The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-08-26
TuE Uy,oy BRIDGE SAFE.
Tho Truss fiuished Yosterday-A Party
Crosses tho Bridge.

Tho Truss Flushed fosterday-A farIy
Crosses tho Bridge.
Prof. Herman Schockey, Edward B..
Franzheim, Sam B. Harrison and IN
ISrELLldrYcER reporter made up the
party which first crossed the new Union
bridge by rail.
At noon yesterday It was announced
that the last bolt necessary to make the
truss Of the big channel span Of tho
bridge self.supportiDg would be put In
at 9 p. M, and the party named above
went up at the invitation OF Mr.. William
Baird, OF Baird Bros. and Mr.. l.. L.
Dagron, their superintendent, 10 see
that bolt inserted. When they arrived,
at half.paBt two, the last end brace next
10 the shore was In position aud several
bolts had been inserted, and the work.
men werc tightening the last one, pre-.
paratoty 10 riyeiipg tho piece leat.
The tics are laid and spiked down on
all but tho channel span, and track Is
laid from ono end OF tho bridge TO the
other, SO that the steel for tho structure
can DO baulrd from ono point 10 m.
other. Over these ties the palty walked
to the channel span, where they were
found to DO go irregular "a to make
walking rather dangerous to those mac.
cus.omed to ouch a height. Mr.. Dagron
pressed u truck into service, and the
party was pushed across under the big
chanuel tpan truss amidst tho cheers Of
the eighty workmen up among the
giriers and b'ans.
At the far end OF the channel span the
passengers took to the footwalk and
went OH over TO the Martins Ferry end,
and down the ninety.si1 steps OF an iron
stairway to the ground. From a point a
hundred yards below the bridge on the
Ohio side the beet view Of tho immense
structure is'to DO had. Returning the
party met their car at the Ohio end and
were again pushed back to the west end
Of the channel span, where a stop was
made 10 allow IN inspection Of the work,
and a look at the busy gang OF men who
are finishing i. up.
The big traveller Ia no longer needed,
aud is Standing at the east end Of the
bridge ready to DO torn down, and the
hoislinS engines have been moved inside
the work. The ropes aud pulleys are
hung from tho main pieces OF the truss,
and Rs soon as a few more rivets are put
into place, tho floor beams will be put
down and the track laid.
1nside the channel span there vas a
busy scene. The foreman with q crum.
pied and aoiled blue print Of the details,
was ordering from it certain pieces
hoisted from the shore, and was direct.
ing the placing Of them in the structure.
Among 30 many hundreds OF pieces, all
different in size and shape, It is wonder.
full how readily these lei pick them out
and get them into place witiou! erfor.
Painters were at work up on top Of the
truss, eighty.fiye feet above tho floor,
and they seemed to feel more secure in
their lofty position than some members
Of tue party did down on the broad floor
Of the bridge.
The biz span stands Just eighty-tbree
feet from the floor beams to the top OF
the truss, aud presents IN imposing ap.
pearaucc, standing rs it does among the
other spans that arc 20 much less intri.
cate in construction. The arch Of the
truss is very symmetrical, and presents
q very graceful appearance from & short
distance.
From tho bridge the party passed
through the tunnels. The arches ere in
splendid shape, and there is but little
drip from above. Workmcn are ballast.
mo tha frapt thrnuvh tho tunnnls and
are using nothing but broken stone.
Rapid progress is being made On all
the parts Of the Terminal system. The
wall alongthe south. bank Of the creek
past Whittaker's mills being pushed as
rapidly as a big force Of men can push
it, and the road bed is being graded
right along. Asmall piece Of road bed
has been tinishad also onthe north bank
Of the creek west OF the mill. The tun.
mel under Chap!ine hill is making good
progress, and the road south Of the
creek is in an advanced state.