The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-01-28
CROSSING FREE BRIDGE.
nov THE TRATEL 10 MdNCHEsTER
VIII BIZ PROrECTED.
The Oricers of the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railway Company Will Take All Pos
sible Measures of safety.

It is very likely that the City Council
Of Manchester Will at the next meeting
reconsider its action VA regard TO the
changes Of the free bridge proposed by
the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Com
pany in order to run its steel railway
yiaduct down the James river and the
construction of new passenger depot
In this city on Main and Fifteenth
streets.
The matter was considered by that
body once before but the submitted plan
was rejected at the time. and the railroad
people were asked TO construct an entirely
new bridge. because IT was claimed that
the grade Of the roadway as II was pro-
posed to establish the same on the Rich
mOnd end OF the bridge, would be too
burGensome for the traffic.
Mr.. Decatur AXtell. the second vice
president OF the railroad company, ap-
peared before the Council rs he had
doue before its committee, and demon
strated that his company could not afford
10 construct an entirely new bridge. ana
that. II this provision was insisted upon,
the whole project would have to IAN
through.
THEY COULD NOT AFFORD 1T.
lie pointed out that at the present time.
money market. the raising Of the two
millions Of dollars. which were required
TO carry out the entire project. would be
about all that the company could aHOrd
TO do.
Since then il has been claimed by those
WHO have looked deeper into the entire
subject that g. an entirely new BRUCE
was 10 Doe buiit. one-third of the expense
should be borne ~ the cities OF Eich-
mOnd ana Manchester and the railroad
company. respectively.
Air. AxfeI as well as the engineer OF
the Free Bridge. Mr. i. -. lsaacs, have
shown from the plans submitted that the
proposed lowering OF the Richmond end
OF the Free Bridge would not create any
danger 10 the traffic, lnasmuch as TINS
grade would be Comparatively slight ana
not any more. a. 70 exists now on Hun
street. in Manchester between lWeiitn
and Thirteenth streets.
Under the plan OF the railroad company
it is proposed to take out the first seven
snars of the bridge on the Richmond
side. and replace them by others so that
the road bed can bo lowered nine feet nc
the poin' where tho steel viaduct OK the
rhe.auoake and Ohio Railway Company
/. 10 cross t This change b. considered
10 ie the only way in which the Improve
peut can be carried out. ia order 10 give
the thirteen feet OF clearance required Tor
the traffic across The Free Bridge.
NOT 70 ENDASGER THE BRIDGE.
while tre roadway IL the latter IS 10
be lowered. 10 Is got Intended 10 chinSe
I'm any way the iron construction - as
TO endangcr il In case OF a freshet' ana
lis lowest portion would stu be several
feet above the highest water marx Oh the
PAST
The construction is 10 he Of the most
substantial nature ana the roadway or
tine bridge. as far as IL Is 10 D" leiAlu
by the railroad company. is TO be paFeu
with granite spalls. which are to be iale
ON especially prepared timber.
In that matter the new luchmond end
~ The bridge is 10 DE entirely hre-prcof.
and the only combu-t.ble material that it
is 20 contain are the walK"ays Ior loo'-
passengers on either size.
When the matter was under discussion
I'm fse Council OF the city OF Manchester,
n WAS also claimed D. those who oppoa-
ed the Improvement that the railroad
crossing the bridge overhead would De
the cause Of numerous accidents mas
much MS the horses Of teams going over
10 Manchester would be frightened.
In order 10 fully meet this objection the
railroad people have since agreed 10 use
additional measures or protection py en-
closing their construction with blinds ex-
tending a hundred and fifty feet each
way from the point where the viaduct
crosses the free bridge.
This concession has been embodied IN
q paper recently presented by Mr. AA-
tell 10 the Bridge Commissioners and
which has been referred by that BODY 10
the city Council OF Manchester. IL VIII
be taken up By the Council az its next
meeting and its principal feature. the
extension Of the b mas WILL no dOupI'
give general satisfaction.
rr6 make THE TRAVEL SAFE.
r. ,,aLo the travel over the free bridge
,,ndar the viaduct perfectly safe in every
rosnact II il also proposed TO put steel
49, ,,rdar the new construction where
4 crosses the bridge in order to prevent
ia. dronping Of any thing into the road
way.
q, ,.yor ~ the suggested Improvement.
no. no found in ths fact that the con-
s,ruction o, tho viaduct as well as the
,ohuiidino OF the RichmOnd end OF the
80 h,idea would give employment to a
ro-oo number OF residents OF both cities,
and would thereby directly benefit the
c,,y ~ Manchester. When asked by a
member OF the Council Of Manchester
during the discussion Of the subject. Mr.
Axtell distinctly stated that citizens OF
Manchester as we'll as Richmond would
be given the preference In the employ
ment OF the force in carrying out the
work. wherever this could be done with
out ieopardIzlng the entire scheme.
The objection that the Improvement, II
carried out. would deprociate the pro-
perry in Manchester. seems TO have also
been successfully met by proving that
the traffic between the two cities could
only be benefited by II and that thereby
additional residents would be attracted
70 Manchester.
THE PRESENT CONDITION UNSAFE
The free bridge IS at present in a con-
d,tion that Is considered unsafe by many
engineers: II has been formally condemn
ed by engineers OF UNREASONABLE ability
and conservatism. There are at least
fourteen spans IN that condition. Tho
total length 81 the bridge IS 2ioo feet tho
fences or railing alongside the bridge
are OF a f!msy character. and would be