Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-11-19
For the SPECTATOR.
County Bridge at Waynesboro'.

Mr.. Ed Il desire thro' you to call the
attention of the Co. Court to the wants Of
the public touching the crossing of South
River at this point. DR. Jones residing
on the east side of the river is more in
convenienced than any other citizen, az
his office is in the village, and the rail-
road bridge out of the way, and ALWAYS
unsafe, is his only medium of crossing
when the river is flush. He obtained a
subscription of about 5000 to rebuild the
bridge. The middle peer of the bridge,
a most awkward structure, perhaps rs
feet long, and as wide as the superstruc-
ture was, so blocks up the stream, as to
throw the current against the eastern
aoutment, which is rapidly being un-
dermined, then against valuable lot
belonging to the heirs of Nathaniel Mas
sic, decd, which since the flood of 1870,
is 80 abraided as to have lost one and q
half acres. The soil SO abraided is &C
cumulating in the middle of the river
directly opposite to and north of this
pier, but much wider. This is causing
the eastern abutment of the railroad
bridge and pier next to it, to be under
mined, and every day is becoming inse-
cure. Impressed with the hope that the
railroad authorities, interested in saving
their bridge, and the heffs Of MI. Massie
IN protecting their property, might be
induced to unite with the county. and
if not aid in rebuilding the bridge at
least to share the expense of the remov-
al of the nuisance, if the expression is
admissible, as applied to the pier in
question, the writer addressed a COM
mHnication to Col. Dunn, the Engineer
and Superintendent of the C. & O. r. r.
and N FL Massie. Esq, of charlottesville,
to meet him at Waynesboro' on a given
day, to confer with DR.. Jones and others
on the subject. Col. Dunn responded
promptly, and on the day fixed in COM
pany with Mr.. e. Smith, one of the
most energetic officers of this road, met
us in consultation. They said they did
not feel at liberty to commit the railroad
to any expense, whilst admitting that
the pier in question is not only the cause
OF the injury described, but is endanger-
ing the change of the current of the riv-
er, 80 as to force 1t to seek a channel en-
tireiy east of the railroad bridge. They
advised that the pier should be at once
removed, and whilst the rebuilding the
bridge will involve the raising the abut-
ments at least two feet, with The change
of the middle one to a narrow pier, with
sharp end to the current, and involve
an expense, which the want of liberali-
ty on the part Of those most interested
is not likely to meet. Col. Dunn ad-
vised the substitution of something like
submerged ford. which, because of the
great change in the current, renders the
ford very dangerous under slight rise,
will meet all the wants Of the commu-
nifty. A safe foot way can be construct
ed in connection with the ford.
If the private subscription can be
raised to $500, and the citizens will con-
sent to the change, and the county will
give three fifths more, the pier may be
removed, and a submerged ford, similar
to the one ordered at the Patterson Ford
be put in for the amount. So very inn
portant is this ford, in connection with
the road through the Rockfish Gap, that
the counties of Nelson and Augusta
ought to expend say 5000 each, ON either
side of the mountain, in its improve
ment. Five thousand vehicles, with
those on horseback, cross here per an
mum, from some memoranda kept by a
citizen on the
SOUTH SIDE.