Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-07-11
A FEW FACTS.


The fall of that portion of the canal
bridge used as foot passage ON the 4th
Of July, whereby many people were in
jured, has caused considerable discus
sion. The bridge is over the bed of the
canal and belonged to the Pennsylva-
mia Car al Company ant ives maintained
by that Company until last year, when
authority to abandon the public use Of
the Juniata Division of the said canal
from the first lock east of Newton Ham,
ilton, including the river dam adjacent
thereto in Miffiin county to the Juniata
Junction at Duncan's Island in Dauph-
in county, was granted to said COM
pany by the Legislature by Act Of As
sembly, approved March l6, 1899. This
act also gives'tO the canal company the
right to sell or lease the material and
such estate as it may possess in the land
and real estate OH which the canal is
situated land which is appurtenant
thereto from time to time, as it may
deem proper and make conveyance
therefor BY virtue Of the authority
granted by the Legislature the canal
company OH Sept. Is, 1899 by resolu-
ton of its board of Directors declared
the Juniata Division abandoned, and
by deed dated Oct. IS, 1899, conveyed
to the Pennsylvania Railroad company,
that portion Of the Juniata Division
mentioned above and excepting the
corporate rights and franchises Of the
canal company.
The railroad company took posses
sion of the property and the last repairs
that were made on the bridge were
made by the railroad company and in
cluded repairs to the foOt-walk, which
now lies in the bed of the canal.
The flood of 1889 destroyed the iron
bridge across the canal. The Pennsyl
vania Canal Company then hurriedly
built the bridge that now spans the ca
nal bed at this place, but they did not
build q foot-walk.
Among the minutes of the Miffiin-
town Town Council for November II,
1889, we find the following:
"On motion, chair appointed Messrs.
Schott and Kirk Committee to make |
a fOOt-walk across the canal at side of
bridge and to buy suitable railing for
the dangerous places at either side Of
the canal bridge.
The minutes of the Council meeting
for January 9Th, 1890, contains the fol
lowing:
"Mr. SchOtt from the Committee to
make fOot-walk across canal and to
place suitable railing at sides of canal
bridge reported that duty attended to-"
This foot-walk was built by the town
council and was attached to the Penn
sylvania Canal Company's bridge and
was fastened to and upon wooden piers
or trestles built by theCanal Company.
1t was the giving way Of one of these
piers or trestles that caused the foot
walk to fall into the canal bed.
There seems to be q difference of
opinion. AS to whether the bridge is 10
Gated in Miffiintown borough or Fer
township, but careful read
ing of the following Acts Of Assembly
will satisfy one that the bridge or at
least that part Of it which fell is located
in MimintOwn borough
Act Of March 9Th, 1888: Section l,
That MiffiintOwn in the county Of Jun
iata, shall be and the same is hereby
erected into a borough, which shall be
called the borough Of Minlintown, and
shall be bounded and limited as follows:
viz, beginning at q post on the BERN
bank Of the Pennsylvania canal; thence
along land Of John and Jacob Wright
north sixty-two degrees, east 72 perches
% black oak corner Of Birds land;,
hence along Birds line. south five de-
yrees east one hundred and sixty-one
,erches to . post corner of lot Of James
;urrin's heirs; thence along Sunbury
Dad or the north side. west eighty
light perches to post; thence north {
light degrees, west on the east side of I