The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-23
CHESTNUT STREET BRIDGE.
COMPLETION OF THE STRUCTURE.
ITS EvENTFUL HISTORY.
THE GRAND INAUGURATION TO-DAY.
ETC., Etc.. Etc., Etc, ETC.. ETC., Etc.

in the history of bridges the Chestnut street bridge is
completed at last Although there remain to be
addeda few finishing touches, the substantial portion
of the work is at an end. During the present
week large force of workmen have been
engaged in pushing forward the western ap-
proach, the paving of which was completed
this morning. The eastern approach Is yet to be
paved, but to do this will require but one week
more. There will then be no impedment to travel
across 1t whatever, as the sidewalks. railings and
cOrnices will be all that remains to be added In
less than two months it is expected this portion Of
the work will also be completed; and then the
Schuylkl will have the honor of being spanned by
one of the most beautiful and substantial structures
of the kind on the continent
The work has been repeatedly interrupted by lIt
CATION. lnjunetons restraining the contractors
from attempting to fulfil the terms of their
| tracts with the city were first demanded OF the
| Supreme Court of Pennsylvania by the Port War
dens and citizens of the State who interested
in property situated to the north of Chestnut street.
In each of these the decision of the
court was finally adverse to the petitioners,
and then the work allowed to progress
until the of litigation was transferred to the
courts of the United States. During the past year
NathauielG Gilman, citizen of another State, VINO
was the owner of wharf north of the projected
bridge attempted to procure from the United states
Circuit Court an Injunction restraining the con-
tractors from completing their work. The decision
of judge Grier likewise in favor OF the perse-
cuted highway overthe nver whereupon Mr.. Gilman
carried the case up to the Supreme Court at Wash
ington. The legal objections against the bridge
were here urged in all their force by brilliant array
Of counsel 1t contended that neither the state
of Pennsylvania nor the city of Philadelphia could
authorize the obstruction OF navlgable stream by
bridge without draw, and too low for masted
| vessels to pass beneath it But F. Carroll Brews-
ter Esq, the City Solicitor, who argued the case in
behalf of the bridge, maintained that the State had
| a jurisdiction over navigable streams situated
wholly within Its borders concurrent with that Of
Congress; and that when the latter body permitted
its powers in tue to lie dormant, or without
assertion by express statute the reserved power of
the State was pIenary The decision of the Court
ustaining this view of the was rendered last
January, although not without division the
bench and the question having thus bee definitely
and finally settled by the highest judicial authority
in the country, the work was rapidly pushed
| forward to emp etion.
In conseq uence of the delays attending this pro-
tracted litigation. has required nearly five years to
build the structure. The contractors for the stone
| work were Messrs. CLARK, McGrau & Kennedy, who
| commenced operations in the faH of 1861. They
began with the eastern abutment, which frs I
built up to high water mark, the laborers being able
| to work only during the ebblng of the tide. No
great difficulty attended this portion, there was
firm basis of solid rock the foundation of
the greater part oft.
1t was at this point that the tribulation in the
| Courts commenced but as soon as the Port Wardens
had been senced for the time, the work was re-
sumed
| Ihe next portion of the task was a more difficult
! one This was the construction OF a stone pier In
| the centre OF the stream. The first operation was
the dredging of the bottom of the river, until the
| solid rock underlying it was made bare. On this
large wooden crib was sunk and the stonework then
completed to hIgh-water mark The abutment on
the western side of the river then commenced. 4
There beng no underlying rocks at this point it
was found necessary to begin by driving down an
| immense number of piles, on which was placed a
bed of concrete four feet in thickness On the top
| of this secure foundation the cut stonework was
| raised, and by June, 1864, the structure was ready
| for the iron-work.
This is of the most substantial and durable charac.
| ter Each of the main spans which are one hun.
dred and elghty.fve feet IN length, is composed of
separate arches, and each of these in turn con-
of fifteen segments, thirteen feet in length and
four feet IN depth, the total weight being aOout six
hundred and elghty.four tons To rende the road.
| way level, each segment is surmounted by an iron
| spandre which about doubles the weight, The basis
off the roadway is supported by ninety heavy iron
beams, and consists of three hundred and htty.two
| plates of a total weigh OF more than two hundred
| tons, On these iron plates are placed two inches
and halt OF cement and four inches of gravel the
surface being covered with small blocks OF granite.
The total weight OF the iron.work is something
seventeen hundred and fifty tons; but everything is
so admirably proportioned and so neatly fitted to.
gether that the whole structure has remarkably
light and graceful appearance.
The original contract for the iron work was
awarded to Messrs Wilcox & Whiting, of Kaighn's
Point, Camden, and by them the mouldings and
| castings were commenced. But at early stage
in the work the performance Of the contract was
assumed by Henry Simons Esq, OF this city and
| by him completed, The first of the IRON segments
was raised 10 its pos ition the 10Th OF october,
1865, and about the first OF the present month the
body of the structure completed by the proper
disposition of the last of the plates which form
the roadway.
| The contractors for the masonry and approaches
have already received from the CITY, as part payment
for their work, the sum OF S2S8 l97'93 and there is
yet due them the further sum of $67, 1893 o. which
amount has been retained until the last stone is r
it's .paee. For the msin structure the contractors
have received SS0,510 and there is yet due them q
reserved percentage OF $25 691 70.
This makes for the masonry total of 1856 S9095
and for the iron-wOrk $1O6, 70, giving q grand
total of $46l 492'6s the entire amount expended
upon the bridge and its approaches, up to the pre-
q sent date.
This afternoon the bridge will be formally opened