Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-12-10

Early last summer the City Council
announced through their official organ
that two new bridges were to be built; one
at Spring ST., below the Dam and one
a Boughton's, and the public were invited
to examine plans and specifications then
in the Clerks Office These plans and
specifications were drawn up by their city
engineer and practical surveyor whose
practice consisted in carrying chain or
(ket) for some surveyor before he came
here. AS for practice here no one knows
OF his ever surveying a section of land, a
single addition or adding lot to any vii
lage or city plot in this country. But let
this pass for what it is worth. His adj
mirers contended that if he was not a
practical surveyor he was a first rate ar
chitect. Here is a specimen brick from
whole pile Of the same kind. We quote
verbatim from his plans: ''Scale ID inch
per felt each bridge to have two en-
bottment " Reader you can guess what
embodiment means; no scientific work
on bridge building or lexicon of any living
or dead language contains any such word
The embodiment" together with the
piers at the Boughton Bridge were to be
sunk 7 feet below the bed of the stream
those of Spring ST., 8 feet below, stone
to be 8 feet long 20 inches thick and laid
in water cement; Ito higher water to
keep such hole free of water while lay
ing the stone would require all the pump
ing apparatus of the Chicago water works
The utter uselessness and folly of such is
very apparent when we take into consi-
Iteration that bridges in close proximity
to these have stood for 20 years on the
same kind of foundation without settling
an inch. The embodiment" and piers
were to have cap or bearing stone 2 feet
thick 4 by feet broad or about 7 tons
weight placed upon green wall from ii
to 20 feet in height Notwithstanding the
impossibility of carrying out any such
plans the council persisted in advertising
for proposals. When practical and ex
perienced builders showed the impossible
lty of constructing according to such
plans the council ordered their Practical
Archttcct to draw up other plans omit
ting the excavations below the bed Of the
river retaining about the same size and
quality Of stone. Upon the second plans
proposals were received the lowest bidders
were declared and required to enter into
bonds and the city attorney to
draw up the contracts. When (here
comes the ruby the citizens owning
lands adjoining where Spring street
Bridge is to be located shall first release
the right of way. Four times there
has been an effort to build bridge at
Spring street but has been thwarted by the
dog In the manger policy of the real es-
tate owners in that vicinity. We hope this
will be the last. Since the discussion in.
the Council about who shall Superin-
tend the construction we have heard very
little about bridges no recommendations
on their part no effort as we understand
ON the part of our supervisors to obtain
an appropriation from the county, while
our city has paid in taxes over $4,000
for bridges in other parts of the county
we have received only $4,000. An APP
preparation of $4,000 could have been.
urged with justice and l believe with sue
cess. Who is to blame? What has been
the cause OF this miserable iasco? Sever
al reasons have been assigned. First the
Spring street Bridge was attached as
rider to the Boughton Bridge in order to
kill OFT any improvements in that quarter.
If so they have thus far succeeded admir-
ably. But it is doubtful whether thor
oughfare SO important to the city can
long be blocked in this way. Another
reason given is that the plans and speci-
fications were so drawn that no quarry
within 80 miles could furnish the quality
| and dimension stone required but
| one and that one is controlled by one of
the committee on Streets and Bridges
Although very honorable man he might
| as in the case of the repairing of Cady
street Bridge refuse to sell at any price
or he might exact such price as would
ruin the contractors. 1t is true that H.
Benter bid on the Boughton Bridge with
reference to using the stone from his own
quarry; but he would have been set
down upon hard if he had attempted it
by the Committee on streets and bridges
as its chairman has often expressed his
opinion that they were not fit for such a
purpose. We hope that all suspicious
will prove unfounded. The cloud that
now hangs over the transactions of the
Council in this matter will be lifted; that
they will let Spring street Bridge severe
ly alone; until the property holders in
that vicinity will give the right of way
free from encumbrances, and encroach-
ments and that they will go about the re-
pair or building of Boughton Bridge
which the public justly demand.
j. P.