Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-02

and 10 feet high. he would Immediate
! ly remove it. The idea of spending $75,-
/ 900 to put such a hump in the road, was
| indefensible. The contract price for the
| stone bridge-$64, ,500-does not represent
! the ultimate cost, but $751; 900 would be
nearer the figure. 1t is possible to build
a bridge from the solid road all the way
across as cheaply in the end and almost
\ as cheaply at the start, as
| the stone bridge. There is no
need of stone abutments, but filing
could be done the same as in railroad
! construction.
| Mr.. Norcross said he doesn't want to
! build the bridge as he believes the steel
bridge could be we'll built by Mr.. Webb.
| 1t has been said that stone bridges last
for a long time. Perhaps they do; some
! times they last too long. Steel is gen
orally used for long spans, and Mr.. Nor
cross pointed out the bridge at St. Louis
and the one under construction at Mag
ara Falls to replace the old bridge. The
cost of maintenance for the proposed
bridge at the lake would be about $1,000
year, as it would require repainting
every four years.
| In reply to President Potter, as to
whether he had figured on the specif-
cations, Mr.. Norcross said only as a
general builder, and his estimate was
$9S, 900. Alderman Potter asked which
would cost more per lineal foot, and Mr..
Norcross said his proposed bridge would
cost about SO or S4 more per lineal foot
than the stone bridge In reply as to
now he figured the cost of the stone
bridge would reach $4,000, he said the
contract does not call for filing and
metalling Filling would cost about
| $4,000 or $4,000 and metalling about $1,000
| Filling in his proposed bridge would be
about $4,000 or $4,000
| President Potter then asked what Mr.
Norcross' contract for the city hall
called for, and received the reply
'$470, 00O." His general estimate was
| that if Mr.. Norcross' estimate OF the
! cost of the bridge was no closer than
| that on the city hall, it could not be
said it was close. In reply TO this, Mr.
Noreross said the city went into the
city hall matter without seeing the end
thing ne agreed was not wise. He
| then said that if the city considers his
bridge, and nobody else wanted to oullo
| it, he would do SO.
| He then entered into explanations re-
gardng the weight of the stone bridge
as compared with that of the mayors
cantilever bridge and his deck bridge
and said the central pier of the stone
bridge would weigh about 1000 tons, ol
about twice that of the central pier Of
| the other two bridges. He agreed tha1
a stone bridge was more picturesque Il
we considered it small affair." but Lake
Quinsigamond was too large for stone
| bridge.
| President Potter asked the witness il
he considered bigness necessary, ane
| Mr.. Norcross replied he believed Lake
| Quinsigamond as it was, was better
| than if it were smaller.
! President Hall of the common councl
asked what was the actual waterway
under the proposed bridge, and Mr.. Nor.
cross replied: "About 500 feet Alder
| man Potter asked Mr.. Norcross If he
| understood him to say a stone arch
| couldn't be built for 200 feet. Mr.. Nor
cross replied that such span could be
| built and that it would weigh less than
| the proposed stone bridge.
! Alderman Brannon asked if the road
way could be raised about five feet,
what the additional cost would be, and
| Mr.. Norcross replied, the filing at the
ends and about the piers would cost be-
| tween $25, 900 and 100000.
Representative Charles G. Washburn
was the next witness. He said he was
not present as bridge expert nor as
one in favor Of any particular type OF
bridge, but as a citizen of the city OF
Worcester, believing in what was best
was none too good. Lake Quinsiga-
| He was in favor of the largest possible
waterway to make progress unintWr-
rupted from the most northern point to
| the southern end of the lake. He be-
| lieved this so important that he would
favor delay of three, four or five years
| If it was impossible to get the bridge
wanted at this time, or even until such
| time as the city could afford to build an
| adequate bridge. In considering the
/ l.o1,A frnrT
| things to be looked into-first, the inter
ests of the people, and second, the mat
| ter of expense. The first he consid-
cred of more Importance than the sec
ond. When anything is done, we want
| the two bodies of water now almost iso-
! lated, reunited.
A. NJ Stone said that his experience
abroad last summer impressed upon hin
| the advantages of Lake QuinsigaIlond
He was at Henley last summer wher
our townsboy won the Diamond scullS
on the Thames, he and his family being
part of the 10000 people gathered fol-
! the fete The scene and the interest
manifested impressed him with the ad
vantages of Lake Quinsigamond. AS g
citizen, he would unhesitatingly say ht
was in favor of the largest possible
waterway to connect the north anc
south bodies of water. He was aware
1 Il W
stone bridges, but that was no argu.
ment why we should build a stone
| bridge here We want the best anC
| largest possible waterway, and this the
stone bridge will not give.
| President Potter asked if Mr.. Stone
| thought the bridge should be bull
wholly for boating purposes, and the
witness replied in the negative, but be
| lieved boating should be considered. Ir
! ,aD1v +n onnfhsr question he caid
believed the financial men of the city
would be willing to contribute theil
portion of the taxes for the cost of con
struction of such bridge as the ont
proposed by the petitioners. He has
| yet to find a man who would not be
willing to do so, provided the greatest
waterway was provided.
Eldridge Boyden said that he very
much preferred the long, level bridge.
| That pleased him more than any other
he has seen, and he hoped it would be
built He never thought the stone
bridge suitable for the place.
Counsel Thayer next called Stephen
C. Earle, who said so far as he could
voice the sentiment Of the people, a
very large majority entertained similar
views to those expressed by Mr. Washr-
burn. Mr.. Thayer asked the witness il
he had examined the plans, and re-
ceived an affirmative answer. Tn reply
to the question, what is your judg.
ment in regard 10 the hridge?" Mr.
Earle said that, as far as material was
concerned, he preferred stone, but he
favored the steel bridge on actual di.
mensions. Tn reply to President Pot.
ter's query why he preferred stone, Mr.
Earle said ii was more beautiful and
more endurable.
Matthew ] Whittall said he was
never in favor of the stone bridge, as
his friend, Mr.. Webb. was aware. II
did not provide for enough waterway
\ and he would prefer to see the bridge
/ h11ilt five feet higher than nronnsed H