Delaware gazette and state journal., 1899-11-02
IN ANIMATED SCENE.
miscellaneous COLLECTION at Third Street
Bridge, Including Monitor, Tugboats,
street Cars and Teams.


miscellaneous COLLECTION at Third Street
Bridge, Including Monitor, Tugboats,
street Cars and Teams.
Had the Levy Court held special
M setting at Third street bridge between
4.and 4. 30 O'Clock Monday afternoon,
or If the members had been there by
chance, it would no doubt have tlawned
upon them that the notorious draw at
that locality is ono of the most import
ant highways in this part of tho coun-
try and they would have readily seen
the necessity of having a substantial
structure that is always capable of con-
tributing its share toward the public
welfare.
AT 4 O'Clock the placid wators Of the
Cnristiana were washing the piers of
the bridge, with scarcely sound, while
street cars and other vehicles were
vending their way cast and west on the
rickety old draw. Bridgetonder Russell
was taking a few minutes rest in the
bridge house, when suddenly the United
States monitor Ajax hove in sight,
having come in from the Delaware
River. She was in tow of the tugs
Baltic and j. s. w. Holton of PLila-
delphia, one of which gave the custom
ary signal for the draw to open. The
big bridgetender jumped from his scat
and fastened to the motor at the centre
of the bridge. In a few minutes he
succeeded in holding up sundry ve-
hicles at both ends Of the bridge and
started the machinery. The lazy old
draw began to move. and as socn as
the ends left the piers upon which they
rested it see-sawed around over the
centre pier, pointing up and down The
| stream.
In a very few minutes after the
monitor pointed its nose around the
bend opposite the jackson & Sharp
yards hundreds OF people who had
| heard she was coming in gathered on
| the approaches at both sides of the
bridge, and to many, who were strangers
| in that neighburhood, the manipulation
4 of the bridge was novel sight. Some
expressed surprise that it did not
tumble over and wondered il it was not
necessary to have it; accurately bal
anoed each time it was turned, How
ever. nothing happened to the oridge.
AT A. 10 O'Clock the mentor was be-
tween the centre pier and southern
approach, and, although both tugs were
pulling away, she stuck there. The
question was asked why she stuck and
the answer came back: ..Simply be-
| Ohuoo bho Whnbtu VI bbiChs "A duf
rate she stuck, and that is all the crowd
could make out of it. And in sticking
she got the tug Holton wedged in
against the centre pier. For several
minutes the two tugs pulled and snort
ed and presently tine sturdy fighter
began to move, and for few seconds
she got along fast enough to catch a
snail, but she had scarcely got from
under where the draw should be when
she stuck again and there remained
until she got ready to move. Not being
in much of a hurry, and as the tide
was low and rising, she simply hung
around the end of the pier until she got
ready to move.
While in that position the tug Ma
iestic went Hitting by in the western
channel, but continued on and the
Baltic and Holton were left to perfo,m m
the task they had under taken. One of
the tugs left the stern CT the monitor
and went around to the bow, and while
swinging around into position narrowly
escaped being struck by a mud scow,
inward bound, but the pilot of the
tug Philadelphia, which was towing
the scow, know his business, as did
also the pilot ON the tug at the nose of
the monitor, and the spectators were
not forced to look at collision in mid
stream. -"
After the monitor had gone partly
through, the draw was turned enough
to accommodate pedestrians who wei G
in hurry, but there was such jam
that all could not cross before the ar
rival of the mud scow, and the draw
was again turned off. From the time
} it was first turned to accommodate the
monitor until it was replaced, after the
: scow had gone through, about 2J
! minutes elapsed, and in that time two
Wilmington City railway and two New
Castle cars and fully 30 other vehicles
, were blocked, while about twice as
many pedestrians were waiting at both
ends OF the bridge.
This gives some idea Of the amount
Of traffic over the bridge and what in
r convenience results from accidents
which prevent it from being used.
Monday it performed its work nobly,
. and Bridgetender Russell deserves
t credit for the skilful manner in which
: he handled IT.
The monitor Ajax, which has been
lying at the navy yard in Philadelphia,
having been condemned, was recently
purchased by the Diamond State Stee
I Co., and will be dismantled and torr
. apart for the iron of which she is com
, posed. She was towed here to be TORI
apart.
As the boat was on the south side ol
, the channel and the tide was low, sht
could not be moved up to the company's
! wharf until Tuesday. The A iax did gooG
. service during the Civil War with the
squadron of the Carolinas. 1t is sup.
= posed that J. 200 tons of iron will bt
! secured. The work of breaking UP the
boat will begin as soon as possible.
The boat is 225 feet long and was bull
in 1862 at Pittsburg on the style of the
first monitor, with one turret. 1t was
propelled by SINGLE screw and had {
speed of 3 6-10 knots an hour. 1t hae
o capacity for 140 tons of coal. She
4 assisted in shelling Charleston and tool
: part in tho engagements with thu
a squadron off Wilmington and othel
4 ports ON the North Carolina coast
: After the war was over she was taker
d to the League Island Navy Yard, whei'
il has since laid. On several occasion!
it has been used by the Pennsylvania
naval reserves as q training ship
o During the Spanish American war i
was fitted out as coast defence vessel
but was never used
!. CROSsiKG OPENED.