The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-07-28
vIADUCT ABOUT FINISHED
Street-Cars Will Be Running Over 1t
Sunday, and Twill Be Opened Aug. 4.
Origin of the Plan Some Years Ago. and How
1t Has Been Carried Out-Board of
Works Has Routine Business.

The Western Paving Company yesterday
turned over to the Board OF Public Works
as completed. Virginia avenue, from Wash
inRton TO Maryland street. This leads MP
To the north approach of the viaduot. and.
if nothing interferes. it is the intention of
the street-car company to have cars run
ming over the viaduct on Saturday even
ing or Sunday morning. The formal open
ing of the viaduct Will not probably take
place until about Aug. 4.
The project of a viaduct over the Union
railway tracks was of Republican origin.
''The first ordinance providing for the
building of a viaduct." said ex-City At
torney Tay Tor. was passed June Is, 1856.
1t provided for the erection of q viaduct
over the Union tracks at the
first alley east of Meridian street,
and was introduced by Councilman Benja-
MIN. Plans were prepared by City En-
gineer Shearer, and everything was ready
tor work by the spring of 1887. The prop
erty affected was condemned by the city
commissioners and awards amounting to
about $4,000 were made. The Union Rail-
way Company notified the city that 1t was
ready to pay the money into the treasury
and proceed to build, but that Frank DELL
William Dell and others had appealed
from the award and an injunction was
pending. The company proposed, If the
city would assume these suits, to 20 on with
the work. The question of assuming these
suits was referred TO the committee on
railroads and myself and we advised
against it. at the same time insisting on
the prosecution of the work.
These suits and temporary injunction
against closing Meridian street. prayedf for
by w. w. Herod. delayed matters until in
1889, when Councilman Thalman intro
duced q motion looking to the building of
viaduct over the tracks on Virginia ave-
nue. in lien of the alley viaduct About
this time Mr.. Ingalls, was elected president
of the Union Railway Company, and then
began the talk In earnest about building
the Virginia-avenue viaduct. Mr.. Thai
man may pr operly be given credit for first
moving in the matter.
Councilman Stechhan introduced mo-
ton instructing the city attorney to make
q report as to whether the railway CON-
pany could be com PEELED to build via
duct over Virginia avenue and pay for all
of it. The ordinance was passed on an
opinion i gave in answer thereto, IN juno.
1890. 1t was immediately ordered to brln z
suit against the company, and on tho 23d of
July following Judge Rowland held thu
the city had the right by mandamus to
compel the building Of the viaduct. There
upon, Councilman Stechhan ordered tn O
preparation of an ordinance. 1t was pre-
pared. and Councilman Y0ntZ introduced
it. Some changes were made in this ordi-
nance. but it is substan TALLY the same as
the ordinance that passed and under which
tho viaduct has been erected. One provis-
ion In the ordinance it has been deemed in
expedient to enforce, that is the penalty of
800 for every days delay in finishing the
work after Jan. I, 1892"
Concerning the history of the construc-
ton of the viaduct, City Engineer Mans
field furnished Journal reporter the fol-
passed on Dec. "a. 1890. During the months
of January and February the viaduct COM
mittee. consisting of two members of the
Council. two of the Board or Aldermen and
the Mayor. discussed the plans. The plans
were drawn partly by Mr.. Morris Defrees
and partly by myself; and the detailed
plans of the superstructure were furnished
by the Pittsburg Bridge Company. A
plate-girder plan was decided upon on Feb.
made trip in March. 1891, to Chicago to
look at the viaducts of that city.
ION March IA. 1891, bids were advertised
for by Joseph Ramsey, assistant to the
president of the Union Railway Company,
to be received on March 81, 1891. Bids
were received from several contractors. and
the contract for the building of the mason
TT was awarded TO Ross IL Fritz. of this
city; the iron superstructure work went to
the Pittsburg Bridge Company. and the
paving of the supcrstructure to the Acme
Paving and Cement Company, of this city.
Owing to delays In the settlement of
damages to property the work was not be-
gun for sixty days after this time. As
many as 80 men have been employed on
this work at one time. Most of these were
common IabOrers excepting the stone
masons and bridge erecting gang. the last
named COMM from Pittsburg. The entire
expense connected with the viaduct has
been at the charge of the Union Railway
Company. under the direction and super
vision OF the city engineering department.,
as called for In general ordinance No. 50.
The viaduct consists of two masonry ap-
proaches $50 feet and 400 feet in length,
and 502 feet of iron and steel superstruct-
ure, supported on steel columns. The super
structure consists of twenty-eight spans of
riveted plate girders. ranging In length
from thirty-seven feet to seven ty-four feet
seven inches. and having q uniform depth
of web of seventy-two inches. Two road
ways twenty-six feet each, and two side
are ninety feet wide. roadway fifty feet.
and sidewalks each twenty feet, with a
four-foot grade. The paving of the road
way of approaches is macadam and bricks
for the side walks; the superstructure cedar
blocks for roadways. and artificial stone
for sidewalks. FIre-prO0f thing IS used for
arching the spans between the ORDERS"
The total cost will be very close to the
estimate, S1S0, 220 and is divided as follows:
Damages and benefits to property. $4,000
ApDrOachcs