Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-07-23
CRASHED THROUGH.
SUMMARY ACTION TAKBN BY STEAMBOAT
NBN, AT STRUBBNVILLB,
Ysssrdsy-0Oal Boat Pilots Suddenly Remove the
Distinctions in the Channel Span Of the
Panhandle Bridgs-A Bold
Coup by Rlvsrmen.

The REGISTER has from time to time
noted the work of driving piles in the
channel span of the Panhandle railroad
bridge at Steubenville, by the contractors
who are rebuilding the bridge across the
Ohio at that point. Yesterday morning
the channel was well filed with heavy
12.inch piles.
Last night the spacs was clear of OBJ
structions, and this is how the very de.
cided change came about:
The piles are thirty feet long, at least
twelve inches through at the large end and
nine inches at the small. They are
trimmed up on the bridge floor and then
thrown over into the river, where they are
caught by the pile-driving gang. They
are moved into position by the l. n. Hook,
small tow boat. About twenty piles
have been driven daily, and by Saturday
evening the channel was filled almost two
thirds of the distance. In order to avoid
trouble the railroad company had arranged
for the dredge boats Ohio and O3wego to
dredge out the bars ab)ut three hundred
yards below and one hundred and fifty
yards above, 80 that boats might pass un-
der the bridge through the span on the
west side of the channel.
The heavy rains of the latter part of last
week caused the river to rise 80 rapidly
that coal boatmen concluded to come out.
This morning there was five feet more wa
ter at the bridge than on Sunday morning,
but the pile drivers had five driven when
the first coal boat put in an appearance
1t stopped above the bridge and then
passed through the shore span. The Ad-
vance was the next boat that appeared,
but instead Of going through the shore
, span put on full head of steam and with
its tow crashed through the channel,
breaking off the piles az if they had been
pipe stems. The boat struck the pile
driver and the 1. n. Hook, driving them
down the river for fifty yards. The Ad-
vance did not stop but passed on down to
the coal tipple, where she waited for the
other boats TO come down.
The Pacific next came along and went
crashing through the chan mel, tearing and
breaking more piles, making about sixty
piles in all that were demolished. At this
time fifteen boats were in sight between
the bridge and Browns Island, and the
scene about the channel span of the bridge
was extremely lively, the Belle Prince,
| Belle MCGOWAN, II. E. Pierpont, John
MOren, John Penney, Bennett, Twilight
and Alarm dsrting around the river. The
men on the bridge stopped work by order
of their foreman until he received instruc.
tions from headquarters.
The pilot OF the Advance claims to have
thought that he could get the boat through
the channel on the east side of the piles,
but afterwards saw that there was danger
Of striking the pier, and made up his mind
20 run the risk of sinking on the piles.
There is scarcely any such excuse for the
pilot Of the Pacific, as all appearances
pointed 70 his determination TO knock
down as many piles as possible. The two
boats broke down sixty of them, but the
stumps are in such shape that it wouldn't
be safe for boat to pass up the river until
a snsg boat has pulled them ont.
Some lively litigation is expected tC
follow.
A Atelegram from Steubenvilie, last night,
said:
Immediately after the action of the
boats, the railroad ordered the oonstruc.
tion of large apron piers above the bridge,
which will effsctually close the channel.
Both railroad and steambOatmen are equal.
ly determined to enforce their rights, and
the outcome will create intense interest
along the Ohio andlamong river men gen.
orally, as the serious trouble threatened
will demand the interference of the Gov
eminent to settle whether the railroad has
the right to impede river navigation that
its own trains NAV run uninterruptedly.