The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-10-23

"EW people are familiar with the fact of
what an important part Conowingo bridge
10 and its elder sister, the Rock Run bridge
have played in the politics, as well as
the commerce of vast section of country.
These two bridges spanned q familiar stream.
Five hundred miles long, it is only five miles
navigable, and with its rugged, stony bottom
which exists nearly its entire length, and
dashing waters which in food time become
an overwhelming torrent, due to the rapid fall in
the surface of the country, the Susquehanna
forms an almost complete barrier to transit be-
tween the sections through which it flows, except
where spanned by BRIDGES. For the past fifty
years Conowingo has been the only passenger
bridge on the stream from its mouth to Columbia,
some thirty miles above. True, at reach Bottom
placid portion of the river is crossed by prim.
tive ferry boat, but Its commerce is extremely
limited in volume and character.
The first company for the construction of a
bridge across the lower Susquehanna, known as
the Rock Run Bridge and Banking Company
incorporated in 1908, and this charterwas SUBJ
stantially amended by an act of the Legislature
in 1872. 1t is worthy of note in this connection
that this charter finally utilized for the build
ing of Conowingo bridge many years later. Work
was begun on this structure in 1878 and it was
completed and opened for travel in 1918, becoming
a great thoroughfare between the north and the
south. Its importance can be the more fully
realized when we recall that the Philadelphia,
Baltimore and Washington railroad was not built
and opened for travel until the Fourth of July,
1887 and did not have any bridge on which to
cross the river until 1868. We do not find that
the banking feature of this bridge was ever avail
ed of, and in 1854 one span was carried down by
the dangerous, rythmic motion incidental to
drove of cattle being carried across too rapidly.
Some of the cattle were killed in the disaster and
1t is recalled how one of the leading citizens of
Hartford today, but then young man "to fame
and fortune still unknown" secured and person
ally dressed the carcass of a handsome bullock
for nominal consideration which furnished his
home an ample supply OF succulent beef for
months to come. The uninjured cattle were
cared for over night by Hugh Jones, who on the
following morning piloted them across the river
at the "Old Bald Friar ferry, ~ miles above the
site of Conowingo Bridge on the route where
Lafayette crossed with his army during the Rev
plutionary War, and many more droves of cattle
crossed there until late in the fall The bridge
was soon repaired, and an unprecedented freshet
in 1857 the natural sequel of the upprecedentedly
severe winter of 1867, carried away the structure
and from that time on the crumbling piers have
been the only monuments of its past glory.
The origin of Conowingo Bridge is veiled some
what in mystery and tradition entangles it more
less with its sister bridge seven miles down the
stream. It seems to have been constructed under
the charter of 1908 before referred to, was built
by acontractor named Wernwag and was operated
until 1S46 when it was carried away by the May
freshet, so common in this great stream. This
freshet also badly wrecked the Tidewater and
Canal which had been completed
in 1889 and had already proven very valuable for
the transportation of freight well as to bring to
tidewater the coal and lumber of central Penn
sylvania. A party by the name of Henry Wesley
at the time OF Its loss held mortgage thereon for
$500 and some little time later he foreclosed,
thus acquiring tull ownership of the company's
property which included its piers, terminal faci-
tiles, right of way. etc. These were sold to the
new company for $500 cash and $1,000 In stock Of
the new company.
The community feeling the disastrous effect OF
the bridges loss, just the same as the people OF
the same section are feeling today, an act to in
corporate the Conowingo Bridge Company was
passed in 1S47, which among other things pro-