Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-22
hree Arch Suggestion Steel in Place of the Stone SuCur
Already Contracted For.

land, the steel bridge, no one can deny
looks airy and graceful and in no wise
disturbs the harmony of natural sur
roundings.
But there are other considera tions be-
sides those involved in a view purely
esthetical.
One question quite pertinent to ths
case is whether a mass of puddled sand
and gravel five score feet in depth, and
without retaining earth upon either
side, as auxiliary support, even though
numerous piles be driven into it's crust,
is competent to sustain the enormous
weight OF stone in the proposed struc-
ture.
Do you know that the railway wall at
the same place, Notwithstanding every
pains was taken to securely bed 1t.
and no manner Of fault could be found
with its construction, began to settle
perceptibly within fortnight of IT'S
completion and rendered it necessary
to dump a few thousand loads of stone
as ballast, to compensate for the lack
of retaining outside earth? In the case.
the precaution against further harm is
| undoubtedly sufficient. But what was
| the weight Of that wall for an equal
| length in comparison to the ircuHnbency
of many Thousand tons, based upon a.
few feet of piling driven into mud in
| four places, respectively 70 and 40 feet
|
| side to hold back the piles diSplace-
ment of a semi-liquescent mass? Your
mud base will not wait for you to place
| the keystone of that arch, however
much you shore it up with piles and
| concrete.
! Indeed, the chief reason for our ap-
| parent acquieScence, as the structural
monster was incepted, was smothered
exultation in anticipation Of seeing the
thing squash out.
But now for a moment let us consider
| the matter of utility, Supposng, for the
time, the top4heavy thing could stand
| steadily upon it's stilts, But first of all
you must divest your minds of the idea
that I intend to plead for boat racing
| facilities, for l look upon it as hardly
! worth considering. A great water way
is, however, in the highest degree desir-
| able, for during six months of every
| year a vast number of pleasure seekers
! (and you are all pleasure seekers, as
| ceticism is out of date) sail the waters
| Of the lake in some sort OF barge. And
| why is it they universally ignore the
north end? Certainly, that portion Of
| the water is as fine, and the shores are
| even more broken and picturesque than
those south of the causeway.
Is it not because all people dislike be-
ing put in a hole? The present little
bridge is a mere hole and the one in
roically mimic London, Paris, or Rome.
is yet another somewhat larger hole.
while the two additional punctures in
| the design, a musk-rat would never
dare to navigate without the precaution
to take chart and compass.
And the superstructure is made to fit
the holes, regardless of uniformity with
its surroundings. Look upon it! Did
ever a great community submit to hav-
ing such an abortiVe creature sworn
upon it as it's father?
What will the next generation say
OF the old ladies' in waiting, the mid
wives at the accouchement? Will they
not blush for the unripe, uncultivated
taste of their fathers? or will they be-
come confirmed in the theory of evolu-
tion, and credit their chattering ances-
tors with doing the best they knew
within the radius of the aesthetic light
that had so far dawned upon them?
But is the Bigelow bridge the best yet
offered? None will deny that it is hand
some, and provides ample waterway.
The easiest way to decide the ques-
tion is to compare it with the Wander
wort plan, which, as is said, will be
on exhibition in Main street window
early this week. For imposing affect it
is certainly a masterpiece. It's Cost is
guaranteed not to exceed 100000 so it
is said. An advantage Is taken in the
pictures of both the Bigelow bridge and
the stone hummock, by introducing into
the picture whatever is bounded by the
horizon upon the west, including the
adjacent shores.
The effect of the landscape elabora-
ton is to enhance the beauty and ap-
propriateness of the steel bridge, while
it detracts measurably from that of the
, stone, even to the extent of making the
last appear ridiculous.
Thomas C. Rice.