Evening journal., 1916-02-19
BRIDGE IS Declared
BAR TO NAVIGATION
Jitney Owner Held Up Long
While Three Trains Crossed
ChriStiana Structure
RAILROAD COMPANY
DEFENDS POSITION

Colonel John Biddlc, United States
engineer in charge of this district, pre-
sided at the public hearing held in his
Office in the Federal Building, this after
noon. The hearing was TO give jitney
owners and others using the Chfistiana
river an opportunity TO voice their obs
ieetions TO drawbndge No g across the
Christiana river. pdar the mouth of the
river 10 had been declared that the
bridge was an obstruction to river traf-
lc After charges filed by the owners OF
the iitney Nora had been read bV Col
onel Biddc a report on the subject
which Major =. N.Johnston, the engi-
neer in charge here al that time, had
prepared. was presented. This report
stated that tine bridge was interfering
witlf,traitic on the river and the delays
should not be over five minutes. The
Nora had been held up - minutes.
A call was then made for the jit-
ney owners or their representatives
or any others interested in the navi-
cation OF the stream to voice their
opinion on the subject AS no one
present volunteered to speak for the
boat owners at the time Col. Biddle
said the railroad cOmpany's side would
he heard
A. J. Whitney, superintendent of
the p. b. & w. Railroad Company.
who was present with Supervisor
English and a corps of engineers and
bridgetenders. then presented the
railroad company's side of the contro-
tersy in he form of a written state
Mr Whitman cnfd Iacfrad
to supplement this by several state
ments which were not mentioned i'm
the paper. Colonel Fiddle suggested
that the statement be read.
The statement was that during No
vember last when the Nora complaint
was filed the bridge was opened
1920 times and that 1888 trains had
passed over II during the month. II
was explained that every effort vas
being made to prevent delays and that
the automatic l5cking system IN use
on thc bridge bad Tia approval of
the Public Utility Board and the
American Railways Association. Dur
ing November it was explained that
900 vessels passed through the draw.
At the present time the draw is 6
feet 8 inches above mean hign tide.
The railroad company stated they
were willing to alter it by the placing
of a new girder so that the draw
would be is feet above mean high
tide.
The railroad company also sug-
gested that new rules be adopted for
the operation of the drawbridge
Those suggested provide that all jit-
neys and other craft that can clear
the draw with their decks have their
smokestacks on hinges so that they
.e6Ed he ,lewered. as they passed under
the. structure. ifThe signal to open the
draw. it was suggested. should be as
II is now. three short blasts, and the
bridge not to be opened when any
train is within FIVE minutes time Of
crossing the bridge. The railroad
company likewise suggested that
masts in small sailing vessels be ar
ranged so that they could be lowered
Following the reading OF the state
mcnt Mr.. Whitney explained that the
railroad company was willing TO oper
the draw whenever they had 20. but
he said, that some of the complaints
heard of today had not been made tC
him before.
r. c. Bye, of the Charles Warner
Company, objected to the methods OF
opening tie bridge He said the
signals were not answered by the
bridge tenders.
Edward A. Kohl, pilot Of the jitney
Nora. arrived late It was he who
made the first complaint last Septem-
ber He said at that time he was
tied up while waiting for three freight
trains to pass over the structure.
II. T. Bush. of the Bush Line. was
the last one to speak on the subject
He urged that nothing be done about
enforcing a ruling to make ship mas
ters remove masts while passing
under the bridge until the matter is
looked into more thoroughly. After
Mr. Bush had suggested that the pres.
ent regulations passed by the L. S
Government in May, 1907, be printed
and distributed, the meeting ad-
journed.