Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-09-24
How to Make..the Bridges Availa-
bic for Use.
, THAT SNAKE-LlKE SEWER
Its Sinucus Curves on Thirty-fourth Street
Playing Havoc With Plans. APP
proacl,es to the Twenty-nfth
Street Structure.

Within forty days, it is expected, the
Twenty-ifth street bridge will be ready
for use.
This being the case. it has become
necessary to hasten the work on the an
nroacheS.
The city engineer has been instructed
TO prepare plans ana specifications iii
order that bids for the work may DC
invited.
The west approach to the bridge will
extend a considerable distance across
Virginia avenue This Will necessitatc
raising the grade of that thorou Sin fare
where it intersccts Twenty fifth street
W TO Il level With the bridge approach
|, will make a rather awkward bump,
put there seems TO be no other way out
OF the difficulty. as the grade OF the
approach is too low to allow lhc ava
nue. to go under it.
Retaining walls of concrete will be
built on either side Of the approach IS,
and wings twenty feet long of concrete
VIII extend out on either side where The
avenue intcrsects.
1t is estimated that the total cost Of
he work for both bridges will be from
staOo to $1,000, which outlay was not
contemplated in the original designs
but the serious problem is at rho
|IWentE-fourth street bridge When the
plans were drawn. no account was talk
ell or the prospective sewer main On
that thorouEhfare. This is popularity
supposed to go right down the middle Of
the street: If this is the case. the brii
bents will strike the ground exactly
over the center Of the sewer. OF course
unless some special construction is pro-
Eided FOR, the weight of the foundl-
lions and the STRUCTURE Will crush the
sewer main like al egg shell. There
tore. 1t has been decided to drive niles
on either side of the main where the
DENTS are to rest and stretch beams
across from the tops of these piles max.
ing a bed for the concrete foundations
for the bents.
In the first place, it has been argued
that piles driven within several feet Of
the main will burst it. To drive ti:a:n
over four feet from either side would
oe folly. for the beams could not. sus-
tam any great weight across the main
without closer piling
1t is believed that this difficulty can
be overcome with comparative ease.
bur there is another which cannot.
me city Engineer says that the sewsr
| is not laid down the center OF the street
according to specifications. On the
other hand it apparently curves along
ITS course lige a huge Serpent. This
according to report
II such a condition exist, then any
piles driven are as likely as not q
strike the sewer itself and smash it al
70 pieces. II they do not strike the
sewer. they are apt to come so Gloss
| that they will crack it. There is even
!; a. possibility Of The piles being driven
az On one side of the sewer instead
| Of on beth sides. if the main is as sin
uouS as reported.
! Whatever the idosyncrases Of the
sewer main. the city authorities have
| decided that it must be taken care cr
! at all hazards.
| The city engineer says YOU can break
the top crust of the sewer almost any
where IN the city SO that YOU could ,lida
your yellow pup in it 50 deep you