Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-09-12
The CREEK BRIDGE.

The CkEEk bhlDuE.
The Discussion Among Second Branch
MEMBER, and Their Action.
Immediately after the reading Of the
minutes, Mr.. Caldwell asked for q suspen-
sion of the rules in order that the report OF
the Finance Committee, in relation to the
Main street bridge, might be taken up,
Mr.. Caldwell said this was q matter upon
which the public interests demanded
prompt action, and he wanted TO be sure
there would be no delay or post
ponement. The regular order was &C
cordingly set aside, and the re-
port of the Finance COMMITTEES, with the
accompanying loan ordinance, was lead,
the Committee recommending in their re-
port, the increasing of the bonds for bridge
purposes, from $4,000 to $74,-
900, this increasing the total
amount of the loan from $l5l, 600
t. $l75, 900. Ga the second reading of the
ordinance, Mr.. Cruise moved TO add $24,-
900 to the bridge bonds, in accordance
With the recommendations of the Finance
Committee. MI. Caldwell asked the pur-
pose of the addition, and on being inform
ed, stated that he had enquired OF the
City Engineer the probable cost of a stone
bridge the width of the street, and
had been told it would take $780,
600. He then asked what 1t
would cost TO erect q stone bridge thirty
feet wide, and was told about SIPS, 600
rhe Engineer had also said an iron bridge
would cost probably 1900. In the
light of these figures, Mr. Caldwell said he
could not favor the amendment, because
It would not be near enough to put up q
stone bridge, even as wide as the old one,
while if an iron bridge wa to be erected,
$50 900 would erect it and q temporary
bridge ~ well.
MT. Cruise did not think u stone bridge
would cost anything like as much as Mr.,
Caldwell had reported from the Engineer;
be was Satisfied that a handsome stone
bridge could be erected for $75,O 600. The
old bridge had cost but $18, 600.
Finally il was agreed TO have q state
ment from the Engineer himself, but he
could not be found ut the moment, ana
pending q search Tor him, the communi-
cation from the Citizens meeting of last
Saturday was read.
DISCUSSION RESUMED.
The paper was temporarily referred, ana
then, Mr.. Hoge not making his appear
anee, Mr.. Caldwell took occasion to say he
was heartily in favor of a stone bridge,
but did not feel like voting for an ordin-
suce which would be inadequate to the
work desired to be done. Ga the other
hand, if q stone bridge was TO cost $l25,-
900, be had fears that the loan would not
be voted by the people.
Mr.. Cruise said Mr.. j. J. Ksvsnaugh, oil
| this city, had made measurements at the
site of the bridge, and had stated the
structure could be rebuilt for about $40,
900 this, Of course not meaning a "tall'
width" bridge.
Mr.. Allison thought it was hardly right
to pass a loan ordinance until it was detin-
| Iteiy known what was wanted, and what
it would cost. At present there was moth
ing definite. Again, it had been definitely
stated at the citizens meeting that nc
work could be done upons bridge this
fall. If that were so, why not defer action
upon the ordinance, and meanwhile &C,
auire exact data from bridge experts and
engineers, and then base thejssue Of bonds
upon the information thus acquired.
MI. Cruise thought the gist Of Mr.. Ali
sons argument was to postpone action
upon any loan. The proposal to fund the
1877 loan would save 81, 5OOa year, and
ought to be done at once. With that he
favored the issuance of bridge bonds, and
by the regular city election in January We
would know Just what Q bridge would
cost, and would then have an opportunity
to make q further loan, Unnecessary, with
out expense.
TEMPORARY BRIDGE.
Mr.. Caldwell made an amendment To
the pending amendment, increasing the
sum SIS, 00O, for q temporary bridge.
Mr.. Cruise opposed this is being unnec-
sssary and unsatisfactory, because In the
event of its adoption the construction Of
the temporary bridge must await the re-
suit of q loan, while by scaling down the
departments Of the city (ss shown in the
REGISTER yesterday morning. the peces-
sary money could be obtained at once,
without Inconvenience.
Mr.. Caldwell thought the shortest way
would be to raise the money by a loan, to
| which Mr.. Cruise retorted that 'if Coun-
| ell meant business the money could be
ready for q temporary bridge in three
dsys."
The amendment to the amendment was
lost; ayes 2, noes Is.
The question vas then pat on Mr..
Gruse's amendment, to increase the
amount for the bridge from $4,000 To
S74, 600, and il was sgreed to.
Mr.. Caldwell then attempted, in o sub
sequent section of the ordinance, to get bis
temporary bridge in again, in his peculiar
vay, but Mr.. Cruise called attention to the
amendment, rs being virtually the same
thing as had been before voted down, and
il was lost by an overwhelming majority.
An effort was then made to have the
word ''stone" Incorporated in the ordi-
nance before the word bridge" 50 as ia
commit the city to q stone bridge, what
ever its cost. This was opposed by Mr..
| Davis. Mr.. Allison and others, but the
stone bridge men rallied, and stone bridge
IL was, by ayes14, noes 5.
The second reading of the ordinance was
| then completed and the blanks for the
Commissioners being filled with the names