The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-30
IN AND ABOUT THE CITY.
TRIED TO FORCE THE DRAW.

| ihiED 10 FORCE TIE DRAW.
The Crescent City's Attempt to Open
the st. Augustine Greek Bridge.
The ST. Augustine creek draw bridge on
the Savannah and Atlantic railway is
likely to again result in litigation. Night
before last the steamboat Crescent City, ON
her way from Thuuderbolt TO Savannah.
wanted to go through, and the colored
bridge tender, David Jenkins, and his
assistant, John Brown, refused TO open the
draw until the train then coming from
Tybee had passed, as the train was ap-
preaching and jenkins had orders not to
open the bridge within twenty minutes of
train time.
Capt. Charles E. Murray. master OF the
Crescent City ordered his mate, Everett
Smith, and two colored deck hands to go on
the bridge and take the bar lever and open
the draw, and as they did not make much
| progress he had the nose Of his vessel work.
ing under lone bell" TO try to force the
draw open. The train rapidly approaching
the captain ordered the three men off
the bridge, and making fast to it waited
until the train passed over. when the bridge
tenders opened the draw and let the steamer
through.
Capt ID. g. Purse. president Of the rail-
| way, said to a MORNING NEWS reporter
that he has placed the matter in the hands
OF Garrard e. Meldrim. and he proposes to
have legal redress for the act of taking pos
session OF the property Of the railroad COM
Ihsy an ana , especially at time
sengers on the approaching train might
have been imperiled. AS it was, he says, it
was necessary to get the rails in place, as
they had been DISPLACED by the boat and
the bungling work Of the men who had
been sent to open the draw. Some of the
turning gear and cords of the bridge
machinery were broken, and the bridge was
battered by the boat. his bridge tenders
report to him.
THE BRIDGE TENDERS STORY.
The tenders say that the boat whistled for
the bridge, and was waved back; and as the
boat continued to approach the bridge, and
the captain ordered the bridge to be opened,
he was told it could not be opened until the
train passed over. as it was then only three
fourths or mile from Palmetto switch
| and west of the switch making
Its way toward the drawbridge.
The captain refused to stop but came ahead
and ordered three men off to open the
draw, and, as they could not open it, the
Crescent City pulled off from the bridge
and came ahead several times, striking the
western end to force it open, until the train
came nearer, when the captain called to the
| men to throw the lever bar across the track,
so that If his boat could not get
though the train should not cross. but as
the train neared the bridge closer he told
the men to put the lever back where they
got 1t and get aboard the boat, which had
then been made fast to the bridge. 1t is
also claimed by the bridge tenders that
Capt Murray said: "If my boat was strong
enough I'll be - If wouldn't knock the
bridge down and 60 through, and that he
added that he had been sin the habit Of
butting the bridges open on the st. Johns
rivern 4i9"p73
70 y CAPT, MURRAY's STATEMENT.
The statement of Capt. Murray is that he
was delayed from $50 to 7:O5 o'clock before
ne got through the bridge AS he ap-
preached the bridge he saw it was not open,
and he called out to open it. No attention
was paid to him.
When little nearer he asked: "Aren't
you going to open the bridges"
The bridge tender replied: az am not
going TO open it until the train goes
through"
Capt. Murray said he asked, "What right
have you to keep the boat waiting here
when the train is not i'll sights can see to
1ybee island, and no tram is comingn
The bridge tender still refusing, the cap
tain said: 'l'll send some men to help you
open the BRIDGE" and Immediately ordered
the mate and two deck hands to go on the
bridge and help open it. but the bridge ten
ders refused to show them how to unlock tue
bridge and left the draw and went to the
Iybee side pier. The captain called out, he
says, TO the bridge tenders, "Why don't you
come and help open the bridgeF and they
made no reply. The captain says that mis-
men then took the lever and twisted and
turned with it, but broke only one of the
cords trying to open the draw.
TRIED TO FORCE THE DRAW.
He then put the nose of the boat in the
bridge, as wedge, coming ahead under
''one bell, trying to force the bridge apart.
When he saw the train approaching he told
the men to take the lever down and put if
where they got it, and come aboard tho
boat 60 he, says he didntcome ahead at the
bridge III collision, and never said if he had
big boat he would knock il down. He did
say that "dIawbridges have been butted
OPEN hefore," and considering it an obstruc-
ton to navigation, he believed he had a
right to remove 1t if he could. He denies
telling his men to obstruct the train by
leaving the lever on the track
Capt. Murray says he knew nothing of
the schedules of the time. but had been de-
layed before, and as steamboats, have tae
right OF way on the st. Johns river, he saw
no reason why the same condition of
affairs should not exist here
THE PILOTS STORY.
Pilot George W. Rossignol corroborates
Capt. Murray's statements. The pilot saws:
II am the man who talked about knocking
the bridge. said If had a boat big
enough and strong enough would knock it
down and so through and wish to God
had had che such and would have done itu
Pilot Rossignol complains that the Cres-
cent City was detained fifteen minutes once
before, until a train passed over and two
delays of five minutes since nave occurred.
Rossignol says that on the Passiac river ia
New Jersey, and the st. Johns river in
Florida, steamboats, have the right of way,
and both he and Capt Murray, who have
been steamboating together, say that they
consider that they did right in trying to
force open the draw
QUESTION OF RIGHT OF WAY
Capt. Murray addressed letter to the
Secretary of War yesterday, inquiring
whether the railroads or the steamboats,
have the right of way at st. Augustine
creek, and reporting what course he had
pursued.
Capt. Murray says the Crescent City is
owned by Beacn & Miller of Crescent City,
Fla, and has been chartered for the season
by the Coast Line railroad 1t was under
stood last night that President Johnston