Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-11-13
THE WEATHER.
R0W WORK Is PROGRESSING ON TIE
BRIDGE AND RESERVOIR.


If the weather should condescend to
brace MP . little and give the earth .
chance to resolve itself into something
besides soft, sticky mud, which no man
can handle, there might be some little
outdoor work done. But the way it has
Iained and poured has prevented many
improvements being made about the city,
and much work has laid idle that would
have given employment to quite Q num-
Der Of men. The oldest inhsbitant can
not remember a fall when the rain was 30
constant and long continued as this season.
The rain has kept back building to . great
extent but its effect has been most notice
able upon the Union Bridge work and rail-
road building generally, while Contractor
Chisholm, who is putting in the new reser-
voir, has been seriously handicapped in
ths progress of his work.
A REGISTER reporter visited the SCENE
of the excavation for the east sbutment OF
the Union Bridge at the Top mill, yester-
day, and found o forcs of men as large as
could be handily employed, busily at work
getting ready for the stone work. The
excavation had been about com
p'eted before the last spell Of bad
weather, but q sand Glide followed and the
hole was pretty well filled up again and the
work will have to bs done over. However,
if the present weather continues, Messrs.
Paige, Carey & Co., expect to get to work
on the foundation Of the abutment in three
or four days at least, snd it will be pushed
vigorously. A great deal o stons is arriving
almost every day and as soon So the excava.
ton is finished a strong force Of men will
commence TO lay il. In q week or so more
the abutment will be 60 far advanced that
future landslides will not have the effect OF
interfering with the work.
Quite o good sized foTcs Of men are ct
work on the Peninsula grading for the road
bed of the terminal line, and this force will
be increased as fast as work as work can be
found for this men A lnrge number OF
wagons are on the scene, all Of which will
coon be employed on the work.
Part Of the Surveying corps were engaged
at the Top mill yesterday, making the
final surveys for the tunnel, and the
point of the opening of the west
ern entrsncs wa fixed. Everything is
moving along smoothly now, and il the
weather co1iiuues bright for the remsinder
Of the month we may expect to see good
prospects made by December 1st.
A visit was alec made to the location of
the rev reservoir, on Wheeling hill, and to
one who has not yet made it, the trip over
the hill to the spot would prove interest
ing. The force Of men, about forty In
number, ere now working in a heavy and
compact strata of shsle, which Is very diff
fcult to handle. 1t is necessary to make
heavy blasts to Loosen it up, but the work
is progressip G az rapidly as possible under
the circumstances, and Contractor Chis-
holm said yesterday that he expected to
commence the stone work in o weak at
lie asst, 30 that it will be pretty
| well advanced when the cold wealth
or fetj in. Mr.. Chisholm ssid
that the stone is now being cat by Union
men, and that it will be laid by Union
men. He will not commence the man.
ufscture of bricks for the brick work until
spring, as the winter season will be too
far advanced before the brick work Is
reached.
Mr.. Chisholm slated yestTday that as
far as any future trouble with labor organ
izeations is concerned, he expects to have
none, as he has the promises OF all the
Union men he can handle, aud
that they will be ready for
work as soon as he needs them. He eays
he has always been Q good union mau all
his life, as has also his brother, and they
have attempted to do the square thing by
the men they employed, paying union
prices In every instance, and allowing the
men q nine hour per day system, but that
they insist upon employing men who suit
them aud dischsrging those who do not,
which rule has cost them some trouble in
the past.
The work Is now progressing nicely and
rapid hesdwsy will be made in the next
few weeks if the weather continues favor
abe