Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-26
The New .Chaiu bridge. !,

AZ stated in The STAR of last Friday, three
over the Potomac, near the Little Falls. on the
old Chain bridge" site have been com pleted
with a fair prospect that the entire structure
TINE &c %tsS S the oefCfs sns OF tne
This IL all the more satisfactory In view of the
fact that considerable time was lost in conss-
quenee Of the original contractors for the work
throwing up the job after the contract al been
made, thus rendering q new letting by the gov
eminent officials necessary.
PROGRESS OF TEE WORK.
The present contractors, Messrs. Clarke,
Reeves, < Co., received the fret castings from
their works, (Phenixville Bridge Works near
Philadelphia about the drst of the present
month and with their we'll organized force of
mechanics brought here with them set to work
at once raising the ponderous iron frame work
on the old stone piers com menctng on the Nir-
ginia side, and they propose to continue on to-
wards the east side at the same rate Of speed
until completed 1t Is expected that all the
castings will be here by the first day OF Feb.
ruary, and that the entire work will be com
pleted by the LIST day of April. This announce
Dent will be hailed with great satisfaction by
citizens living on both sides of the river as for
a long time past large area of rich country in
Fairfax, Loudoun, and Fauquer counties has
been almost cut OFF from communication with
TINS District, by the high rates of bridge tolls,
aiIet reaching the river by a cIrcuitous route.
There have been several bridges erected in the
ste OF TINS one, and on each successive one built
the defects in the plans and constructions of the
former ones were sought to be avoided. Much
money has been spent in repairs all of which
has been swallowed up by the floods.
THE TERM 'CHAIN BRIDGE"
comes from the first structure erected on the
site which stood there some thirty-five or forty
years ago, and which was swept away by a
heavy flood. This was an iron suspension bridge,
supported by immense cable chains stretching
from pier pier; but it was found that these
supports afforded Judgment for the ice ana
drift-wOod, which finally resulted in the de-
Gen. n. Michler to the Secretary of War in
1863, upon the subject of "a railroad bridge
across the Potomac river and the channel of the
river" considerable statistical information q
given concerning the bridges in this Districs
and regrets expressed that but few of the re-
ports, plans, and estimates of the different
bridges are now TO be found among the archives
OF the several departments, and that the most
important facts concerning these works, aside
from the various amounts appropriated and ex-
pended on them, are only to be got from the
Statutes at Large.
THE BRIDGE SITE.
From carefully prepared profile drawing of
the bed of the Potomac river in the Off of
colonel L heodOre Same, the channel at this
point is shown to be quite deep, the bottom
rocky and uneven, the current swift and run
ming close to the Virginia shore.
hundred yards in width between this channel
and the canal, on the District side. is seldom
covered with water, except in times OF freshets.
Immediately below the Little Falls the depth of
water Is over so feet, and continues yery deep
until the Aqueduct bridge Is reached. SO disas-
trous hitherto have the floods been to the bridges
hcicy ludt Uencrdl PADDOCK mas taken the pre-
caution IN this Instance of having all the old
piers raised two feet additional, thus giving
more elevation, ard affoIding more room for
the ice and dIiftwood.
CONGRESSIONAL LEGISLATION.
In 1872 Congress extended the jurisdiction of
The corporation of Georgetown so as TO include
the bridge which had then just been constructed
by that corporation at the Little Falls. This
act provided " that as often and so long as said
bridge shall hereafter, from any cause, be i'm
passable, 1t shall be lawful for the proprietOrs
N laT nd ON hot cid a. -
the ferry road to connect with the Falls Bridge
turnpike must pass, aud they are hereby author
lied and empowered TO establish and keep
In 1858 Congress, by an act making
appropriation for sundry civil expenses of the
placed this bridge under the pro-
teeton OF Georgetown, with power to regulate
the speed OF travel and the passage of drOves of
cattle over the same, but expressly forbid that
any tolls should be charged.
In 1860 an appropriation was made to reim-
burse the corporation of Georgetown for money
T alls bridge.
THE HISTORY OF THE NEW BRIDGE.
Since its partial destruction the last time va
rious appropriations have from time to time
been made for its repair, &c, but such expen-
dltures proving to be unsatisfactory by reason
81 the Hoods, Congress, by an act approved June
10, 1872, appropriated 100000 for rebuilding
the chain bridge. with 4 proviso that IL ''shall
be rebuilt as a substantial iron structure upon
plans approved by the chief of engineers of the
H.
Proposals were advertised for and finally the
bid of bridge building firm from Connecticut
was accepted. These parties forfeited their
rights by delay, and the contract was then
made with Messrs. Clarke, Reeves & Co., and
together with their capable superintendent Mr.
ID. Il. Kelly, these gentlemen have showed
themselves TO be the right men in the right
THE PLAN FOR THE NEW BRIDGE
selected by Gen. Babcock rs best adapted for
this site, in what Is known as the 0Nurphy-
1rnse. | ed MT ai
40 OF l60 feet and six of 172 feet each The entire
myth is ,352 feet. The spans are separate and
dependent of each other, resting on cast-iron
bridge seats, securely anchored to stone cop
Ings; one end of each span Is fixed, and the
other rests upon friction rollers provided for
me expansion and contraction of the iron. TIE
apart from center TO center. Each truss of I72
feet span is divided into twelve panels, and
each truss OF 100 feet into eleven panels Of 14X
Ieed eaeho Inc upper cords main and inter
IRON, and the lower cords, main and intermedi-
ave ties r OF the forged links, without
Yields 'ren s.. The The posts are fitted to. cast
and the tops of the latter being truly turned
TOT that purpose. Turned wrought iron pins,
tnree inches in diameter, lock in one connec-
ton the caps Of the columns and the diagonal
ues, also the bottom cords, tue seats OF the
the diagonal ties, and the floor beam
,nspenders The floor beams are 15- inch
hooring are TO be of the best North Carolina
pine. three inches thick aud not over six inches
wide, with edges sawed straight. laid close and
spiked. There will be 10 sidewalks
but az iron railing four feet high ia to be placed
On either side of the carriageway. The width
Of the roadway is twenty feet, and the bridge is
proportoned so as TO safely carry. in addition to
me welgtt OF the structure, 100 pounds for each
square foot OF roadway, and the maximum
'traln produced by this load is 10 900 pounds
per square inch of section, or about ene-sixth
II Its ultimate strength. The contract price
or the entire work is s94 go, which is paid by
Instruments, as each span is completed. The
work is in GOOD hands, Mr.. Theodore b. Same
being the engineer directly in charge.
IMPROVEMENTS ON VERMONT AyENuR-In
40 section of the city has there been more rapid
Improvement for year or two past than in tue
lelghborhood OF the circle, at the intersection
'f Vermont and Rhode Island avenues north
vest Property in that locality which few
Years ago sold for Is and 80 cents PER square
cot Is now in demand at SI.5O. Scott SQUARE,
he III street circle, and the large circle at the
of the two avenues above named
make vermont avenue one of the fayorte
irives Of the city, and next spring will see the
erection of large number OF fine residences
ipon that thoroughfare. Several have already
1sen commenced, and one, belonging to Mr..
W. ). Roose, on the east side Of Vermont
venue Just above street, is nearly completed.
e Is OF brick, with Ohio stone trimmings sur
mounted by French roof, and contains some
welve rooms with all the modern Improve
nents. The interior wood work is of black