Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-07-30
IT'S ALL RIGHT.
: UosI BRIDGE ACROSS TIN CRIlE WILL
go RIGEr ALONG.
!. aDtslligsncsrs" FallaciOus Assertions RsCg-
,;,.d IS hs Idle Grumblings Of a Disap-
pointed Mind-Whai People Say.

From time to time, since the Intelli-
.,oer recovered from the terrible
.rbbinQ it received from the people at
% nolls on the stone bridge question,
at paper has been indulglng in what
fondly imagines are arguments
Igsinst the erection and completion of
b. structure, and in this connection
as made sundry bad breaks as to the
ost Of the bridge, the nature Of the
Limitations, the undesirability Of stone,
,c.. in the course OF these remarks
hitting In type, as would naturally.be
zpeeted, good deal of stuff
NV calculated to excite a smile
rom people conversant with
be- facts in the case. AS
bag as the IltelIigeRcer confined itself
making estimates of the cost, talking
bout the nature of the strata upon
thich the bridge abutmentS rest, etc,
|poDle said little, recognizing that the
ritter OF the criticisms knew a good
eal more about such things than the
nQineerS, the Bridge Commission and
he contractors, but when, on Monday
Forming last, the paper mentioned took
byantage Of an accident at the south
kcavation 10 say that "a steel bridge TO
teet all the requirements would have
ben uD long ago." and 70 refer to the
terprise building by the express order
/ large majority Of the voters OF the
Inv as a "fOlly," it was recognized that
bme one, still smarting over merited
hi overwhelming defeat, was bent
bon reviving the old exploded argu-
Tents and was still possessed Of de-
b. 10 see second Market-Street bridge
.fected at Main street, at cost proper
tbnately much larger than the Main
rect structure now going up will
SD. and 70 be, when once erected,
s source of danger and expense all
Trough it's brief career Of usefulness.
yesterday morning the IRtelltJeRcer
50k advantage of the report of the
commissioners Of the bridge loan, read
i Council Tuesday night, TO once more
turn TO the charge, and il talked about
ke ''stupendOuS folly" of the enter
Else, and advocated the abandonment
4 the stone idea, and the erection OF
Ieel bridge. OF course, there was no
.bSSible connection between the failure
q float q AZ per cent. loan, and the in
|fnSic merit of the structure it was 10
IN for; nor did the paper named pause
ID remark that the eminent fnancierS
No planned the AZ per cent. loan would
4 I've carried out the same idea had
.,eel bridge been selected by the peO-
10, or 10 point out that steel bridge
81 per cent loan must have inevitably
ailed the same way; but without argu-
lent, or show of facts, or tangible rea-
-, the IlltelligeRcer jumped once
ttain into the machinery which had
nRyiOusly ground it up, and defined its
b StiOn to be for a steel bridge,
fIth a compromise" with the contrac-
ofs and q new contract with some
,fidge company. IL did not figure as to
bw many thousands of dollars this re-
|rangementOf Ideas would cost the city,
lrer and above the probable cost OF
.8rrving out the present creditaole
In. but il did venture the suggestion
nat the alternative is no bridge after
ID present temporary structure goes
Iwn."
Reduced to reason, the position OF the
IatelIigenccr is assumed TO be, hrst, that
8 carry out the stone bridge contract
n cost a very much larger sum than
NJ S at first estimated; secondly, that q
.Ione bridge Of $50 feet span is imprac-
'fable from an engineering point OF
lew, and thirdly, that its foundations
- not secure.
BIZ is worth while, in the interests Of
\ "a city, to look at each Of these points.
th a view of seeing just what they
.ontain in the way Of sound argument,
1fObability aud horse sense.
As 70 the cost
When the preliminary estimate
- the bridge was made,
i was estimated by Messrs. HOge 4
Hhite, the city engineers in charge,
'A at the cost would not exceed S1O4, 900.
bon this estimate, and the assurance
II the engineers, who must be presumed
I'll know nearly as much about il as the
litor of the Iptelligcncer and one or
10 other gentlemen, that this estimate
rs "outside," contract was made
an behalf of the city, and
sIOO. 600 was appropriated. Some six or
IS ht weeks ago, at time when one OF
ia foundation pits had been finished
.nd a very large proportion of the stone
sed been purchased and cut, careful
.stimate of the cost OF the structure
noted I'D 500, 96O, or about $4,000 less
Ian the first estimate. So much for
Ii assertions Of excessive cost, aud the
ention OF such sums as Sl25,OOO,
S b, 900, and even $4,000.
AS to the foundations
The abutments of the Wheeling
ttdge will rest In pit cut, for several
et al bottom, in deep bed Of red
sale. weighing more per cubic foot
Ean sandstone rock, OF depth OF TWEEN
As feet or more, and resting upon
+. lex strata OF sandstone. This Shale Is
compact as to render the driving OF
les into il. with a two-tOn hammer
possible. and affords better founda-
bn than that beneath three-fourthS OF
stone bridges in EUROPE
ne OF which, Of even great
span than is proposed here
+. he stood for more than 100 years
thout a fear as to their falling. Many
oI the largest bridges in England,
lance. Italy and Germany rest upon
I ing. driven in soft mud and gravel, or
I'm ppon boards and planks laid on the
ttoms Of pits dug in gravel, and show
very best results. An example OF a
bridge is found at Orleans, France.
is structure was built in l75l, has
81 arch OF LOG feet : inches span'
Ia but e6 feet rise, and the masonry
Is upon piles. The bridge at Tours,
BIZ I'm 1855, rests upon piling, and so
s. thu bridge of Nantes, across the