The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-11-08
TnR IINI0N RRInaR WORK.
some Idea Of tho Immepslty of tho Under
taking How Work Is Progressing

some Idea Of the immensely Of tho Under
taking How Work Is ProgrOAsing'
Not until one deals with figures and
details do the gigantic proportions Of
the Union bridge become visible. 10
look at it's massive stone piers, and to
stare into the tunnels at the sparkling
electric lights and the swarthy workmen
In the distance tends to inspire one with
something akin to awe, but when 1t Il
learned that the channel span alone VIII
require 1000 tons Of wrought steel su-
perstTucture, and that the contractors
are now receiving twenty carloads q Hey,
and have now one hundred ana nlly
carloads on hands, which they are un'
able to unload for want OF yard room,
the immensely Of the undertaking Is
partially compfehended.
But even these things do not tell lhe
whole story. The drawings alone ior
this enormous structure would turn the
head OF novice. In the plans every
stone and every bed Of mortar in the
masonry Is accounted for; every piece Of
permanent timber Ia considered, and
each individual TlYet and bolt appears
on the drawings, Each brace and every
flange, in fact each individual piece oil
the entire iron work from the Seven
teenth street bridge 10 the last column
In tho Martins Ferry terminal structure
Is fitted into its fellow part At the fac.
tory, aud comes here bearing It's special
mark cut into the metal, so that nothing
can be lost or 90 amiss, II is loaded on
the cars in Delaware so that each piece
will come out in the yards in North
Wheeling in just the proper order, and
can be piled SO that the right piece WIN
come on top and be In position to lilt TO
lis place,
nent can only be secured by the closest
attention 10 details, and Messrs. Baird
Bros, have their experienced toremen
with drawings In hand carefully
sCrutinizing each piece as itis unloadeu;
and designating where 1t shall be placed
for the greatest convenience Beams
and braces which to the inexperienced
eve are unreCognizable, are to these men
Mainly seen as integral parts OF the
Immense yiaduct, and their relation to
their mates is as clear Us q carpenter .
impression OF Ratchet and handle. Baird
BIOS, have built an office and q black
smith and machine shop and have q
special siding on the river bank. Ihey
have Ave steam boilers and as many
hosting engines on the ground, and also
three ouadruplex holsters, which VIII DO
the work OF eight Of the smaller. ma
chimes, They have the section o. the
iron work which spans the Top Mill lao
tory flushed, aud are now driving piles
ior the false work OF the channel span.
One HUNDRED and eighty feet Of the
channel span will be lett open ior the
passage OF boats. The pile.drivers are
now at work driving piles for a tempo,
rary wooden pier to support the part Of
the utructure which will DO put up hrsttl
and from nader which the false work
will be taken before the span Is com,
pleted, There ore six big derricks used
| ior unloading the iron work from, the
cars, and a heavy timbered sSattold y
erecting to receive 1t. Baird BROS. arg
greatly Inconvenience by the small
amount Of room available to them. They
are. however, unloading about twenty
car, a day, but would work much more
rapidly II they had more room,
The work III the tunnels IL coming on
very nicely, and since the headings are
through the lower benches are rapidly
coming out. The men seem TO work
with niore energy since daylight shows
through, and one foreman remarked
that almost third more earth is taken
out in a day now than before tue bead
ings were opened.