Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-07
PAYING FOR BRIDGES.
A Contention Over the County's Right
to Settle for Them.
MR.. MERCER EXPLAINS HIMSELF.
Suggestion Made to Accept Lindenthal's
Idea of a
vIADUCT AND CROssTOwN RAILROAD

bridges across the Monongahela and Allie
gheny rivers, within the limits of Pittsburg
and Allegheny, has created no end of dis
cussion among Pittsburg lawyers. Some of
them contend the county has no right to
pay for the construction of a bridge within
the city limits any more than the county
has right to help pay for Improvements in
Schenley Park, while others argue that the
county has right to bridge the rivers where
ever the county authorities see fit. 1t is
also claimed that the county has the au-
thority to condemn any of the private
bridges spanning either of the rivers in
Pittsburg, and appropriate them to the
public use after paving to the owners the
price fixed in the condemnation.
County Commissioner Mercer says there
is no danger of the burden of free bridges
being inflicted upon the taxpayers of the
county unless the county is willing to
assume such responsibility. 'There can be
no snap Judgment taken in such cases. The
County Commissioners, the County En-
gineer, the grand jury. and at least two of
the county Judges must pass upon petition
for free bridge before the county can act,
and therefore there need be no alarm at the
prospect of the county being burdened un-
less good and sufficient reason exists for it
being burdened"
Pittsburg Pays the Freight.
Mr. Mercer's recent comparison of figures
was made to demonstrate the condition of
the county's finances and to show that the
city has paid to county improvements much
more money than the county has or ever
will repay in the way of improvements for
public benefits.
George Shiras Ill said yesterday that
the free bridge question was one that would
likely create some trouble and would pro-
woke many legal contests, but he re-
fused to say whether the city or the county
should make the city bridge free.
The proposition to place the RESPONSE
bility of free bridges upon the county has
at least stirred up the question, and has
greatly encouraged the free bridge advo-
Gates, and movement is now on foot to
have the city place the money already ap-
propriated for free bridges at the disposal
of a commission to begin the work of
constructing a free bridge at once, or, if
necessary, to make the first payment on one
of the present bridges to be purchased by
the city.
One proposition of the free bridge adyo-
Gates is to have the city accept the survey
made by Gustav Lindenthal for a huge
bridge across the Monongahela river. Lin
denthal designed and guided the construc-
tion of the old Sixth street bridge, now
being rebuilt, the Seventh street bridge and
the Smithfield street bridge He assisted
at the construction of the famous Brooklyn
bridge, and he is now engaged at construct
ing the Hudson river bridge. Lindenthal's
plans and specifications for bridge to the
Southside were drawn on a magnificent
scale, and contemplated the connection of
the Southside and the diacent boroughs
with Allegheny and the outlying districts
hey ond Mt. Troy.
A Combination of Bridge and Railroad.
In connection with the monster bridge he
contemplated cross-town railroad, which,
it is now argued, would, with the facilities
of rapid transit, enable the Southsider to
cross from Beltzhoover borough to Mount
Troy in 30 minutes at the outside limit.
The scheme was to have the bridge cross
the river on the Pittsburg side at Milten-
berger street. The proposed bridge was to
have two abutments and an elevated ap-
proach on either side. The cross-town rail-
road was to extend over the Southside and
back into the adjacent boroughs, then cross
the river and extend up Miltenberger
street and up Dinwiddie street to the Seven
teenth street incline and then across the
Allegheny river by the Sixteenth street
bridge to the foot Of Troy Hill. An incline
up that mount was proposed which, it was
contended, would open up an almost bound
less territory, both on the South and North
sides.
This scheme it is now argued would make
Schenley Park easily accessible to people