Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-01-18
BRIDGING RAILROAD TRACKS.

Memphis.
Bfa.DGlNa K4Ihko4D TRACKS
Few Suggestions From the City Engi-
neer-HOw the Safety of the Public Can
Council to Consider.
The city engineer yesterday submitted to
the special committee to whom was referred
the question of bridging streets where
crossed by railroad tracks, the following as
his views;
The railroad companies ought to decide
whether they want to change their grades, and
give notice of any intended alterations. / in
close schedule of alterations on the st. Paul,
Minneapolis & Manitoba railroad to reduce
grades to eightyfour feet per mile, the cost of
which is not very great, and which may per
haps be made. 1t Will benefit the city far
more for the railroad companies to spend
money in street bridges, than to spend like
amount in reducing their maximum rate of
grade. The noise OF whistllng and ringing OF
bells is to be avoided by attentive management.
Engines can and will be overloaded grades
of 80 feet per mile, and perhaps nearly as often
as on the present grades of 'l0O feet.
There must always be at least Is feet clear
ance over the top of ties.
The bridge planned for Third street is in the
middle of the street, having IL feet rOadways,
and two feet footwavs, 30 feet width in all.
The embankment Is assumed to be solid enough
to support the weight of trestle work on broad
foundations. There are three rows OF iron
posts and stringers, 10 feet apart, the posts
regularly 20 feet apart In the row, but the dis
lance varied to fit railroad tracks. In one
place span of 60 feet seems necessary las the
| tracks now are) which can be made without
ba pia xycapt ipcraasIDp fha
of posts and stringers. To avoid cbstructing
the passages by longitudinal bracing
the stringers fastened together at
the ends, and anchored the middle of
the bridge. Lateral bracing between string
ers is necessary. Contraction and expansion
lengthwise from changes OF temperature are
provided for by pin joints at top and bottom
OF posts. The cross joints and railing axe iron,
leaving only the plankinS of wood.
The bridge should be made strong enough
for a load of severty-fve pounds per square foot
besides its own weight, or for the safe passage
Of road roller of fifteen tons weight. The
estimated cost Of bridge and approaches from
Willus to Commercial streets is sec, Coo.
The Fourth street bridge TO be on the same
plan, and will cost from Neill to Commercial
streets S5S000.
Fifth street bridge would be generally high
er, ard might have longer intervals between
the bearing posts. Its estimated cost from
kittson street to Hoffman avenue is S73 ,000
and about the same from Kittson street to the
corner of Commercial and Third streets, ex-
elusive of right of way and damages for
changes of grade.
For Seventh street trestle bridge will be
cheaper than overhead trusses, especially if
greater width is wanted, and requires two to
four feet less elevation for the street grade.
Its cost. ali iron except foundations and plank
ing, il estimated for width of 60 feet at 81 600
no oht,tun 70 aad
which the city csnnot perform, because they
are only accessible from the railroad.
Lafayette avenue bridge and approaches are
shown by plan. With he same bridge above
recommended for Seventh street, Gnstead of
the narrow truss-t ridge shown PLAN, the
entire cost is estimated at $685. exclusive of
right of way and damages for changes of grade.
St. Paul. Saltwater & Taylor's Falls
railroad The bridge is supposed to be
carried on posts by the side of, and between
the railroad tracks. with caps straddling the
tracks, and iron ioists running lengthwise. If
it can be supported by the embankment, and
is thirty feet wde it is calculated to cost $40,
000. Either the grade of street or of railroad
must be changed before this street can be
bridged, as the height is not enough for clear
ance.
All the above structures are estimated as all
iron except stone foundations and planking.
The streets crossing the st. Paul, Saltwater d
Tay lori Falls aailroad and the st. Paul & Duluth
railroad east of Westminster street. were not
laid out until after the railroads had obtained
the right of way, and have right of way
| across the railroads, with the exception OF
Payne avenue, which was previously in use as
& travelled road, and perhaps one or two Others
for the same reason. But all the streets are
laid out across the recently made tracks of the
West Wisconsin railroad north Of the St Paul
II otarS Tau1nrs Rails rai1rooH
Fatquier street cannot be bridged over the
st. Paul, Saltwater & Taylors Falls railroad
On a line at right angles to the railroad without
encroaching on the lots. Such bridge as that
built on Como avenue ia possible, and will
cost, all wood, about s., 500.
Payne avenue bridge ION Little Canada and
White Bear road) was built by the railroad
company in 1871, and must soon be rebuilt. If
all wood. it will cost 5000.
Edgerton street will probably have to cross
the railroads at the level of the rails; its grade
has been established, and to raise it to the
height for bridge seems to interfere with the
drainage, which threatens to be very trouble
some. 1t seems hardly possible to avoid using
the railroad track as the outlet for street gut
tiers and perhaps ultimately for a sewer line
from Fauquier to Westminster streets.
As street grades cannot be properly fixed
without providing for drainage, and az the
questions of bridging most of the streets east
of Westminster street involve the provision
necessary to be made for their gutter water, it
seems proper to bring it up here.
l suggest therefore, as general plan for the
streets between Westminster and Payne
avenue, that they should, when opened, be
bridged over the railroad and over Farquier
street, that the water from cutters should be
carried across under railroad tracks in channels
provided by the railroad companies into the
cutters on Fanquier street, and that it should
finally ron from Fauquier street into the
cutting of the railroad. This is really the
way the water disposes of itself now, and to
change it will be very troublesome and exper-