Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-04-07
THE NEW BRIDGE.
DEDICATION OF THE MAGNIFICENT
STRUCTURE TO-DAY.
The Ceremonies = Music, Feasting
and Speech-Making-A General
Invitation Extended.

The new bridge across the American
river at Twelfth-street is finished and will
be turned over TO the Board of Supervisors
and dedicated to the public use with appro-
pirate ceremonies, ct 3 O'Clock this after
noon. 1t is one of the finest structures of
the kind On the Pacific coast, and will
stand as a creditable monument TO the SUI
pervisors OF this county and to its builders.
The bridge has been constructed by the
California Bridge Company of Oakland,
under contract with the Board of Super
visors, at a cost of s34,67O. A. W. Bur-
rell, President of the California Bridge
Company, has given The construction
of the bridge his personal attention,
while the work has been conducted under
the superintendent of Mr.. E. O'Neil of
Alameda, an experienced bridget builder.
The members of the Board of Supervisors
individually and collectively, have watched
the erection of the structure with Jealous
eyes and have seen TO il that the specifica-
tons have been complied with in every
respect. Mr.. Burrell has left them no
ground for complaint, for be has not only
fulfilled his contract to the letter but has
made some additional improvements which
were not called for in the specifications, but
which IL was found would add materially
TO the strength and durability of the work.
The Board of Supervisors visited the
bridge in body yesterday afternoon and
after making thorough inspection, de-
clared themselves perfectly satisfied with
it, They have, therefore made prepare
tons to receive the bridge from the con-
tractor this afternoon at o'clock, when it
Nw~s1l Hn I.l. N.1 H. IL
some very interesting and appropriate GER
emonies. As the time is too short TO send
out special invitations the Board extends
TO the public generally cordial invitation
to be present.
The ceremony of dedicating bridge will
be something new to this neighborhood
and will prove very interesting. Miss
Grace Burrell, daughter of the President of
the Bridge Company, will drive the last
spike, which will be golden one. Miss
Matte Bates, daughter of Super
visor Bates, Miss Lydia McMullen,
daughter of Supervisor McMullen.
and Miss Ellie Stanley, daughter
of Lee Stanley, will each break bottle of
champagne over one of the spans of the
new bridge, after which there will be re-
marks by the President of the Board of
Supervisors, DR.. f. F. Tebbets, and
speeches by several well known orators.
The First Artillery Band will be in attend
ance and discourse music for the occasion
A repast will be spread in a shady grove at
the north end of the bridge, under the di-
rection of Barrett d Berkey, where plenty
OF good cheer will be dispensed.
The bridge is combination of iron and
wood, consisting of three spans of 200
feet each, resting upon iron and concrete
piers. The foundations are forty feet below
low water and twenty-four feet above. The
trusses are thirty-three feet high and the
roadway is twenty feet in the clear The
trusses are mostly of iron, that portion
which is of wood being covered with gal
vanized iron. 1t is thoroughly braced
against wind pressure, and every portion of
the structure is finished in the most work
man-like manner. Each span is calculated
TO carry 800 tons weight before any part of
it would break. The planking of the road
way is 4x12x24, laid at an angle with the
trusses. This is an excellent plan, as the
planking will wear longer and will produce
less jar TO vehicles passing over them.
The piers upon which the bridge rests
are OF the most substantial character, They
are eight in number, and were built in the
following manner: First piles were driven
down forty-two feet, around which were
placed boiler-iron cylinders. Then railroad
bars were driven between the piles, inside
of the cylinders, and the latter filled with
cement. The center cylinders are five feet
in diameter, and those at the end are three
feet nine inches.
At each end of the bridge iron plates are
fastened overhead, bearing the following
inscriptions in gilt letters