The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-11-13 00:00:00

PROPOSED SIDEWAY OVER THE BACKWATER

BRIDGE.

A meeting to cansider this m atter, one of great
interest ti the inhabitant. On either side of the Bock.
water, was held in St. Paul's Ann/30440M' West Ham,
on Tuesday seeming. The Rector presided, being
supported by Dr. Pepin, Mr. Cale. Mr. T. R.
Chard*, Mr. Jackson, Mr. It lit, 111... R. T. Graham,
Ur. Bennett, Mr. Plowman, Mr. Carter, Mr. Knight,
Mr. Sexton, Mr. Merrifield, etc.
The Cfrial alias said he had been a.lte I ti give the
soh alroom for that important matter, and it was •
Vest pleasure for him to meet them there, not only in
church, but to meet them as laymen ; be was pleased
to meet them on a social platform. This matter,
which had • great deal to do with the interests of that
part of the parish, was very important to him, and
very dear to his heart. Speaking in parenthesis,
'Joking around that schoolroom and peeing those
lights about, he should like to make that achoolroona
more awful than it was. He thought there must be
plenty of local talent in the plane, and should like
to see 001114 entertainment/ given there from
time to time, but that was ..sly in paren-
thesis. He thought the matter for which they
had gathered there that evening was most important.
They had read In the pap 're letters saying that Wey-
mouth was going down, awl he thought the reason of
that was that West Ham had increased from a popula-
tion of a hundred. He looked to West Ham and
Wyk* for the development of Weymouth. Hdon that
bill going to Wyk' there were some .f the most beasti-
ful views to be found in this part of the county, and
he felt sure p_eople could build houses and villas there,
sand also in West Hem. Noting the present question
of building suitable dwellings for the p ear, he thought
that in West Bans there were sites where a ttages
nmuld be billt. and the poor live peso gully, happily,
and comfortably. He was now speaking of the poorer
classes, but he also thought people who had business
occupations in Weymouth would have their residence
that ride of the water, and go backwards and forward.
But there was • great drawback to his side of the I
parish, and that was the hill leading up to Wyke.
which was a very bad *Orono*. But if he ha i a had
entrance on his side of the water, they had • worst on ,
this aide of the parish. The good of his parish must
be near and dear to his heart. He might say the other
evening he left Kiug Ore nes Statue, at
Weymouth, to Iwo one .1 his parishioners
this side, and he was t a begin with being nearly rno over
by a train coming from the Harbour. Of c urea, that
traffic at the Harbour was a very_import ant thing, and
he wished it "God speed." He then came t a the I
bridge, and was nearly run over by • hone avid trip. I
and then he came to the railway on this side. If they
wanted Wed Ham to de valve, an I to be tit - dace Atli*
tutor., they most improve the entrance. II . thonght
it wee • matter effeotiog the whole ;aria of Wey-
mouth as well. They had now arrived at the matter,
which was before the mating—that of to ,vi bog •
footway for passengers acr,llll the bridge. If there was
a footway over the bridge propertr, this aids would
inures', in value. He wee sure that bridge Wel very
dangerous to general foot passengers, a,m that the
Mayor and Corporation, and inhabitants generally of i
Weymouth, would take an interest in th . matter. I
While upon the subject he might say he should very I
much like to see the lighting .af that neigh', irhoo I,
If they had gas be was quite sure they would have •
lamp in front of the parish church. )
Dr. Ball said he quite endorsed every word the
Il•otor had said as to the necessity of a path on that
bridge. Ile knew the danger of it; it was only last
wintir he was pasting over the bridge when a by
shouted out "Mind the bullocks ;" be ran to the side,
and then there was • rush of eight or ten bullock*. Of
cove., it did not matter very much with him; but it
might have been different had there been a timid
woman or some children on the bridge. If the C aunty
Authorities would do nothing in the matter of • side-
pith, perhaps they could get them to make a recess
every 40 or 50 yards, for at present there was no refuge
on the bridge in any shape. If • horse bolted, there
warn not the slightest protection, especially when they
remembered the reckless way in which people drove in
that part of the country. Ile was in Marl, last, near
St. l'rsulle-terrace, driven over in a road 25 feet wide,
and nearly killed, and the bridge was only 16 feet,
without the slightest protection. He thought the
bridge ought to have been opened before it had
been declared safe, and it was certainly not a safe
bridge for foot permeate's. This West Ham was A
very impatient district, and therefore it should have •
good entrance, and no one could cal the one they now
hal a safe entrant*, and he had certainly thought it
very necessary they should have • sidepath. There
might be an argument brought forth that as yet there
had been no accident, but that, of course, was futile.
Several gentleman, however, stated that there had
been several accident.. j He was afraid that —the
County Authorities having built the bridge under
protest—they oould not expect that they would help
them much; but he thought the meeting might have
lame isfinenos.
Mr. Cent said that, being • resident in that impor-
t•ot district, be felt that something ought,to be dose
in the district. There was one thing in which they all
agreed, and that was that • footpath was necessary,
and that it must be put therein some way or the other.
He was sorry they had not any legal gentleman present
who would tell them what their Position was with
regard to the *Nutty authorities. In the old bridge
there was In the narrow part four corners which
altartled • little protection, but the county had made