Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-06-06
Report of the Bridge Committee.

of Grand Rapids and Centralia.
Gentlemen: The undersigned joint
bridge committee appointed by your
honorable bodies, to receive proposals,
award contracts and supervise the
construction of the bridge over the
Wisconsin River upon the site of the
old Wood County bridge Qately
destroyed beg leave to report.
That as your honorable bodies has
been notified, did, on Feb. 18th 1889,
contract with the Milwaukee Bridge and
Iron Works, for the erection of two
span combination wood and iron bridge
each span to be 250 feet in length. and
to be supported by two stone abutments
and one stone pier, the abutments to be
Of appoved native rubble stone and
pier of Joliet, H. or Anamosa, Ia, cut
stone, the whole to be completed ready
for travel on or before May 1st, 1889,
and in case of failure to complete the
same by that date, the contractors
agreed to forfeit the sum of twenty-five
dollars per day until the bridge was
completed. For said bridge, pier and
abutments the committee agreed to
pay the sum of seventeen thousand
four hundred dollars, said bridge was
not completed until Jure 1st but was so
far advanced that on Sunday May 25th
it was opened to general travel and the
public practically as well served as
though it had been completed, and we
have therefore deducted penalty from
Nav 1st to May 24th both days inclusive
Or total penalty of six hundred dol
lars, and paid the contractors the bal
ance due them, tOwit: Sixteen thous-
and eight hundred dollars, receipts Of
which are filed with the Treasurers of
the prospective cities. Very soon after
entering upon their duties your COM
mittee became painfully aware of what
was undoubtedly well known to your
honorable bodies when naming us, that
not being skilled in bridge building, we
were at great disadvantage in dealing
with contractors and their expert
engineers, and we were fortunately able
to overcome this through the kindness
of Mr.. Roswell Miller, President of the
G. NJ. & St. z. Railroad Company, who
requested the engineer who has charge
of all the bridges on that road Onward
Bates, to assist us in drawing specifica-
ton, selecting a design, awarding a
contract and in supervising the work
during construction and erection, Mr..
Bates entered upon this work with as
much zeal as though it was his own,
making two visits to this city, sending
his assistant Mr.. Findley twice and Mr.
Gerald once besides sending numerous
letters, and to his painstaking care and
faithfulness is in a large measure due
the superiority of this bridge over any
other of its kind we know of in the
state.
Inasmuch as the services of himself
and his men were 2 Gift to the cities, we
believe suitable acknowledgement
should be made by the respective
councils: We believe that the commit
tee have each earned the sum of one
hundred dollars, and we ask that this
amount be appropriated, and also that
the sum of 22.05 be allowed John Far
rish for money actually expended by
him on trip to Milwaukee and Chica-
go on business connected with the
awarding of contract and to I. e. Nash
$51.36 for expense on same trip with
Mr.. Parrish and on seperate trip to
Madison and Milwaukee to negotiate
the bridge bonds of the two cities,
reference to which is made in a seper-
ate report, and other small items paid
by him and shown in detailed account
accompanying this.
In conclusion we wish to state that
for lack of funds or authority to raise
them YOUR committee could not do
several things which they deem essen
tial for the safety and preservation of
the bridge, so recommend them to your
honorable bodies for immediate consid
Grafton.
l. The sidewalks from the streets
should be extended TO and connected
with the sidewalks on the bridge.
2. The upper chords should be cover
ed with roofing iron.
3. Rip-rap thoroughly the center pier
4. Rip-rap thoroughly the west abut-
ment.
5. Build stone wing walls at both
abutments-
6. Fill in behind each abutment with
rock sand or other suitable material.
z. During the summer of 1890 have
the woodwork of bridge thoroughly
painted
s. Pass suitable ordinances imposing
fines for trotting over bridge or defac-
ing the same and authorizing the mar
shals of the two cities to enforce the
same and do public duty on the bridge
In handling the iron for inspection four
men were engaged one half day and
provision should 0e made for their
payment.
P. NJ. MCCANLEY.
JOHN PARRISH.
@. a. CoRRIvEAU.