Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-10-15
THE CONTEST
Between the Union Bridge Contractors and
the River Men.

@NhN och thC thAoa anu
the River Men
Yesterday morning committee Of eight
Pittsburg steam5oatmen arrived in the city
Tor the purpose of holding conference with
the Uuicn railroad bridge authorities, rel
alive TO the closing of the channel span
with false-Work, as was contemplated by
Baird Bros, who have the contract for the
erection of the superstTucture. The COM
mittee WAS composed of Captains W. B
Rodgers, chairman, John A. Wood, Charles
Unite, s. D. Sweeney, J. n 0'Neil, James
Wood, D. B. Blackburn and ". ]. Wood,
aud the gentlemen all registered at the
Hotel Windsor About two o'clock in the
afternoon the committee of river men
called at the Office of R H. Cochran, of the
Wheeling Bridge and Terminal Railway
Company, and Capt. Rodgers, on behalf If
The interest he represented, submitted the
following statement:
PITrsBURG October IA, 1889.
Judge Cochran and Gentlemen:
l have the honor OF Introducing to you
his delegation of gentlemen from the
Pittsburg Coal Exchange, representative
of the vast coal shipping interests OF that
city. l shall also endeavor 20 explain our
mission here at this time. Learning
through the daily press that your company
would by October 10Th, this month, close
the channel span Of the bridge now being
constructed by you, Immediately above
the head of Wheeling Island, for an in
definite time, il was at once deemed pru-
dent by this body t. take action in the
matter and prevent, If possible. the closing
of the channel SO near the end of the low
water period, therefore this delegation.
We admit the necessity for rail
roads, and know full well that to mite
the great business csnters Of the E ist with
those OF ths West, South and North,
the course to ba tskel necssstri y involves
the bridging of the rivers, but, sir, we also
feel that a time should bs selected and The
work done in such a manner as would
least inconvenience us in the parsuit of
our business.
We have now ready for shipment to
points South and West from 10 to 10 mill
ion bushels of coal. To obstruc, this
channel span, as you propose, in the event
of rise during the time this obstruction
remained, would be simply TO put an EN-
barge on our business, of lnestimsble
proportion. To navigate the span that
YOU propose TO leave open on the Martins
Ferry side, with large tows, is imprsc
ticable as there WOnid be DO
chance of ever being sble TO
regain the channel side of the
river, which is down the left of Wheeling
Island. The next proposition that would
suggest itself would be to divide those
large tows into sections and in that man
ner pass through the bridge and across
back into the channel. l now desire 20
recite TO you the great inconvenience, ex
pense and probable loss that would ensue
IN navigating the bridge in this way. In
the first place We must find landing for
these large tOws. The Landings that are
accessible in the immediate neighbOrhOOd
above the bridge will not hold more than
three tows, and that is also true of the
near landings below the bridge. Now as
there will be ont on tbs first water about
one hundred tow boats, with an av-
erage of about twelve baIges TO the
tow. YOU will observe q. once how
limited the landing facilities are near the
bridge. The next landing that We have,
both above and below the bridge, are from
ten to fifteen miles from the bridge. Nov
these tows would have 10 be divided into
at lea three sections and our t0wbOais
would be compelled TO p 80 hack and forth
over this distance Of twenty-five miles four
additional times, or one hundred miles
more than would be necessary could we 90
down the channel span, causing great less
of time Should the river be full OF ice,
which is probable, the loss Of time would
be greater, and the peril consequent on
leaving our tows scattered along the shore
much greater, entailiog upon Us an un-
necessary expense and probable lose.
Now, sir, as your present plan
is a great menace to our busi-
ness, We bave come to talk
the matter over with you and try and
agree on a plan that will be satisfactory TO
both parties. We, therefore, would sag
gest that you begin the erection of your
bridge on the Martins Ferry side Of the
river and work towards the channel dur.
ing our boating period, and in the event
that you wOuld reach the channel before
low water Of next season, that you only
close one-balf of thechaunel span at time,
leaving that half of the channel span ada
cent to the Wheeling shore unobstrucled
TO the last. By adopting this plan We
wonld have the unObstructed use Of the
channel span during the erection OF almost
the entire bridge. Now, sir, we submit
this proposition TO you, and in doing 70 We
feel that our interests would be far better
subserved by it's adoption than by erecting
the bridge on your plans We, therefore,
respectfully ask your consideration OF this
proposition.
After this had been read, the river men
endeavored to secure from President Coch-
ran postponement Of the closing Of the
channel span, bat President Cochran de-
clined to accede to this request, assigning
as reason the fact that the contractors
were under bonds to complete the work
within a specified time. The river men
then sought 10 effect a compromise OF some
sort, tending TO delay the work on the
bridge, bat this effort also failed, ana the
conference adjourned, leaving the situation
about a. it was before. Tee river men
communicated the fact of their dissatis-
faction to the Secretary Of War. Six Of
the coal men returned 10 Pntsbu'gh last
night, bat Captains Rodgers, Ju'te and
W. ]. Wood rema ned over until to-day.
BLIND wORsHIPPERs
xr,.,t.h ro,, and Tro.nan Of Ranh pIed nv