Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-01-30
rHs THIRD STREET DRAW.
The Present Delay tho Result
Careless Work ut II nship.

|
bridge would be ready for venicular
traffic.
MIR. Todd's surprise gave way to satis-
faction when he replied, "Ali right II
you will just keep the bridge on we will
soon be running over It,"
Just then carriage driven by Mr..
Todd'H brother crossed the bridge. MIR.
Todd ct once put some men to work level
ing up the street leading to the south side
approach.
In reply to inquiries he said ernphati- |
cnlly: 1--WE have now been cut on here
for i've months amt travel should have |
been opened at least three weeks ago. |
The annoyance and loss to our business
has been very considerable. MIR. Dean
when asked about the prospect would not |
treat one with ordina ycourtesy and would |
give no satisfaction. A sneer and sort
OF What are you going TO do about IT, |
air were his only answers"
MIR. Dean and Mr.. Lucius both said |
that the bridge could be used by vehicles
Saturday although the work was not COM
pleted. Three of the levy court COM
mittee which is experimenting the
building Of the bridge were also present
Saturday morning to see tie progress OF
the work and expressed some satisfaction
that the bridge would be opsned.
The long delay in eompleting the new
draw 40 as to be ready for travel, and the
rumors aud statements made with refer
ence to this Delay, have tended to 6oma-
what mystify the public mind and the
suspicion has been growing from day to
day that there twas something rotten in
Denmark" Still nothing but rumors and
unauthorized staten nts were made, and
it WAS to ascertain the real state of things
that induced reporter TO Investigate.
Delay seems 10 have been the rock
on which the whole project has found
cred. The levy court delayed in
awarding the contract for the bridge.
Then the contractor delayed in starting
work on the structure because the shops
were overcrowded with bridgework as n
result of tue big June foods. Then the
quarry which was to furnish the stone
for the centre pier WAS tsrdy in deliver
ing the same. The sub-contrectors for
the iron work were delayed by the bnild-
ers Of the bridge, and then finally there
was serious delay in putting the bridge
together and adjusting it, due TO the lack
of sufficient and Intelligent vorkmen.
Everything in connection with the whole
draw was delayed, to the detriment OF the
:
expect that the annoyance and loss OF
time would be the least possible under
tins circumstances.
Engineer Lucius of New York, who il
employed by the levy court to see that
the work is done according TO contract
before it ia accepted by the o.unty, talked
freely Saturday morning aud gave the
reporter every opportunity TO riiy his
statements from actual observation. He
said: '"Ihe whole trouble has been that
the work was contracted 70 be finished in
too shCEt q time; 1t WAS sent here with
out previous adjustment, an5 incompe-
/, tent men were employed to put
it together. Tbs levy court is
! perfectly safe from any loss as
the delay and extra expense falls on the
Y contractors. The contract is without q
3 flaw, and the levy court has sufficient
: guarantee fund from the contractors tc
: insure the completion Of the job to theil
a satisfaction and 10 mine too. will see
\ that everything is right bofore the county
: accepts the bridge. 1t waD big mistake
r from the beginning. The contract was
8 awarded to be fnished In two months
: but there was tacit understanding
: that if it oould not be flushed
y within the stipulated time, more time
i would DO allowed. We'll, the result
! proved what / expected. The Ph@ni:
IS Iron Works are among the largest ant
d most reliable bridge works In the coun
o try, but they were so pushed to complete
!, work that We had to bide our time. Yol
= cannot expect an immense establishment
q like that to be disarranged by dropping
}. other important work simply to get GU
y this one bridge. The castings were thei
4 ordered here, there and everywhere, ant
u as they knew that We wer Ia hurry, j
II was sent here piecemeal without hRvinI
70 been previously fitted aud adjusted il
= the shop, as it should have been. Tn
m result was as may be expected. Tn
10 complicated machinery made at variou
9 places did not at snugly. In additio
10 the force of men seut here was insult
n cient and incompetent. Instead OF goo
y, machinists, there was lot OF men VIII
=, ~ did rot understs nd their work. The on
m machinist who could have finished th
Q. work went of on drunk when his SOL
n vices were most needed, and the cor
D. tractors refused to hire some good mi
u, chinists here. The bridge worke
le all right Just before New Yea
~ ~ but the beginning Of the seri,
60 of accidents occurred day or two aftei
10 ward, when In closing the draw some ire
a. bars, which were not in proper position
u. struck the abutment aud disarranged IL
"a machinery. We had TO get new GO
cu wheels, aud they were so long comm
. from distance that we got come her
Then II was found that in turning Il
AS draw that one Of the cog whee
oy ground into the masonry, and tn
r., defect exists slightly yet. Tho
ia is no defect in the plans
OF the structure and any assertion TO Il
~ contrary, deny unquaihedly. The
ne port that the draw WAS foot short
v. one end ia absolutely untrue. The pihi
IN for the bridge were made by Theodo
'ly Cooper, civil aud mechanical engine
'se o. recognized ability in New York, at q
sn time that the first approach was bull
ne They are oorrent and the draw is bui
me according to those plans and contsi
ny no eonst tutional defect. The who
on trouble has been caused by 4
' ~ manner of getting out the wo
.uo and the lack of proper adjustmer
ses The:e is no truth in the statement ii
'sh the electric motor refuses to work pro
II, erly. Mr.. Morrison, the original co
w tractor, IL under contrast that the Bird
70! 70 shall be turned off or on in ! ! minute
' ,nss The motor people ore IN err contract
.ta furnish motor to do the work in thrt
'uo uugrtors OF minute or one. half the &C
~ tract time will see that this is do
ny ny and that everything is satisfactory
~ fore the structure is accepted"
70 The reporter then had an opportunity
nos seeinC the bridge turned of and on again
~, ~ order to allow the unfortunate st. Sch
tno tian, lust returned from Lewes, to p
.t,,n,,T, Tina flFaw ennuiad to work &