Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-03
WANT THE WHARVES.
Chief Bigelow Explains to Members
of the Coal Exchange That
MARKETS WON'T INJURE SHIPPING.
Provision to Be Made to Protect Boats
From Flood and Ice.
SUPPORTING SENATOR NEEB'S BILL

Chief Bigelow, of the Department ol
Public Works, was examined BY the men,
bers of the Coal Exchange yesterday at the
Advance Coal Company's office on Water
street Mr.. Bigelow was requested to ex-
plain the provisions of Senator Films bill
allowing the use oil the wharves for market
purposes. Incidentally Mr.. Bigelow'
project to create parks along the Allegheny
wharves was discussed by Captain John A.
Woods, President of the Coal Exchange.
Mr.. Bigelow made a statement, in which
he set forth that the Allegheny river
wharves were OF but little if any use to
rivermeu. He claimed that outside of coal
shipping there was little river traffic, and
10 strengthen this assertion quoted the fact
that the boat yards at Freedom and Shouse-
town, which in the wears gone by employed
hundreds of men, had fallen into decay and
had been abandoned. He assured the coal
operators that the Point bridge W S really
their bugaboo. He asserted that in high
water no boats could get under the bridge
into the Allegheny, and that when the
water was low enough to let them under
there was not enough water to float them.
No Danger to the shipping.
Mr. Bigelow said that the improvement of
the wharves would not injure the coal men
at all, as all they wanted was a place to tie
up. When the wharves were improved,
whether devoted to market or park pur-
poses, every provision would be made for
the safety of boats. Strong posts would be
erected, to which boats or tows could be
tied. He gave as instances the improvement
of the banks of the Mersey at Liverpool, the
Thames at London, and several other places
in Europe. In these places they had the
tide TO contend with, but, nevertheless, nav
igatnrs experienced no danger or difficulty
in securing their vessels.
Captain Woods thought that if the
wharves were improved boats and tows
would be 10 great danger from floods,
especially when ice was running out in
quantities To this Chief Bigelow replied
that when ice was running out boats had to
seek the shelter of projection. anyhow,
and stated that during the last flood boat
was wrecked on Duquesne Way, although
the wharveS in that locality had not been
interfered with in the least.
Meeting the Demand for Markets.
The Chief then went on to show how nee
essarv were increased market facilities to
meet the demands OF the growing city, and
assured his hearers that the only way to
meet thissdemand was 10 devote some of the
idle whalyes to this purpose. He assured
his hearers that there would be no interfer-
ence with the shipping facilities of the port
The Chief did not touch very heavily on the
projec; TO make a park of the wharves, as
that scheme is being kept in abeYance just
now
After Mr.. Bigelow had made his state
ment and Withdrawn, the members of the
Exchange discussed the matter. A majority
of them thought that the Chiefs arguments
were forcible and convincing, while others,
among them President Wood, were afraid
that injury to shipping would result from
the dedication of any part of the wharf to
market purposes. A long discussion was
held, but no definite course OF action upon
Senator Neeb's bill was decided upon. Some
action will probably be taken to-day.