The Wilmingtonian., 1884-08-09
THIRD STREET BRIDGE.

No political, financial or other considera-
tions should prevent the Levy Court from
dealing promptly with the dangerous nuis-
ance digniiied by the appellation of Third
Street Bridge. The peril to lite is not u
mere shadowy futurity or prospective trou-
Bile, it is thing that exists now, and that
cannot be removed by any means short of
the erection of new and thoroughly sub
stantial structure
At the present time the timbers Of the
bridge are SO rotten that in many places
they may be crumbled between the fingers,
| and every heavily laden vehicle which passes
over causes the unsound fabric to sway and
give in a manner to startle the observer.
When we remember that several large iron
manufacturing firms use this bridge con
stantly, and send heavy loads over it daily,
we shall see that not an hour should be lost
in scouting the best approach to safety
that can be obtained n~lc- .he rircnmstan.
ces. t.
/ About one thing there can uu no mistake.
The Levy Court shond spend no more of
the public money in patching up the rickcty,
crumbling structure erected Mt so prodigal
q cost seventeen years ago. IT will be far
cheaper in the end to put up substantial
iron bridge at once. The money spent
in repairing the existing bridge would have
gone far towards paying the interest on the
fund requisite for a thoroughly efficient
fabric. To allude to the history of the pres
ent Third Street bridge is to awaken pain
full memories of jobbery and abuse of public
confidence. Let us at least profit by our
costly experience now thatwe have another
task of the kind on hand ..-..
One effect of this experience has been to
demonstrate most conclusively that the pres
ent site of the bridge is not the proper one.
The natural southern outlet of the city
traffic, east of Market street, is by Fourth
street; and it is at this point that the new
bridge should be located The reasons are
obvious. In the first place vehicles approach
ing the present bridge from the city have to
make sharp turn from Fourth into Third
street, across tracks which are frequently
blocked during the day, and which are posi-
lively dangerous at night. Secondly, the
present Fourth street wharf is the terminus
Of the City Passenger Railway, and the view
across the bridge would then give a clear
unohstructed highway instead of ending
abruptly nowhere as at present.
Another bit of experience which this city
has gained, (also at no trifling cost is that
if our bridges are to be a convenience instead
of nuisance, means must be used for turn
ing them TO and fro in half the time now
consumed in the operation. The new Market
street bridge is frequently closed to vehicu-
la. traflice ior ialf an hour at time and it
is common matter for the turning of the
bridge to occupy twenty minutes Again, it
is a matter Of notoriety that the new bridge
at Market street is considerably below the
proper level, and it is suspected that time
may reveal even more serious defects
Considering that the future Of Wilmington
is quite as much based on the extension of
her commercial facilities on the south side as
her railroad accommodation in the north
west section, we trust that the Levy Court
will act both with energy and discretion in
this matter, and, under any circumstances,
will cut loose from alliances with iobbels
and political wire-pullers whose personal
and selfish interests must ever be subservcd
at the sacrifice of the community's best
interests.
One conclusive argument in favor of
locating the new bridge at Fourth Street
instead of Third is that the present strc-
ture could be untitled until the new one
is erected, so thattrafffc would not be
stopped.