Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-11-26
BRIDGE REPAIRS.
When Will the Great Highway
ofTravel be Closed?
THE MATERIAL DAILY ARRIVING.

The improvement Necessary by Reason of
the Condition of the Bridge Which is Be-
Hsved to be Unsafe-The Railway Iron
Col. Burlington InteryIewed-The Cause
of Delays
N1thirg definite en- he Learned as
to when The great Rock Island bridges will
be closed for the repairs rovided for in
tie S. $50 appropriate, of the last SEES,
sion of congress. The material for the
inn rJvement is almost do ly arriving, and
as far as it has been possible to to do so
without Interfering with traffic, prepara-
tions have been made by Col. BufIlng-
ton to aid the contractors in pushing
their work with as little delay as pOssi-
bic when once they enter upon il. There
are at present three car loads OF iron
beams on the ground. When enough
material for two spans is on hand, work
will begin. 1t is likely that this will be
sometime next week. Work, when once
started, will be pushed vigorously and
will be completed in less than a month.
L Ike almost every other public improve
neut that has been made IN the three
cities in FIVE years, this one hits the
street railway company. The Davenport
s. Rock Island company finds it neces-
sary to relay its entire tracks over the
bridges and 10 this end has ordered 65-
pound Johnston rails. With its Gus ON
ary spirit it is all ready to do lis share,
hav ug its iron ali in re ,dness to put
| in.
| When the Work VIII Commence.
President Smith, Of the Davenport
Business 4'en's association, sent a mem
Der of the Davenport press over to Col
Burlington Yesterday with letter, ssking
il the Improvement could not be delayed
| until spring, lnasmuch as it is now nearly
three weeks Past the time when the i'm
| provements were expected to commence
ard there. IS no immediate prospect OF
beginning within a week. The emissary
]
| the bridge improvements as any one else
| aud was shown letter be sent to th,
Carnegie company on the 10Th insisting
that the work be begun at once according
to the contract. The letter in reply
stated that everything possible was bein.
done to get the iron ready for the bridge
and laid the delay to the recent strike!
that put al iron mills in the country BE-
hind in supplying their orders. Ii wa
hoped thst wjthia Il week everythin,
would be N readiness. The colonel salt
that III order 10 help out the CarneGi
company concessions had been made .uC
even specifications had been changed
that the lumber fer wood work was al
ready on hand ani that every thing ROW
remained with the contractors.
The Bridge Said to Be Unsafe.
lie said that It was impossible to pu
the work Of until spring, because th,
bridge was absolutely unsafe for tn,
passage Of tesms and street cars now. tn
flooring spd its wooden supports beiu.
badly decompOsed. While he fully an
pTeciated the inconvenience the cIosiua
of the bridge would be to the people O
the three cities at this season OF tn
year. when there was likely to be neither
ferry nor an ice bridge, he did not thinh
they would want their lives jeopardizs z,
by keeping the bridge pen in its presen
unsafe condition
The work will be commenced az sooI
as possible and pushed as rapidly as pos
sihe.