Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-19
By the Railroads and MANUFACTURES Filling
Up the Edges With Cinders
and Other Refuse.
FIGURING on A SPEEDY REFORMATION.
II the Refreshments Are Decided nlrgal the Law Is
to Be Enforced.

PATCH reporters.
"The fact that both the Allegheny an6
Monongahela rivers have hard bottoms,
said Captain James Fawcett, "and will moi
dredge out with the high water, added to the
encroachments OF the banks, make
the rivers overflow their banks with
from four to six feet less water
than it took Is to 20 years ago.
Look at the south bank; there
is the Pittsburg and Lake Erie Rail
road. When that road was first built it was
entirely on trestle work, and the water had
q chance to go from 100 to 500 feet back from
the railroad. Now the entire river front has
been filled in, and it acts just the same as il
1 were to fill in this room with water. The
floor is hard, and if L were to put more
water in than the room would hold, it would
naturally overflow.
Great Change in the Last Twenty Years.
'It's just the same with the river. The
railroads and manufactures have encroached
so on the real bed OF the river that what
would have been an ordinary boating stage
20 years ago is flood now, causing in
calculable damage not alone to :the river.
|
as we'll. Why, L remember, when 1 was a
boy. during the dry season there was bar
In the river that extended almost from the
Point to the dam, and many a stone fight on
it we used to have with the Sligo and
Birmingham boys. That bar has entirely
disappeared, due entirely to the filling in of
| the banks.
''The bridge companies have also done
| their share. The Monongahela bridge at
one time reached almost to Carson street.
They kept filling In gradually until they
had from 200 to 800 feet of ground. Where
the Lake Erie delivery house now stands
was all water % years ago. 1t was filled in
by what was known as Grants Hill, which
was carted away from Diamond street, from
| where Kuhn's law building now stands. 1
could talk all day and never could exhaust
the subject"
How Harrison's Election Is Remembered.
Captain Thomas Fawcett next told how,
in 1910, when the news of President w. ii.
Harrison's election was received grand jollIfi-
| cation and OK roast was held on the sand bar at
the foot of Wood street. Il was not old enough
to have VOTE" said he, 'but got some of the
| roast and it was good"
| Captain Harry Brown said: I'VE would Iot
have to-day any more water than an ordinary
boating stage, but little it, if the banks
had not been filled np as they are. Jones d
Laughlins have taken fully 800 feet on the
south bank and from zoo to 300 on the north
side. think it an outrage, and the city should
take some action in the matter Manufacture
ers should be made to haul their cinders and
refuse away. The cinders could be used TO a
good advantage in making better country roads.
about the need of which there is so much talk.
The Coal Exchange has taken the matter up,
and we hope the day is not far distant when we
will get our redress. Colonel Merrill now has
the papers in his possession, and will lay the
matter before the War Department. and will
report back early next month"
Captain Holmes Harger said that if there
had been foot or two of snow in the mount
aims the food would have been unprecedented,
and that if something was not done soon he
would venture to say that tile day is not far
distant that the Monongahela Valley will be
filled with water from hill to hill causing euor-
nous damage to life and property.
Captain Joseph Walton was very busy but
took time to say that there would have been
five feet less water than there was if it had not
been for the encroachments, and thought it an
outrage that il had been allowed to go ON SO
long without any interference.
Now Looking for Their Removal.
Captain w. W. o'Nei had so little time to
talk that he referred the question to his son,
W. W. O'Nei, Jr., who stated that he hoped
the day was not far distant when all the en-
croachmentS would have to be removed. Take
the channel on the north side of the river"
said he. 1T is now occupied by the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad. 1t is gradually filling up
so that we will be compelled verv soon to ask
the Pennsylvania Company to build another
channel span on its bridge. AS it Is
now it is dangerous to naviga-
ton. The water runs like mill race
tbo hrid oil NV fba l1or.
and Ohio filling out to the very channel At
lock No. there used to be posts and piers
enough TO accommodate from % to 80 boats
Now we have a hard time finding room for
four or five. The coke works above the dam
have built a crib which is too high for our men
to reach with the lines and if we do tie to it
we have to pay high tariff for the privilege
Tenth street bridge. we used to be
able to bring coal the lower pool
on 274 feet OF water, but they have filed up the
channel so far that now nine out of ten times
the boats stick. all of which costs time ard
Money We have to pay so cents an hour for
hands TO tighten the boats, and beside, it hurts
the appearance of tile COAL If he,Monooahela
river mad come out as ii did in 1884 the entire
lower portion of the city would have been sub
merged, and the damage to life and property
could not have been estimated. As it was, the
river was backed up rs far as McEeeSport by
the Allegheny. just think, if the Mononpa-
hela had come out in anything like the same
volume, what body of water we would have
they were trying to drive us out of the bust
ness They don't seem to care one iota but we
hope soon to be able to meet them on even
ground.
Some of the Largest Encroachments
"At Moorhead's, where we used to tie to
pier. there is a mill on that spot. and the Mo-
nongahela Connecting Railroad runs fully so
feet outside of that At Braddock, Carnegie
has made fully 500 acres of ground All the
works along the south bank have been taking
up what rightfuly belongs to the rivers and
extending their banks and building additions
to their works. without any cost for the ground
except the hauling.
'Pittsburgers point with pride to their heavy
tonnage, eclipsing even New York, and vet
they are doing nothing to protect it. In fact.
they are dong everything to drive it away.
Nothing has ever been done to protect the riy-
eTs inland until now. but we hope soon to COM
pei all who are how encroachlnC on the rivers
to remove the Instructions, which will restore
them to their former condition. Colonel Mer-
rlll will be in the city very soon with decision
in the matter. and it will be enforced if in our
favor, as we have every reason TO beileve it
will be-"
Captain Clough, an old-time pilot and upper
river mate. stated that every year navigation
in the vicinity of Pittsburg was becoming more
perilous, and if something were not done soon
boating would be thing Of the past. The
changes In the channel have been remarkable
all the way from dam No. to the Davis Is
land Dam, and It keeps a pilot constantly
guessing whether he is in the right course or
not.
The works of w. D. Wood & Co.. which were
erected In 1858, at McKcesport, when built
were eight feet above the high water mark
Owing to encroachments by their own and
other works. along the banks of the river, they
are now five feet below the high water mark
and In consequence are badly flooded, as are
portions of the National Tube Works and yari-
Gus other manufactured.