The sun., 1898-11-13
BRIDGES OVER !, CHR]ST|ANA
Thousands Of Travellers Passing
Over Them Daily are Ignor.
ant Of Stringent Rules.
STRUCTURES DAY AND NIGHT
Life Of the Tenders Who Guard the
Bridges Over the City's Waterway.
Amusing Incidents When
Passers-by are Held on the
Turning Bridges.
STRUCTURES DAY AND NIGHT

= T.
Third street drawbridges are aware Of
the stringent rules and regulations,
which govern the turning Of these
bridges, OF the great inconvcnience to
which a large class Of the. persons using
these bridges would be putif these rules
and regulations were strictly enforced.
About the only rule the general public
is acquainted with is the one forbidding
fast driving, Of horses across the bridges
but this notice can be. seen on any
county bridge, and therefore is nothing
out of the ordinary. 1t is a rule posted
up by the Levy Court Commissioner.
The rules and regulations were how
ever made by Secretary OF War Alger
and went into effect May II, 1897. The
River and Harbor act passed by Congress
August II, 1894, conferred on HIM the
authority Of drawing up such. rules and
regulations, as in his opinion the public
interests required to govern the operating
| of draWbridges across navigable rivers or
other streams in the United States.
According to these rules when at any
time during the day or night vessel.
tug, or any boat which cannot pass
under the bridges approaches it must
give three blasts of whistle or horn,
when the bridge-tender must turn the
bridge. He must not turn the bridge,
however, while any person or vehicle is
passing over the bridge, but must turn
the bridge Immediately after they have
passed ont of the way. This portion of
the rules and regulations it is impossible
to carry out during the middle OF the day
or in the morning and evening. The
bridge-tenders on duty at each bridge
could not wait until everybody was off
the bridge, as many run across even
after the bridge has commenced to turn.
Bicycle riders chase across the bridge. at
top speed in order to get across in time,
and persons trying to catch trains run
with grips and bundles. Some get only
as far as the middle OF the bridge when
the bridge has swung back again into
place, turn and 60 back in thesame di.
rection they came, often going some dis
tance until they discover their eistake.
As one bridge-tender expressed it, it
would take quite a police force to keep
all the people off during the busy part of
the day in order to have the bridge ell
tirely free of people while turning for a
vessel to pass.
The signal of the vessel or boat desir-
ing to pass is to be answered by the
bridge-tender with three blasts of a
whistle or horn from the bridge. This is
not absolutely necessary. Some boats
give but one blast, and it sometimes
happens after giving a single solitary
blast they lay to and after time the
bridge.tender will see them and ask
what they want and they will say they
desire to pass. He will then inquire why
they did not give three blasts and they
will plead ignorance of the regulations.
The regulation requiring the bridges to
be turned as soon as a boat signaled and
the bridge was clear of people would
work great hardship to men hurrying
to work in the morning. AT this time
the bridge-tenders do not force matters.
If they did it would mean the loss of
days work to many men, who, If late
only a few minutes, the time required to
turn the bridge, would be unable to
work that day. This is especially true
OF lots of the working men using Third
street bridge. Some cross about five
minutes to seven o'clock and have very
little time to reach their places of work.
At this time number of craft frequent
ly appear, desiring to pass through the
draw.
1t is said that in Chicago the draws
OF the drawbridges are>pever opened be-
tween the hours of 6 and Z in the even
ing. This is done to accommodate the
working people. On the Schuylkill
river in Pennsylvania, small tugs are re-
quired to have their smoke stacks
hinged, which allows them to pass under
the bridges.
According to U. S. regulations, per-
son failing or refusing to open draw
bridge shall be deemed guilty Of a mis-.
6emeanor, and on conviction shall be
nned not more than $1,000 nor less
than y 900. or be imprisoned for term
not exceeding one wear, or be both fined
and imprisoned. Action can be COM
menced before anv Commissioned Judae
or court of the United States
These rules and regulations annlv nc
well to the Newport, Chnrchman,s and
Christiana Village bridges "ver Tho
Christiana, and the, Seventh and md
Eleventh streets bridges over the brandy.
wine. p.
Thomas i. Russell is the day man ,t
the Third street bridge and James /.
McHugh the night man. Both are ef-
ficient men. The motive power on the
bridge is electricity, and is equal to 10
horse power. The bridge moves very
easily.
At the Market street bridge Vim. 7.
Green has charge of the bridge and its
machinery and resides in the house at
the city side Of the bridge. He has been
in charge for five years. He takes per-
sonal charge Of the turning of the bridge
at night. The day man is George Swan.
Both are good men. A double upright
engine, run by 16.horse power boiler,
turns the bridge. Bicycle riders prove
very troublesome on this bridge after
dark. They dash across with rush
and do not observe the right of way.
Some very amusing incidents occur on
the bridges, and these are at all times
good places to study human nature.