The record-union., 1895-12-16
TIE new BRIDGE IS COMPL ETED.
Railroad Officials Made a Test of 1t
Yesterday.
A Locomotive and six Cars Run Over
1.-THE Result in Every Way
satisfactory.

the day.
1t had been expected that everything
would be in readiness for the test at
half-past II in the morning, but the
non-arrivaI of a quantity of rails at the
expected time caused short delay, ana
not until a quarter past did the en-
CINE and cars with which the test. was
to be made leave the depot.
The engine was No. 1922, with J. A
Launtz as engineer and T. Bryson as
fireman. Attached to it were five pas
senger coaches and one baggage car
marked mo. $3.50, S. p" which was
the rear car, and passed over the bridge
first, the train being backed across. AS
it entered the depot, ready to make the
test, superintendent Wright went
aboard, accompanied by Assistant Su-
perintendent Jones, Mr.. Robinson, the
&C mpany's resident engineer; MIR. Pal
mer of Oakland, the resident engineer
who has charge of the work on the
division between this city and that,
and several other employees of the COM
pany.
The men were not to have all the
danger and glory of being the first to
cross the bridge to themselves how
ever, and the ladies also were in evil
Keen of this city Miss Mary Light of
Kentucky and Misses NJ. c. and r. B.
Mathews of Chicago also presenting
themselves and expressing their will
tngness to brave the dangers of the
deep in baggage car, and they did so
unflinchingly, Daniel Flint, J. Maggie
and a number of other citizens also
went, and as the train backed slowly UP
toward the bridge the ubiquitous small
boy in large numbers deserted the in
cline approaches and raced for it. filing
the platforms and amaSsing material
with which to crow over their less for
tunate companions as they tell them,
II was on de first train what crossed
de bridge. Don't youse wish you'd
caught on?'
Not a timber creaked or a jar was felt
as the cars passed slowly across, the
fine bridge scarcely springing at all
on account of the weight put upon it,
and the Superintendent and engineers
expressed themselves as we'll pleased
at the result of the test
Passing off the bridge at the other
end, the train encountered a gang of
nearly one hundred workmen, who
were busily spiking rails to the ties on
the grade which has been built from
the Yolo end of the new bridge to the
end Of the trestle that is 5000 feet from
the old bridge. This new grade has
been made of splendid ballasting ma
terial and in spite Of its newness the
cars rolled as smoothly over it as if it
were a well settled roadbed Of long
standing. The train ran out as far as
the junction at the trestle and then re-
turned over the bridge to the city, the
keen eyes of the engineers marking two
or three trifing things that needed
change. Just half an hour was con-
sumed in the trip, and those on board
all voted the new bridge a success.
1t is a Howe truss, having seven
spans, the shortest being 80 feet long,
and the longest 200. The draw, which
is 200 feet long, is nearest to this end,
over the deepest channel. There is an
overhead roadway for teams and foot
passengers, having one incline APP
proach 416 feet long, running from the
end of the bridge to Second street, and
also one which DIVORCES from it at the
end Of the bridge and runs $40 feet
north along the river front TO the end
Of the old bridge, near the Pioneer
Mil The incline on the YOlO side be-
gins at the end of the bridge and runs
beside it for about 400 feet, until it
reaches a sufficient altitude, and then
makes a turn and IS on top Of the
bridge from that point to this end. 1t
is - feet above the rails on the portion
of the bridge used for trains.
The floor Of the bridgeis three feet
higher than that Of the old one, fact
that would make considerable differ
ence in the time of a large freshet. It
is supported by piers Of piles, which
have been creOSoted and will therefore
never rot. or at least in this generation.
In this connection it may be interest
ing to give some figures for the infor-
nation of those who think that it does
not cost much to build a bridge like
this.
The pier that supports the draw
bridge contains 129 piles, and a repre-
sentative of the Record Union, who
went on the train, stated TO Mr.. Robin
sor that he had been informed that the
piles alone, laid down here, cost over
S5.0UU. and asked if that statement
were correct
They cost more than that" was the
reply The pier as ii stands now cost
over So 600, and 1 have never before
seen a cluster of piles so well driven.
They are braced in every way so that
it is impossible for them to give way. 1t
is such fine work that 1t seemed q pity
TO cover them up with frame. They
will stand there for great many
years"
The draw will be worked by an cleo
trio motor In order 10 counteract the
expansion and contraction of the iron
from heat and cold turn-buckles have
been placed in the hog-chains running
from the tower to the draw frame, by
which they can be frightened or loosen
ed as becomes necessary. Automatic
Rates have been placed on the over
head roadway, which will close when
ever the draw is opened, in order to
prevent accidents. For the track sema-
nhore signals viii be used to stop trains
when the draw is open
The bridge being three feet higher than
the old one the whole leyee front for
three blocks has been raised three feet,
of which the city gets the benefit with
ont one cent of expense, the inside
tracks. being raised about five feet with
fine ballasting meterial, thus making
the levee along this part OF the river
front the best of the whole system
AS the weight which the bridge was
built TO bear up was that Of string OF
the company's heaviest locomotives
coupled together, standing on its whole
length il is no wonder that yesterday S
train had so little effect on it.
A number of teamsters have been
afraid that the inclined approaches to
the bridge would be too steep TO allow OF
heavy loads being hauled up them. AS
a matter of fact. the one ending on
Second street is one and a half feet less
rise to the hundred feet than that OF
the bridge at Portland, where no diff
Guilty is experienced, and the one run
ming to the Pioneer Mil is one foot less
10 the hundred than that at Portland
The Standard Oil Company's heavy
tank, drawn by four horses and with a
load of six tons, was drawn over II
yesterday without any trouble. A dou-
bic team and wagon, with a dozen men
aboard, also drove down the incline
having no brake and the harness hav-
Ing no breeding, but the team expert
enced no difficulty in holding it back
- "Pure