Evening journal., 1911-07-27

In A PLIGHT
Barred From Use Of SuSque-
hanna by Pennsylvania
R. r., Town Says
CONFER WITH RAILROAD
REPRESENTATIVES

ELKTON. Md. July 26.-The board
of County Commissioners OF Cecil
county held a special session here on
Tuesday, called for purpose of hold
ing a conference with representa-
tive of the Philadelphia Baltimore
and Washington Railroad Company,
on the wharfage problem at Perry
Vile. The conference was the out
growth Of large number of residents
and taxpayers Of Perryville petition
ing the county commissioners, at
their July meeting, to reopen the Old
Post road down to the banks OF the
Susquehanna River. so that a landing
for boats could be obtained. Recent
ly, when the lease Messrs. Cole and
Kane had on the railroad companys
wharf in that town expired, they were
notified that It would not be renewed
and since then the private roadway
leading under the railroad companys
tracks down to the wharf has been
closed, and thus the use of the wharf
to the public has been discontinued.
The action OF the railroad company
has resulted in the ferry between
Perryville and Havre de Grace being
discontinued, as the owners Of the
boats could find no wharf I'm the town
at which 10 land The railroad COM
pany owns practically the whole river
front in the town about a mile in
length. and while the residents Of the
town can see the beautiful Susque-
hanna River. they are almost cut off
from getting TO It, and transportation
by water is past, at least for the
present.
The residents of the town want the
county commissioners to build
wharf in the river in front of the Old
Post road This, however. is deemed
almost a useless expenditure of a
large amount of money, for 1t would
be an expensive piece of work. On
the south side Of the Old Post road
is one of the large abutments Of the
new railroad bridge over the Susque-
hanna River. and directly in front OF
where the wharf would have to be
built is what is known as the Island
Bar. This bar is what separates the
eastern and western channels of the
river. few hundred yards further
up the river this bar makes into what
is known as Watson's Island. In
order to meet the demands of the
people of Perryville, it will not only
be necessary for the county COM
missioners to build a new and expen-
sive wharf. but the channel Of the
river would have to be dredged for
some distance.
j. C. Auten, division engineer Of
the Philadelphia. Baltimore and
Washington Railroad Company, rep
resented the railroad company at tho
conference. The commissioners dis
cussed with Mr.. Auten the lines OF
the Old Post road. and It was shown
by the court records that this matter
had been determined In 1907, when
the company removed a portion OF
its embankment made for the new
bridge over the Susquehanna river.
The question Of the county leasing
the railroad wharf for the public
was discussed, but Mr.. Auten stated
that such a proposition was almost
out of the question, as a ~" had
replaced the old turn-table on the
south side of the new tracks, and the
reopening Of the wharf to the public
would make a very dangerous grade
crossing. That is the reason, he said,
why the railroad company refused to
renew the lease nits wharf to
Messrs. Cole and Kane
Mr.. Auten said that when the rail-
road company was building its new
bridge over the Susquehanna river
and the elevated portion of Perryville.
it invited the representative citizens
of the town into a conference In ord
er to learn Just what they desired,
but for some unknown reason the
citizens OF that town did not meet
them At that time. when the i'm
provements we're IN progress, the
railroad company could easily have
arranged to give the citizens a public
wharf. Mr.. Auten intimated that
there was no chance of the county
being able to obtain portion of the
railroad company's property along
the Susquehanna river for a wharf
in Perryville.
The people OF Perryville. who are
interested in a public wharf being
established. claim that the use OF the
railroad company's wharf was cut off
on account Of the pull" the Hartford
and Cecil county politicians have
with the railroad company. This
claim was answered by Mr.. Auten in
explaining why the lease Of the wharf
was not renewed with Messrs. Cole
and Kane. The county commission
ers will probably have survey made
I'm the near future 10 determine the
exact lines and distances OF the Old
Post road. For the present, at least
Il looks like the citizens of Perryville
will have to do without a public
wharf. In fact. any kind Of a place
70 land their boats I'm that town. not
withstanding the town has almost
a mile Of water frontage.
PENNSY IMPROVEMENTS.