Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-12-24
SUSPENSION BRIDGES.
History OF the Two Structures
That Have Spanned the Ohio
hiver Between Wheeling. and the Garden
SpOt-OirectOrs of the Old and the New
The Cry Against the Bridge and
Gallant Harry Gays Efforts in
Its Behalf.

Writtes for DC Sandoy Register.
'She suspension bridge, that spans the
river between the city proper aud the
6ardsn Spot, forms an epoch in the history
OF Wheeling. An ineessent tide of busy
hfe throngs across it from the early gloam-
ing till a late hour OF the evening. 1t has
given the city beautiful suburban resi-
denee, which has grown and prosPered into
the dignity Of ward of the city. 1t
- affords facilities for wagon transportation
between Wheeling and the adjacent Ohio
towns and country. 1t is pleasant prom
eDade and trysting place in the milder
months of the year for young lovers. In
awoId, the handsome geometrical arch is
an Institution of the town, large factor
in its prosperity, almost an essential with
Its eNiStt nee. Few of those who make ita
daily thorOughfare and reap its advantages
know the history Of its construction. They
do not know that its origin IS essentially
that Of the present wealthy manutac-
turing centre. That il is in some respects
coeval with Wheeling itself. To seek
Its fnal cauSe you must retrace your
r. steps far back into the century. Its hrst
suggestion connected with the Federal pro.
visions for the formation Of the States OF
Ohio. Indiana and Illinois. One OF the
conditions incident to the settlement and
formation of these 'States was the coustruc
ton OF q mseadamized road through tue
~ Western to the Atlantic States. This road
AsaVhtd and was interrupted by
The Ohio at wheeling.
The future necessity Of bridging the river
n this point, aud the incidental establish
ment OF a large city on its banks was an
immense lever to induce immigration to
hsTneinity: Five several acts and one
resolution OF the Virginia Legislature, and
one act of the Federal Congress were passed
IN reference TO the trajection OF the
bridge. February Il, 1916, the Legislature
OF the State FIRST took cognzance
of it. empowering by charter Noah Zane
and his associates TO erect the bridge. nder
article 8 Of this act, Archibald Woods,
Noah Zane, Samuel Sprigg, Joseph Cad'
we'll John White, Moses Shepherd, Motley
Hays Benjamin RuggleS, George Paul, |
James Barnes and Elijah Wood were APP
pointed managers OF the same. until their
successors were duly appointed. March !
10, 1886, second act was passed. renewing |
., and amending the charter of 1916. Between |
N 1886 and 1917, the Wheeling and Belmont |
Bridge Company the title as denOmlnated |
by the previous actS) erected the bridge |
from Zsne's Island 10 the Ohio shore at |
Bridgeport, but took no steps towards the |
construction of the bridge between the |
Island and the city. Efforts were made |
during this time to have it built by
Federal Patronage.
Effort after effort was made, but without |
success. The strong opposition OF Penn |
JSylyapia coupled with the anu-lnternA |
Il Improvement spirit, prevalent at that pc |
n mod in Congress, always defeated the |
a measure. In lS47 the public spirit OF the |
city was thoroughly aroused and deter |
mined that the bridge should be effected |
by local enterprise in default OF national
assistance An effort was made TO obtain |
anew amendment to the charter by the |
legislature, which was successful. Under |
the previous acts il was to be a pier |
bridge with a draw-bridge for the passage
of boats. The act of March 10, 1917, pro- |
Vided that a wire bridge should be con- |
structed but at such height as not to in |
terfere with the passage Of the usual river |
craft during the highest floods Under |
~ Snis set the bridge was built. The old !
company through its legal representatives |
contracted upon the raising OF aL.certain |
subscription Of stock. to transfer to VIM. |
Paxton, Thomas sweeney, James E. Whar- |
ton, VIM J. Libby, Thomas Hughes and /
James Baker, the bridge between Wheel |
ing Island and Bridgeport, and the privi' |
lege Of the charter, etc. The subscriptions |
were raised the transfer made and the |
new company formed in compliance with |
the recent act of the legislature. The di- |
rectJTS elected
Thomas Sweeney President,
and +. II. Fitzhugh, Secretary. The only |
prominent bridge architects in the country !
ut this time were ChaS. Ellet, of Philadel- |
Dhla ana MT. hOeDllDE, uktNlSc u lclu- |
sylyanian. These two gentlemen came be- |
-1p-rfore the directors, presented their plans !
and defended them respectively. The idea |
of Mr. ROebling was TO build the abutmentS I
Mt low wafer mark with pier on the bar, |
about three hundred feet from the western
abutment This would have involved /
span 500 ieet in length over the main chan
mel. He contracted to complete it for Sll,-
600 Mr. Ellets plan was TO establish the
abutments, where they are at present.
making royal span OF one thousand and
ten feet, the largest span in the |
world at the time, and as il is
to-day with an eminent exception or so.
MIR Ellet proposed to Superlntend the |
81 work, employing labor by the day, and /
estimating the cost st lower figures than
those Of Mr. RPbling. The former gen.
tleman surpassed the latter in sllyery elo-
IN quence, and backed by the inducement OF |
.haA the largest arch in the world, obtained the /
oh victory for his plan. The structure was |
|. NJ finished, but dropping twelve feet lower /
than was intended, and swelling Mr.. Rob |
$4,000. Messrs. Paxton and Sweeney |
The Architect
the advantage of guy chains fastened to the |
cables as far out as would be expedient but |
that gentleman knew his business" and the |
braces were dispensed with. Perhaps q |
n vote of thanks is due Mr. Ellet, |
n for to the absence Of these chains is due |
the most romantic feature IN the history OF /
the bridge. IL was a romance, very prossic |
in reference TO dollars and cents. The |
bridge was completed and Wheeling cele- |
brated The date Of the completion was the |
fall OF 1919 Guns voiced the enthusiasm /
of the people and flags were Haunted in the |
breeze The entire population more or less |
with large additions from the neighboring |
country aOcked TO the bridge and crossed |
in procession, ten abreast, without |
breaking ranks. 1t swayed and
swayed under the impulse of the rhythmic
tread glorious test OF the strength OF the
edi6ce, but we are glad We were not there.
THE population Of the city at this time was
~ about 10. coo. The Garden Spot was not a
~ ward Of the city then. IL was not peopled
with a considerable quota OF the PoPuls-
fion Only few scattered houses repre-
scented the present aggregate Of residences
, The slow and uncertain transportation OF a
ferry was the only means OF intercourse
between the two banks The bridge
changed all this; it was
A New Era.
II offered a sure and regular facility for
carriage and travel Stock and merchan-
disc were transported through It's medium,
Es-rr the business Of the city was largely in
creased. In 1850 the population oil the
civ VAS $1,000 in round numbers, an in
cresse since 1850 of about fifty per cent.
mis- rate of increase was largely owing TO
tbe new structure. But II the bridge was
C;odsend 10 Wheeling it was not equally
Appreciated by her dusky sister, Pittsburg,
Tba citizens Of that burg looked with jeal-
ons eve on a work which initiated against
its interests and might draw from its CON-
naroe by increasing the importance Of