The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-07-23

OF the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago
& st. Louis Railway Company (Pan
Haudle) for the privilege to encrOaeh
on the established harbor lines here to
the extent OF filing in with furnace Stag
under the freight station at the foot OF
Fourteenth street, Washed yesterday
morning at the chamber OF commerce
by the commission OF government en-
Gineers appointed by the secretary of
4 war, Major C. F. Powell, Of Pittsburgh;
Major Bixgy, OF Cincinnati, and Captain
] Warren, OF Louisville.
The hearing did not attract many
Wheeling people, but the Pittsburgh or
| ganlzatlons Interested In preventing
encroachmenIs upon the hnrbor hines
were represented by their best men, in
] cluGing Hon. John F. bravo, the father
of free navigation on the MOnongahela,
and a Hfe-long advocate OF river I'M
| provemeut. Associated With him, as
Representatives OF the Pittsburgh Coal
Exchange were Messrs. John Moren, w.
! ]. Wood ard August Jutte. The Pitts
burgh Harbor No. % Of the Pilots As
ISOLATION was represented by Captains
William Elsey, C. Spencer and j. A.
Glow. In addition to these there were
several local steamboatmen, who were
Interested spectators.
Secretary George Hook, OF the West
| Virginia State Falr Association, was on
hand, fearing that the I'LL at the freight
| station would divert strong current
| across the river and make II anything
! but an lrDprobnblHty tina. he would
| wake up some fine morning and find q
goodly portion Of the state fair grounds
gone.
For the Pan Handle. General Manager
L. F. LOree and Chief Engineer John
| stoa, Of Pittsburgh; President w. p.
Hubbard, Of the Pewikey, and Freight
Agent ]. v. Braden were on hand
| Congressman Lorenzo Danford, OF
| st. CIalrsville, was an interested spec
tator at the hearing, but took no active
part. He was under the impression the
| BellaIre matter would be considered By
the engineers.
The hearing was opened at II O'Clock,
with Major Powell presiding. Major
Powell stated the object Of the hearing;
It was to hear arguments upon the APP
| pllcation OF the railroad for permission
to fill beneath the depot and the one
track outside the depot, with Stag, the
wooden supports that have formed the
foundation in the past being now in bad
| shape. It was enormously reported In
| an evening paper that the railroad
wishes to extend It's tracks 2S.6 feet;
this is not true, and as matter OF fact
the railroad asked TO be allowed to fill
beneath the present station buildings
| and outside track. 1t Is true that the
outside tracK is 2S.6 feet beyond the
harbor line established by the govern
ment engineers last year. but the rail-
| road asked no extension beyond what II
| now occupies. In Justice TO the rail-
road company, this explanation Is made.
Chief Engineer Johnston. Of the Pan
| Handle, explained his plans for the
| filling in with Stag at the depot, and
| claimed that X would leave the rievr at
| this point wider than 1t Is at points
| above and below. He did not believe
the proposed Improvement would be a
menace to navigation.
Mr.. Hook, Of the state fair associa-
ton, entered n protest on behalf Of
the state fair grounds. The current
| would be diverted to the lower part OF
| the Island and there would be lEroads
on the soil every winter and spring.
City Engineer White. who came in,
stated that the matter had been sprung
so suddenly that he was not prepared
| to state the position OF the municipal
government Later in the day the city
engineer intimated that resolutions
against the I'LL would probably be intro
duced ut the meeting OF council next
| Tuesday evening. He said the proposed
nil would prove injurious to the Island.
Captain E!sey, Pittsburgh pilot, ar
| gued against the cOEcession. He said
] - an
\ coaa tow is among the most difficult in
| western waters. on tweTty-foOt
stage he said he had cleared the piling
OF the depot only ten feet. He said
that years ago forty-two feet didn't
| hurt the Island, but now less than that
| figure mandates the upper portion.
Captain Spencer aad Captain Glow
spoke on about the same line.
Hon. John +. bravo, OF Pittsburgh,
was the next speaker. He spoke OF the
tonnage OF the Ohio, greater than either
\ the Mississippi or Missouri. He be-
| Heved II to be a crime to allow en-
| croachments on this magnificent water
highway. Increased velocity OF the cur
rent would certainly follow contraction
OF its banks. The greed OF the railroad
corporations Is the cause Of menace to
INV and order from the public who de-
mand cheaper transportation. The
railroads always oppose such conces-
sions. Captain bravo was very earnest
throughout. ,gs
General Manager L. F. Doree, Of the
Pan Handle, did not believe that his
/ company's was an unreasonable re-
quest. Il cannot acquire property from
the Baltimore & Ohio east OF the depot,
neither would the city part with It's
81. 80 = laV htHN
/ ask that the harbor lines be changed
so as to allow the company TO occupy
what II Is now occupying ard give Il
the privilege to Ill with Stag? OF the
| transportation business Of Wheeling,
| elghty-fve per cent is done by the rail-
roads, therefore the change would be OF
| benefit to the majority.
After the meeting adjourned at 1880
| O'clock, the commission and interested
| persons proceeded to the river front,
| where an Inspection OF the depot along
| the bank was made. In the afternoon
the visitors departed for their homes.
The commissions report VIII be sub
| mlbtcd to Secretary hlger In a short
time, II was intlmated. The steamboat
! men Anticipate ihat the commissions
| finding Will be In favor OF the river In
| terests. but they are not confdcrt OF
the action OF the secretary Of war.
| Senator El1iHr. Representative Do
| vener and other FRIENDS Of the river VIII
be asked TO recomm nd TO the secretary
| Of war that the Application Of the rail-
road company be rejected.
Speaking Of CONGRESSMAN Dovcncr,
Captain bravo said yesterday after
| noon:
| u see Doyencr has beer rcnomlrated
for Congress in this district There Is