Erkenbrecher v. City of Cincinnati

2 Cin. Sup. Ct. Rep. 412
CourtOhio Superior Court, Cincinnati
DecidedApril 15, 1873
StatusPublished

This text of 2 Cin. Sup. Ct. Rep. 412 (Erkenbrecher v. City of Cincinnati) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Superior Court, Cincinnati primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Erkenbrecher v. City of Cincinnati, 2 Cin. Sup. Ct. Rep. 412 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1873).

Opinion

Yaple, J.

This case comes before us, to be tried upon the facts and the law, by reservation from Special Term.

The plaintiff is the owner of a lot of ground in the city of Cincinnati, being east of Broadway, on the northeast corner of Eighth and Broadway streets, upon which he has erected and carries on a large manufacturing establishment, operated in part by water flowing through his lot from the Miami and Erie Canal, from which it is drawn at Canal street, midway between Sycamore and Broadway streets; thence running south, twenty feet wide, to the south side [413]*413of Court street; thence south, forty feet wide, across Ninth street, to within forty-four feet of Eighth street; thence east (crossing Broadway and running through aryl beyond plaintiff’s lot until it again empties into the canal), six feet wide, this last part being arched over. The wide part is called “ Lock Port Basin ;” and, from the canal at Canal street to the south end oí the basin, navigation by canal-boats in the past, and with some impediments and interruptions in later years, was practicable and common. The use of the water flowing through his lot, the plaintiff' rents from and pays rent for to the state, under a contract made with the state canal commissioners, now board of public works. And if the water-way from the canal to the south end of the basin shall continue to be open and unobstructed for such navigation, as originally constructed and used, it will be of great convenience and benefit to the plaintiff) his property and the business carried on there, and by saving, among other things, drayage, etc.

The defendant, the City of Cincinnati, has taken the proper steps to, and contemplates building a bridge, at Ninth street, across the basin, and also to lower the present bridge at Court street, which, if done, will render navigation from the canal to the south end of such basin impossible; and it also intends, at such Ninth street bridge, to leave a water-way for the water flowing from the canal through the plaintiff’s premises, only twelve feet wide in the clear, and four feet depth of water, the center of such channel to be the line midway between Broadway and Sycamore streets. The other defendants, I). K. Este and others, own all the lots abutting on both sides of the basin its entire length, and they are intending and preparing to fill up the basin so as to leave only a channel twelve feet wide and four feet depth of water. The action of these defendants and the city, if permitted to be carried out, will utterly destroy every part of this water-way for navigation; but will not, as we find upon the evidence, diminish the actual sup[414]*414ply of water the plaintiff has been accustomed to receive at his premises for the uses of manufacturing.

The plaintiff seeks to enjoin the city and its co-defendants from carrying out the changes they have undertaken to effect.

This water-way is not, and never was, any part of any canal constructed and owned by the state. It originated in an authorized system of procuring property and water rights by the canal commissioners, for the use of the canal fund of the state. By this means, where the efficiency of canals would not be impaired thereby, water could be withdrawn from them to be applied to milling, manufacturing, and the like uses, for which the state could derive a l’ental for the benefit of the canal fund.

In pursuance of such powers and for such objects, on January 4, 1881, the Bank of the United States, which then owned the same and also all the lands now abutting on the basin its entire length, conveyed by deed, for a mere nominal consideration of one dollar, to the State of Ohio, “ for the use of the canal fund of the State of Ohio,” a lot east of the plaintiff’s lot, and on the southeast corner of Eighth and Broadway.

.On this property it was intended that the water from the canal should be used, and which the canal commissioners would sell or rent. With this lot of ground the bank also conveyed “ the right or privilege of a race or water-way to the same” (through its other lands above mentioned), “ upon the following conditions, viz : The race to commence on the south side of the canal, north of Tenth ” (now Court) “ street, half-way between Broadway and Sycamore streets, and to run southerly parallel to those streets to within fifty feet of Eighth street, and from thence easterly parallel to Eighth street, at the distance of fifty feet therefrom, to the corner.of the lot of land before described ” (southeast corner Eighth and Broadway). “ The said race to be excavated, walled, and bridged in a suitable manner, [415]*415at the expense of the State of Ohio, and so as to admit the free passage of boats,, etc., from the canal, along said race or channel, to the elbow and Eighth street; to be excavated and walled twenty feet wide, to the south side of Tenth or Court street, and from thence to be excavated and walled forty feet wide to within fifty feet of Eighth street — one-half of the excavation of that space to be paid by the bank — and from thence eastwardly to be excavated and walled and arched over six feet wide in the clear between the walls, the whole to be done at the expense of the State of Ohio. This grant merely concedes a passage or way for water to pass from the canal to the lot of land conveyed as aforesaid to be used on said lot.”

It is evident that the object of the bank, in giving this lot and water-right to the state, was in consideration of getting in return a navigable channel through the residue of its property lying north of the lot conveyed, looking to the resulting increased value of its remaining property for sale or use as fully compensating it for such lot.

On July 5,1831, after the above-mentioned conveyance by it to the ' state, the bank conveyed the plaintiffs lot (northeast corner of Eighth and Broadway) in fee simple to Clark Williams, under whom the plaintiff' claims, and whose title he holds to said real estate, and all its appurtenances. In this deed the bank made this reservation : “ Excepting and reserving a water-way or race of twelve feet in width along the north side of said lot of land from Broadway to said lot of land granted to the State of Ohio, so as to admit the free passage of water along the whole length of said race or water-way; but over which the grantee in this deed, his heirs or assigns, will have the right of building, in a reasonable way, not obstructing, however, in any shape, the free passage of the water.”

And the bank, still owning all the lands abutting upon the basin, stipulated in the deed as follows :

“ It is further understood, and stipulated with the said Clark Williams, his heirs and assigns, that the said race or [416]*416water-way from "Broadway west and north, is to remain open for boats, etc., the width from. Broadway west halfway to Sycamore street to be twelve feet, and from thence' north to Tenth” (Court) “ street, the width to be forty feet or upward, and from thence to the canal, to be twenty feet wide, the extent of the privilege hereby granted being, that the said Clark "Williams, his heirs or assigns, may, in common with others, pass boats along said water-way from the canal south and east to Broadway.”

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Shelton v. Tiffin
47 U.S. 163 (Supreme Court, 1848)
Davenport v. New England Mutual Fire Insurance
60 Mass. 340 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1850)
Callen v. Ellison
13 Ohio St. 446 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1862)
Harris v. Columbiana County Mutual Insurance
18 Ohio St. 116 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1849)
Hancock v. Byrne
35 Ky. 513 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1837)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2 Cin. Sup. Ct. Rep. 412, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/erkenbrecher-v-city-of-cincinnati-ohsuperctcinci-1873.