Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-08-28
HE NEW BRIDGE.
aUEsTrER" REPORTER TAKES A TRIP
OVER IT.
Sup.rshucurs Of he Bridge Proper in Plaza
yx4O, the Sidewalks and EOOrs-TakiDg
Down the Palss Work-Ths Viadnci.

EOr SIX WcCho P@1N e-o fAoNACoo -
0rk upon the new bridge across the
ver at the east end Of what used to be
.rket alley has been one Of the sights
the town, and daily scores Of people
we neglected private interests to a
eater or less extent to watch the
enc from the suspension bridge, the
yer bank or the wharf, and TO com
emit favorably or unfavorably. as the
Sc might be, upon the manner In
lich the job was being carried on.
his was especially the case a couple
weeks ago, when the false
7rk was taken out from beneath
. west half Of the channel span, and
ere we're not few rumOrs set a1Oat,
sed upon the tendency the west half
the arch exhibited to slip to the east.
his tendency was overcome with
aces. cables. ETC., and all danger was
eedily averted by the MeSSrS. Baird
-os.. the contractors, aud when the
81 panel Of the arch was put up, and
q bolts driven home everything lit
celv. and there was no trouble.
Yesterday afternoon reporter for
e REGISTER went out on the bridge
ON the Main street end, and under
q guidance OF one OF the MesSrs.
,ird made very interesting trip across
: big structure, climbing over piles OF
lnk, coils OF rope and lunches OF
1ss-tles, walking along slender beams
steel. with nothing but ninety feet Of
r,icularly thin air between him
d the water, or creeping eau
,usly over the single slender
spk which often afforded the only
oting between the floor beams. Every
ID Of the superstructure was exam
I'd. and Mr.. Baird pointed out the de-
lis of the work as the trip proceeded.
was found that about all the super
-ucture Of the bridge except few un-
portant braces and ornaments, had
en put IN position, and that the bridge
5 practically ready for the carpen-
Rs, so far as the space inside the up
,htS is concerned. As matter Of
I'd, nearly all the cross ties, with the
ception OF the west half of the chan
4 span, are in place, and the remain
r will soon be hOiSted up. Nothing
S vet been done TO the side
.lks, but il will not take long
place them, as the iron to be handled
light. The channel span is standing
rfectly clear of the false work, and
IS been for couple of days, and yes
rday gang of men were busy taking
wn the heavy timberS, four bentS
lug removed during the day. This
)rk will be continued to-day. In few
MS The traveller will be taken down,
d then the bridge will be gi7en up TO
interS and carpenters, for the most
BIZ. Ia a day or two the work OF set
,g no the viaduct, from the
sSt pier TO the east line OF
nth Penn street, a distance of seven
inbred feet, will commence, and Mr..
Iird is of the opinion that the work
ere can be done in about ten days or
b weeks, if everything works smooth
The bridge, while not, as a matter Of
trSe, as heavy as the Union railroad
.tge, Is still a weighty structure, con-
hing about seventeen hundred tons
steel, of which there is about 1S5
nS In the east span, about 725 In the
aunel span, about 800 in the west
an. and about 600 tons in the viaduct.
De channel span of the Union bridge
ntains about l 200 tons in itself, which
about equal to the whole of this
Idge. The channel span Of the Union
Ilroad bridge is 500 feet 10 inches be-
cen centres, while the channel span
the Island bridge is $40 feet Q inches,
Just one foot one inch shorter. The
uble arch of the Union bridge IS
out T. feet high, while the single arch
this bridge is about 81 feet. The
W bridge is % feet wide between up
hts and 35 feet wide over all, the side
lks being about six feet each, and
ssing outside the uprightS. From the
st end of the channel span the bridge
sends at a uniform grade OF five feet
one hundred to the grade of South
nm street. This grade is less than
DO OF the west portion OF the SuSpen-
u bridge.
The new bridge being considerably
cher than the suspension bridge, gives
CORES pondingly better view Of the
Ter, the Island and the city,
d il will likely be a great
Dmenade ground, once il is
-own open 10 the public. The Island
,ks particularly well from the west
d Of the channel span, while along
. whole extent OF the bridge one can
* down upon the suspension bridge
q watch pasSerS on that structure.
Ia bridge looks light and airy Struc-
re from the suspension bridge or the
larf, but the impression vaniSEes when
q is actually upon it, the iron work
ing quite massive.
.n converSing about the bridge, Mr..
rd said:
q am glad the risk connected with
+. erection of the bridge is over. 1t is
. first time ever undertook 10 put
a Spap i'm the way we did here, and l
We been very anxious about it, not
thStanding / had made my calcula-
ms TO hair. People who we're not
lversant with my plans have been
ing good dea. Of criticiSing, ana
en- the papers took up the matter, but
new what / was doing, and have got
b span ND in excellent shape. 1t
good bridge-One OF the
ST 1 ever put .uD-and will give
Cd service. IL is not as heavy
the Union bridge, OF course, as II Is
Q. ike that structure, intended Tor
road traffic. II is a matter OF con-
ltulation that there was no accident
injected with the erection, II the I'M
-tunate drowning Of Mr.. Martin oe
cepted. That was hardly an accl-
%, as the facts seem TO Indicate that
nething was the matter vita him.
tSide Of that, no one has been ln-
red in the slightest degree, which IS
,ool record. I have = splendid set