The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-07-25


tracts themselves can any one determine
the cost of any iron bridge; and If the
contrats are not all entered in the jour
nal, as Auditor McClelland says IL is en-
tirely impossible even for the auditor to
tell the cost of bridge, or whether more
than the contract price is paid. 1t ap-
pears that these contracts are now let at
a certain rate per pound, and the cop'-
missioners themselves would need to be
experts to determine the cost of a bride.
This mixing of the accounts of one
bridge contract with another is objec-
tionable for several reasons One is that
no one can know from the record just
how much particular bridge cost there
are no means of detecting overpayments,
and the commissioners cannot properly
make ouS the annual detailed report of
their financial transactions as they are
required to do. While the contractors
may not have received more than the
total on all their contracts for the year,
yet, as appars in the Yoker Greek bridge,
the estimates and bills allowed exceed
the contract price by nearly 500. And
in the absence of the record of any con-
tract how is it to be known whether the
total amount paid the contractors was for
work done under contract or whether the
work was performed at all?
Among other contracts made with this
company are the following:
Steubenville bridge, short
span, 3S feet, at $40 per foot $3.50, 90
Bridge A feet long over Leather
wood, at S11 per foot. . 4S4. 90
Bridge in jackson township, 12
feet long, at 1875 per foot 105. 90
Bridge near Infrmary, at 1915
per foot. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. l4o.76
Cochran's bridge, Wills township,
at SS.75 per foot ..... 1875
OF payments made to said company we
find the following additional:
Williams bridge, Millwood tip. S45S. 90
There is no record in the journal for
the letting of the contract for this bridge,
and there is nothing whatever to show
whether the amounts paid conform to the
contract or not.
McCleary bridge, Wills town
ship, first estimate ... 10. 90
Bridge near Washington, Wills tip 30s. 90
Making total for superstructure S31S.00
1t will be observed that the name of
this bridge is changed and from anything
that appears on the record there were two
different bridges. As matter of fact It
is but one bridge. The cost of the stone
work of this bridge as near as we are able
to ascertain, was $3.50. 81 making total
cost of the structure S54S.97 Among
those who are acquainted with the local
ity, many question the necessity of a
bridge at this point at ALL especially an
iron bridge of such cost and dimensins.
This is an old road, and no bridge was
ever found necessary until 1894. No con
tract appears on the record for this bridge.
Lore City bridge-On December 8,
1894, the commissioners paid the Wrought
Iron Bridge Co. $171.3S for joists for this
bridge. 1t is an old iron bridge, and we
are informed could have been supplied
with wooden joists which would have
answered every purpose at an expense Of
not over $35, thus making saving in
this one matter of $136.8S. Interest at 8
per cent. on this difference would furnish
sufficient funds to put in q new set Of
wooden joists every 4 4 years.
Blue Bell bridge-There seems to be
some arrangement with the Wrought Iron
Bridge Co. for this bridge, for there has
been payment on 1t of So May s, 1896
the first estimate; but as there is no
entry on the journal of the contract, we
are unable to state what the cost will be.
CASTOR 81 Harper have received for the
stone work S32S. AZ, which indicates that
the bridge is of some magnitude.
Bridgeville bridge-This is an old iron
bridge across Wills Creek, which the COM
missioners decided to repair Instead of
tearing down and rebuilding. The job of
repairing was let to the Wrought Iron
Bridge Co., and up to the present time
the company has received 5000; and as
the transaction has probably not yet
reached a final settlement, 1t may even
exceed this sum. We know little about
this bridge, but it is estimated by those
who have the means of knowing that 800
expended in strengthening 1t by wooden
beams would have been sufficient to last
during the life of the bridge.
Brower's bridge, Londonderry town
ship-This bridge is near the headwaters
! of Skullfork creek small stream that
has formerly been spanned by open plat
form wooden bridges, costing at this part
of the stream from $50 to 800 The cost
of the one erected by the Wrought Iron
} Bridge Co. is as followsAse
w, N. Parry, stone work. .,, $199. 81
} Jasper Vermillion, quarrying
stone Observation-Disclosures, So.OO
J Robert Stevens, hauling stone $500
Wrought Iron Bridge Co, ..,u,.. 816.S0
Total 1868. "a
} We will not take up further space to
, specify in detail the other work for which
! payment has been made to the Wrought
Iron Bridge Co. 1t has had all the con-
tracts relating to iron bridges, as far as
we can ascertain, during the last eighteen
months.
In view of the circumstances, IL is sug-
gested whether it would not have been
more economical to have built wooden
structures instead of ironP Manufao-
turers estimate that an iron bridge of Or
dinary weight, under ordinary conditions
and with ordinary care, viii last thirty
years. 1t should be painted every two OF
: three years, have a new floor every ten
years, and a new set Of joists at the end
) of fifteen or twenty years.
: The life Of an open wooden bridge Ii
: probably ten years, and 1t would require
three to equal the life of an iron bridge
! We are informed that open bridges from
8 twelve to thirty-five feet in length can b,
r built for a.. 90 to ~. 90 per foot, after the