Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-01-23
THE RIVER CHANNEL
- Esc&ions Ago IN - 1sead
With D1vers ooinsenr
0sCERsIse Tue nyR bUff LIE


The dock rine question u the allah
sorbing topic among the property
owners along the river front, and the
settlement Of il viii he watched with
great interest. The parties snosf inter-
ssted are divided into two factions, and
their opinions are widely diverse. The
majority of the East siden are IN favor
Of narrowing the chsnnel to the width
Of the river at the D. q n railway
bridge, or 450 feet. They argue tnat
ae all the water passes through 4oo-
foot bridge ~ the upper Gud OF the
channel, q path Of that width N'ouid he
ample and sufficient " carry the Hater
through the rapids. They claim caat
there would be no necessity tor auy
larger channel, If perpendicular stone
leyee be built through the rapids IN
straight line, 50 that there would be no
interruption to the swift current. They
also favor the building OF trunk
sewer, inside the levee, on each side OF
the river, % that the main channel
may be kept clean and free from pollu-
ton. The channel proper 10 nearly
straight line from the q. X. d l. bridge
to Sixth-st., and they favor = straight
channel through the middle OF the
present river bed, between these two
points.
The other faction fayors 50o-foot
channel, and they want crook or TWO
in it. Leltelt's Iron Works and the
Carpet Sweeper Company have en-
croached 10 feet beyond the prescott
dock line, and. as is well known. w. T.
Powers has started encroachments al
Pearl-st., Bridge-st. and sixth-st.
bridges by building walls III the river
bed about 40 feet beyond the dock line.
He was enjoined from completing
them by the city, and q suit Is now
pending IN the superior court TO deter
mine whether or not he has the right 10
make such encroachment. These
parties as before stated want q 5oO-foot
channel established, making the west
ern boundary exactly on the line OF the
walls erected by Mr. Powers In the
river and for the eastern boundary y
line just clearing the Sweeper Com
pany's dock. THIS line is TO continue
to the north end of Leitelts building,
and then they want to turn it eastward
so as to cut Off more of the river bed
from the east side and give more 10 the
west side. Tnen another bend TO the
westward would have 70 be made At
Sixth-st. The only reason for the bend
is that the current has cut out the east
side bank between Bridge and Sixth-sts.
and the property owners have not en-
croached rs much as their nelghbors
below.
The TELEGRAM-HERALp has always
urged the neccessity of the re~estab-
lishment Of the dock line, and has
favored a straight channel as tar a. u
practicable. However. the matter "a
now III the courts, and it is now under
stood that whatever may be the de-
cision of the superior court. the
defeated party will appeal TO the Su-
preme court. This viii probably epd
in establishing the channel IN manner
THAT the court may deem equitable to
all parties concerned. and the TELE-
GRAM-HERALn is satisfied TO abide the
issue. Ii the court decides that the
owners OF riparian rights have right 10
build where they please, Mr.. Powers
is all right, and other property
owners can build in the stream
as well. The present movement may
be made in good faith, or it may be
made to forestall the opinion of the
court; but it would appear that little
delay would prevent much strife and
ill-feeIing among the interested parties,
and that the best way of settling the
difficulty is to await the decision OF the
court.