
piles purposely.
On the general subject of river obstruc-
ton, Captain George Lysle said yesterday:
Bridges across the Ohio must be built, but
they can be built without placing obstruc-
tions in the river. The spans constructed
here are short in comparison with those con-
structed elsewhere, and the work can be
done without the erection of false structures.
1t is so done elsewhere, and the bridge
builders ought to be compelled to do so
here. The river interests are very heavy
and furnish the only guarantee to the peo-
pie of reasonable freight rates."