Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-19
WORK HARD TO SAVE BRIDGES.
Mnyo'S Threatened With Serious In
jury, But Southern May Escape.

/
of serious injury or destruction by TIN
ice gorge, neither had lost q span at mid
night, and it was then hoped that boil
might be saved.
The partial destruction OF the former
seemed almost inevitable but those con
nected with the Southern railway were
much less alarmed about their property
than they Were twenty-four hours before
The ice is formed compactly from the
lower end of Belle Isle TO Twentv-eighth
street. but there are three channels
through the field, and these are carrying
the water at rate Of about twenty
miles an hour beneath the two bridges.
The southern bridge has sustained some
damage but Captain West. the superin-
tendent, had about five million pounds of
weight upon it all day. and thinks now
that the worst danger is past. one Of the
piers on the Manchester side has been
damaged by the ice and a number Of
the huge stones which support the bridge
have been washed away Near this pier.
the ice is piled up higher than the bottom
Of the ironwork and the bridge was
lifted slightly from the stonework. though
a gang of hands. armed with long hooks.
soon removed the snow and ice beneath
the bridge, and it settled down to its &C.
customed place.
DYNAMITE USED.
The river gorged i'm the channel on the
Richmond side yesterday. and it was
thought then that the bridge must suffer
serious damage This was about o'clock.
and then it was that Captain West order
ed the heaviy-loaded train TO run out
upon the structure. At the same time he
determined 10 dynamite the ice with a
view Of reopening the channel. but he met
with some difficulty in that he could find
no one who was willing to handle the
powerful explosive About . o'clock he
succeeded i'm finding an expert handler of
dynamite, who soon got to work. lie
threw a number Of cartridges- i'm -the
gorge. but with little effect. and for a
time he desisted Then about 3 o'clock.
the situation beginning 10 assume a more
serious aspect. five more cartridges We're
thrown into the ice, and after about a
minute the explosions occurred in rapid
succession. and with the last report there
was a movement i'm the ice, like nothing
So much as q shudder and gradually and
gracefully a great body of the frozen snow
broke loose and bore down upon Mayo's
bridge
WENT UNDER MAYO'S BRIDGE
That structure had already been raised
foot or more from its piers in some
places, and when the heavy foe moved |
against it the hundreds of oulookers stood |
breathless expecting momentarily TO see
the first span on the Richmond side swept |
away. It did look for an instant as
though the bridge would be injured. but |
as the ice reached it, the foe seemed TO
sink and the top Of it scraping against
the bottom Of the woodwork broke into
fragments ana passed on leaving the
bridge uuhurt.
The ice gorged again below Mayo's
bridge. but further resort to dynamite
opened up a channel through it. and there
after the danger was minimized, the great
volume of water pent up behind the ice
sweeping eastward past the bridges in
the channel made by the removal of the
foe.
The ice in many places is banked up
against Mayo's bridge much higher than
The walkway, and il seems probable that
when the great field which now gorges
the river breaks up portion of the
bridge will bee swept away AT all of the
pillars the ice is heavily banked, and IN
many places the cables below the bridge
nave been snapped and the woodwork
orced upwards The walkway on the
north side Of the bridge, both on the Rich
liond and Manchester ends, is impossible,
he ice having torn it away i'm many
places. The driveway still remains in
act. though the street-car tracks are torn
I'D in ,laces, and I'm one span between
he island and Manchester the east track
S nearly three inches lower than the
west track, indicating that the bridge is
n "a slant. Ii cannot DE ascertained
whether the span is off its pier or not, as
ne ice is banked up so high about il that
he pier cannot be seen.
THE HOC SEES WILL SUFFER.
Mayo's Island is covered several feet
cen with ice. and there seems TO be good |
round for the belief that when the thaW
efs ip the houses upon this miniature
Klondike" Will be swept away. They
re rather frau structures AT best. and
.ith the tons OF zee behind them yet TO
ouc down the river il viii be almost
miracle If they are saved. No one was
HE 10 get 10 the bOat-hOuse of the Nir
mia Boat Club yesterday, and IL is not
novn what damage has been done there.
In the Manchester side Of the river the
f.ncbeetor Papcr-Twine Companys plant
ss sustained considerable damage seYe-
m Of IT'S buildings having been wrecked {
y the ice
rbe Southe,n railwa officials are not
.argul that their bridge. If il goes at sll. {
lH be swept away to-day unless very !
cided thaw sets in and causes another :
80 in the river up above They We're
Grating trains over It yesterday ana
a nieht. but as soon as the trains pass
over II the heavily-lodded freight cars
re again run back into position TO ho'd
10 structure 10 it's piers. There Is no !
eight upon MayO's bridge, however ana =
thing To keep il from being swept away :
ouId the ice bear down upon II ~ great
,llue a policeman was stationei ~
q Richmond end Of MayO's brdSe Idst
ght. and no one was permlite" "|bo
Il on n. unless bound for Manchesier' (
N then he was warned that there was |
eat danger IN attempting 10 cross :
CONTINUED ON PAGE TENa