Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-03-05
A stons LOG Argumsnt.

To De Editor Of he Register:
SIR:-P,eRse give mt &c in your pa
psr 20 explain nv views IN regard 10 8
statement IN the IRteligencer Of Thurscay,
February 7, uuder the head: THE Msin
Street. Bridge" After giving the names
of the Couferencs Committee appointed by
Council, and Msyor Sesbright Ia she mat
ter Of the proposed bridge over toe creek,
on Main street, 1t gees Oh 10 SAY: Tie
strong argument IN favor oi modern
steel BRIDE. made By Mr. Sselsy, a. LAST
tuesday nigat's meeting Of Courel " &c.,
and further shows his confidence 10 very
sffec.ually knock out the props from IN
der the advocates Of the stone bridge idss,
although he says There still IemBiDs a
few, however, Who cling to the stone
bridge, but 10 10 simply becanse they re-
Ease 70 be convinced ttat their scheme is
wildly sxtravagant and foolish one, ana
10 may be added, an almost impracticable
one"
Now, in regard 10 Mr. Sseley, 1 am
very much much surprised when only 6
lew months ago Mr.. Sssley said that he
vas 10 favor of a stone bridge or none at
eli. People will change their minds, bat
very seldom have heard Of such o sudden
change, especially change like thie,
and Of such ersS, Importance to the ci;i-
rs Of such thriving city as Wheeling.
/ Il Is, therefore, very surprising 70 me. l
will convince Mr.. Seeley that he was thsn
only six months sgO-pertec,lY right,
but tuat lac IA now very wrong.
Fret, l will 90 back to the statement OF
,he editor CT the IateihgeReer, wheSe he
claims It to be foolish and an imprsciics-
bic idea to build stone bridge. Does
that editor know the amount OF good stone
nov there on the ground that could be
used in the large a5utments which Il
requires 10 build a $50 foot span CT
Al eiptcal stone arch Gcro.s
tbe ctCek; and further dOes he know that
n case we build steel or iron bridge no;
ons-eighth part Of that stone can be used
because it would n0t answer the purpose
TO 50 on tie on,side Of the aoutms0,s and
only q small quantity ar,quired for filing
in bscanse the abutments Will not be
thick enOugh.
Ii seems to me the editor OF the InteRi
qeaoer ia moving backward Instead OF gOirg
ahead with our generation Of arts and IL
| teil gsncs. He says an iroa or steel
bridge can be built with brick pavement,
and that ia true. l admit that, but the
more weight you put on il the wore it is
'or tbs structure. Those bridges are built
where stone is scarce and too expensive, bnl
take a loOk around our own territory
sshere good sandstone is in abundance and
can be brought in here for ten cents per
foot. Will sou allow our people 10 build
No IRON bridge when you can build a stone
bridge for the same or nearly the same
price | cav that the cost Of sto1e
bridge here 10 not Que bali the amount
represented by Mr.. Seeley in Council.
That can BE- found ont by investigation
which | think ia well worth doing before
We sdout an iroa bridge. My frat esti-
MAZE up0u this one arch bridge OF . span
cf $50 feet, with sufficient wing walls Ia
lei tie water through, WAS hssed upou q
foundation 10 feet below the bottom Of the
creek. which was deepsr than necessary,
according 70 the Investigation Of Mr. Hoge,
the City EoginseT, when he struck The
red hard clay which crops out up at the
river bsak near the Top mill, where any
body can sse il and hsve il examined
as to whether i. would snsHer to build on.
Il is almost as hard as stone. Said clay
Sss struck about seven feet below the
bottom. My figures then showed less than
S7S. GOO II this will not satisfy the Intel
ligencer think il ought TO be wiling to
have the matter tested further before de-
cisirg to build bridge which Will be g
continual burden TO the city.
J II ROSRE BERG.