The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-11-05
The gefter6unian.
SOME GOOD BRIDGES

There has been much complaint ia the
past in regard to the ephemeral and film
sy construction of the bridges and cul-
verts in this county, and not without
good and sufficient reason. 1t appeared
as If it took years Of experience 10 dem
onstrate that il was Galse economy TO put
up cheap,and insufficient structures that
the next freshet carried away. Within
the last five years there has been very
decided and much-needed improvement
in this respect. We have now six iron
bridges in this county, outside Of Find
lay, and they appear 10 be. so far as we
have examined, durable and substantial
structures. Perhaps our county is as
much indebted to Jos. SALTZMAN, Esq,
for the Inauguration of this system of
permanent and substantial improve
ments, as to any other one man. 1t has
certainly been inaugurated since he has
been a Commissioner, and we think
from the time he came into the Board.
Last Monday we spent few hours in
examining some of the stone work built
for the county by Messrs. TAYLoR& SHA-
FER during the past season. The first
work examined was an arched culvert on
the MeCnmb- road. north of the river
and west of town. An excellent quality
OF limestone is used in .he work. which is
well bedded and grouted in lime and by
l. l. hot Frr-iI
last for ages. The next work was
stone cuIvert on the river road, near Mr..
DAVID SHERRICK's, which was equally
as well done, and reflected credit on
the contractors.
Our attention was next called to what
is known as the Fox bridge, on the Tawa,
in Blanchard township. Here we found
massive stone butments with wing walls.
The masonry shows skill and judgment,
the joints being carefully broken, firmly
bound and well bedded in lime and ce-
ment, making mortar that is almost as
hard as the stone itself. The bridge is
an iron Smith Truss, seventy five feet
span. The stone was quarried and haul
ed from Findlay, and is hard and dura-
BILE.
We next visited what is known as the
Foglesong bridge, south of Benton, on
the same stream. This is near the old
camp-meeting ground. This bridge is
built by the Canton Bridge Company,
and is supported by heavy butments,
fianked by massive wing walls. The stone
a mile or so above. and are the finest we
have yet seen in the county. Owing to
the fact that it is almost impossible to get
the water away, the work of quarrying
is one of great diff Guilty But the labor
has been well repaid in the magnificent
quality of the stone obtained. Mr.. SHA
FER, one of the contractors, informs us
that this excellent quality of stone seems
almost inexhaustable, and could some
method be devised to dispose of the wa
ter, the stone coul BE- taken out with
out very great expense.
These gentlemen have completed n
bridge in Union township. near the farm
of Judge S. B. Huffman, and are finish
ing up another in Eagle township, near
the farm of J. C. Ricketts,, Esq. We
shall take the trouble to visit them be
fore long, and our readers may expect to.
hear from us as to their merits.
The work above noticed is, in our opin
ion, "a credit TO the contractors, as well
as to the Commissioners. Thosc- iron
bridges, we are informed. cost no more
than the wooden covered bridges, and
are certainly more lasting and slightly.
We trust that the day of wooden bridges
has gone by in this county, and that ia
the future we shall have good iron struc
tures on solid and permanent masonry.
We are very much pleased to notice the
which has :aiIeH place in this r,'-
spect.