The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-10
ABOUT THE BRIDGES
Status Of the Ordinances Providing for ThaiI
Construction.
They ARE NOW ON their PASSAGE
AS Soon as the Plans for the South
side Bridge Are Completed the Or
dinance Providing for Its Construc-
ton Can Be Passed-lf Business
Is Expedited Contracts for Bridges
Can Be Awarded by Sept. 80.

is Expedited contracts Tor DrluReS
Can Be Awarded by Sept. 80.
On Feb. 20, nearly five months ago,
the voters of this city at the polls de-
cided that two bridges should be built;
one was to connect the central city
with the South Side over Roaring
Brook and the other was to extend to
the West Side over the Lackawanna
river at Linden street, Work on these
bridges has not yet begun aud those
who voted both for and against them
are today asking "Where are we at?" in
this bridge matter.
At the last meeting OF select council
the ordinance providing fo- the erec-
tion OF the Linden street bridge passed
first and second readings, and the
Roaring brook or South Side bridge
ordinance came up for third and final
reading, but was laid over for the rea-
son that no plans were attached. A
clause in the first section of each ordin
ance reads 'in accordance with pl ans
prepared by the city engineer, hereto
ordinance" Mr.. Manley, Of the
Twelfth ward, announced when this
particular passage was read in the
Roaring brook ordinance that the
measure WAS of no effect il it passed
third reading without plans attached,
and on mis- motion it was laid over.
Under these conditions the ordin
ances will remain in the city clerk S
Office until City Engineer Phillips has
completed the plans and they are at
tached according to the provisions
made in each ordinance. Mr.. Phillips
said yesterday that he could not COM
plete the work this week.
WHAT CAN BE DONE
Assuming that the plans will be
completed July 49, the regular meeting
night Of select council, it is possible
that by Aug. 25 the ordinances will
have been approved by the mayor, and
that the work of erecting the bridges
will be commenced by September 80.
This conclusion is based on the follow
ing possible process and dates OF the
passage of the two measures:
Third and final readings in select
council July 10, to common council
and referred to committee July 26,
first and second readings in special
meeting Of common council Aug. 2,
third and final reading in special meet.
ing of common council Aug. 16. After
this date Mayor Connell will have ten
days to consider the ordinances, and
presuming that his signature is at
tached on Aug. 90. the contracts for
| the work should have been advertised
and let by Sept. 80
According to recent resolution Of
councils, before the ordinances are
finally approved by the mayor, they
must be passed upon by an expert
bridge engineer. Unless this expert
examination is made between July q
and Aug. 2, the matter may be still
further delayed in case any changes
are made in the plans.
After this general summary it may
appear that the city engineer has been
unduly slow in doing his part of the
work. Such comment 10 undeserved
from the fact that the small workin
force at Mr.. Phillips commsnd whC
have undertaken so great q work il
connection with regular duties, hal
made the time consumed inevitable
! However, it is true that certain few
councilmen who favored the Mulberry
street site for the WcSS Side bridge
are in a great measure responsible FOL
the delay. After unsuccessfully trying
in every way possible to secure lega
opinion that the bridge could hav,
Mulberry street for terminus. th'
question of the Swetlsnd street grad
was raised.
| THAT SwETLAND STREET GRADE.
For some time it was maintained
that the present grade of SwetlanC
street is impractical for heavily loaded
wagons. which objection might neces
state changing the proposed HYd,
Park terminus of the bridge to poin
further north. 1t developed later tina
the present Swetland street grade j
not in accordance with tue grade regu
larly established some time ago ant
approved by councils, which woul
raise the lower part Of the hill some 81
feet and reduce the hill 10 grad
about Z per cent. less than the Yves
Lackawanna avenue hill 1t has sine
been ascertained that If necessary
viaduct can be built from the Swetlan
street bridge down toward the terminu
of the big bridge, but for only por
ton OF the distance, which would stil
further increase the established grade
During the period In which thi
question was being agitated, which oc
cupied six weeks more or less, the cit.
engineer was uncertain in carrying ou
his work and was 80 bothered with tn
points raised that halo OF inde cisive
ness was necessarily hung over th
plans and impeded the work.
Assuming that the contracts fc
building the bridges are let by Sept
30. the work must be completed b
July 80 1896 according to provision
of the ordinances which require ths
the excavation, masonry and gradin
shall be completed within six mo nth
after the execution OF the contract
and that the superstructure shaj
be completed within four month
after the contractor shall receive ne
tics that the piers and approaches al
finished. There is u time penalty {
$40 per day on the substructure an
the same penalty on the superstrut
ture, so allowing six weeks delay o
each bridge, Scranton should reap th
harvest Of her great enterprises Sep
Is of next year by the most liberal ca
culation.