Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-27
TALKING OF DYNAMITE.
What Some Citizens Said to the COMMUNIST
crs Today About the Long BRIDGE

What Some Citizens Said to the Commission
ers Today About the Long Bridge.
blow away the Long bridge with dynamite
Open the river and save the merchants on the
south side of Pennsylvania avenue thousands Of
dollars"
These are some of the expressions used at the
District building this morning at the hearing OF
the merchants who called TO urge the Com
missioners to act speedily and avert flood.
Yesterday afternoon the merchants whose
places of business are in the low area had a con-
sultatlon among themselves and a committee
consisting Of AIessrs. Frank Hume, " II. Shea,
Robert Cohen. George l.. Sheriff. F. T. May.
Horatio Browning. Carl Mueller and J. J. APP
pich was appointed to call upon the Commits
sioners and discuss the best way Of Kidding the
Potomac OF ice and avert a flood.
MR. sHEA's PLAN.
The hearing took place in the board room.
Mr.. NJ. H. Shea was the first speaker He favored
the employment of the two big iron steamers
of the Washington and Norfolk Steam
boat Company, as he thought they were
better capable of breaking the ice than the
tugboats 1t was q fact that thew ran longer
than the big bay steamboats,. which goes
to show their adaptability for the work
mapped out for them. Ii was all right
to argue that the boats will have to 20 10 Nor
folk soon, but that would not open the river
above the Long bridge. Besides. the ice
Is heavier above the bridge and there are
greater dangers of a food than ever before
The river should be opened to its mouth
1t was his opinion that it would be impos-
slble for the tugs to do any good until the
channel was broken for them and this could
only be done by the employment Of the two
big iron steamboats,. II the thaw continues
three weeks at the present rate the thickness
of the ice above the bridge would not be mate
rally affected. The great danger Was above
the bridge. IL the ice breaks suddenly and
jams against the Long bridge, the Commission
ers should not. he said, hesitate a moment but
blow the Long bridge away with dynamite. II
sioners would not hesitate to blow intervening
buildings up, if they thought that by SO doing
they could save the remainder Of the city, and
why should they hesitate to blow up the bridge
if a jam occurred?
well. that's q matter for the Secretary of
War, and you will have to see him about it."
said Commissioner Douglass.
Mr.. Horstio Browning said he had a good
deal OF experience with floods and found them
very uninteresting. At one time he repre-
sented the merchants before the Com
missioners and urged that the emergency
fund be drawn upon to avert the food. The
said they did not see the ne
cessity at that time for the use of any part Of
the emergency fu nd. hut agreed that if the &C.
casion warranted it they would appropriate
the money. The occasion came, but the
food could not be averted The Commissioners
set aside 81 800 and employed tugs 10 keep the
river clear. but they did no good. They were
too late. This was what the merchants wanted
to guard against this time. Floods were
very expensive things, for beside causing
a great deal OF damage to stock. the
filth left behind was most disagreeable and
feature. He thought the big iron
steamboats, of the Norfolk line the proper
agents to employ to clear the river. He did
not believe the tugs would get here in time IL
o warm rain were to come on where would the
merchants be? 1t would be far better to pay
the big steamboats, and have them open the
way than to wait for the tugs.
st seems to me that self-interess vould
require them to go to Norfolk as soon as pos
sible." said Commissioner Ross
while that is SO 1t does not require them to
run one boat behind the other, which UNDER
stand they are willing to do
But they demand Ga, 500 for doing the work.
and then won't go above the 7th street wharf,"
said Mr.. Douglass.
Il understand that they are willing to do the
work for u 600, said Mr.. Browning.
THE COMMISSIONERS PLAN
"What We propose to do" said Mr.. Douglass,
lis to keep the tugs at work every hour We
think the exigencies of the require it, and of
course the boats you speak Of could not do that.
Besides" continued Commissioner Dourlass
the tugs win go above the Long bridge, and IL
we think it necessary they win 60 above the
Aqueduct bridge" -
We have lost . great deal Of money BY rea-
SON OF these Hoods, said Mr.. Browning, "and
don't propose to lose any more il We can help
It. Suppose We say to the owners of these
Steamboats, to 60 ahead and break the ice, and
II there is any money left after the tugs are
paid you will give IL to them"
Personally I am in favor OF such . thing"
said Commissioners Douglas, but Of course II
would require the action Of the board before