Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-15

the old landing of the Brownsville Packet
Company. A shoal however was forming
here before the company did this work
At the junction of the Allegheny and No
nongahela rivers the lines have been encroached
upon, on the Monongahela front, over 100 feet
This place was harbor of refuge, boats es'
Gaping ice or food in one river by running into
the other. The harbor has been entirely de-
sJroyed. The most objectionable nlllng on the
Monongahela river is at the Ienth street
bridge, where the lines have been encroached
upon on both sides of the river, which is nat
urally narrow at this point.
There is serious objection not only to the ex-
tent but as well to the manner of filling. In
dividual lot owners with narrow fronts run
their lots out into the river beyond their neigh
bOrs' lines. These projections cause violent
reactions in the water during freshets, scour-
ing out the bottom of the river. The increased
velocity caused by these projections scours out
the cinders, sand and gravel. These are
dropped by the water as soon as wider part OF
the river is reached, this brings about the de-
posits or bars which interfere with so many OF
the landings about the city.
ASHES CARRIED AWAY
AT one coke works refuse ashes have been
dumped into the river for years without the
banks being pushed further out The water
carries of the ashes some distance, and other
persons are compelled to pay hundreds of
dollars annually to have them dredged out
The committee did not have the cost of main
tanning coal boat lands, but knew that within
the past ten years hundreds of thousands Of
dollars had been spent in deepening and clear
ing out the shores to preserve the required
depth of water. The committee believe that if
the shore lines were brought out even the
shifting deposits would cease to annoy navi-
gators. This could be easily accomplished.
On the score of health alone ii would be the
Of Nrig no forla ie dur mad
in the indentations. and garbage floats in the
eddies caused by the recesses, and with the de-
cline of the rivers is left to contaminate the
atmosphere.
Above the city there is also much filing in of
the MOnongahela river. At the Carrie Furnace,
at the Braddock Water Works and thence for
mile above by the Edgar Thomson Steel
Works, there have been extensive filling
Fifty acres have been taken in the last ten
years from the river bed. How much more is
10 be thus converted into building lots the CON-
mittee do not know In the upper region
owners claim to low water mark. They fill out
that far, and when the filling washes away they
lose: when it builds out either from natural or
artificial causes the title appears to follow
JUST 200 FEET TAKEN.
At one point Just below Turtle creek the fill
ing has been extended 200 feet into the river.
The river is wide here but very shallow. There
is large bar in the middle of the stream, and
the extension of the bank has greatly narrowed
sgcravste this Turtle creek empties into the
head Of this narrow chute and from that stream
the annual freshets bring down thousands of
of cubic yards of refuse which is emptied into
the river. Extensive dredging has been done
10 keep the channel open, but boats frequently
ground there, and surveys show that the en-
tire channel is being gradually filled, and un-
less something is done complete embargo
will be placed on river commerce at this point.
The bank filling has not been extended at this
place for several years, and it might be toler-
ated if the refuse could be kept from coming
out Of Turtle creek 1t would be small mat
ter to arrange this. At the lower end of Nc
keesport there is filing which also needs at
tention-
The committee devotes considerable space
to the use of the river banks by the rail-
roads, which it deems necessary. The sug-
gestion is made that the rights OF navigators
be carefully guarded. An instance is given
in which heavy casting shipped by boat
to a shop on the Allegheny river had to be
hauled eight or ten squares owing to the
steepness of the banks and the Junction
Railroad trestle.
COAL CAN'T BE TIED.
Again the Monongahela connecting road
is to be so built as TO greatly interfere with
tying up Of coal fleets This road should
be compelled to fill its trestle as rapidly as
possible, leaving proper modes of reaching
the river. The committee further suggests
that when the banks are filled out to
proper line one or more railroad tracks be
laid for the use of all roads entering the |
city. There is no question of greater fnan- |
cial interest to the river interests than the |
use of the shores by the railroads, vet they |
have never been consulted. The committee |
regarded these franchises as very valuable |
and warned the authorities to be careful in |
granting them. The parties aggrieved have
the courts open to them. but they are only
individuals, and it would cost them more
than the actual loss incurred.
The committee thinks that there is a de- |
mand for the revision OF the laws, and the |
appointment of another Harbor Commits |
sioner, as there is now something more
needed than water lines. From Freeport |
on the Allegheny and Elizabeth on the |
MonOngahela to the Ohio State line, the |
river lines should be re-established and |
placed permanently under the control of |
supervisors. The questions involved are so
urgent and far-reaehing in their character
that the committee recommends the chamber
make application for commission to be ap-
pointed by the Governor
The report is signed by John S. Dravo,
Captain c. W. Bachelor. b. L. Wood, Jr,,
John A. Wood and Colonel T. p Roberts.
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED.
The committee also reported the following
resolution:
Resolved, That the Chamber of Commerce
respectfully petition the State Legislature to
provide commission to survey, establish and
adjust the high and low water lines of the Al
legheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers, from
Freeport on the Allegheny Elizabeth on the
MOnOngahela, to the Ohio State line, and 70
make the necessary appropriation to defray the
expenses of the same.
Hon. Morrison Foster called attention to
the fact that no mention was made of the
water lines on the Northside which had also
been encrOached upon. The committee was
ordered to look this matter up and incor-
porate it in its report. The report and the
were then adopted, and on mo-
tion of Mr.. George A. Kelly it was ordered
that !, 800 copies of the report be printed for
further use.
Alexander Dempster, D. C. Noble, of A.
French & Co., Mr.. A. French and S. NJ.
Ward, General Superintendent of the
Junction Railroad, were elected members of
the chamber
THE CHANNEL AT WHEELING.