The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-05
TIDES WERE TROUBLESOME.
PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR DELAY
ON THE G. AND A. BRIDGE.

Contractor Holmes Now Having His
First Experience with Building
Piers in Tide Notwithstanding OF
One of the Cnissons Yesterday
Very Nearly Caused n Serious Ac-
cident-IrOn Superstructure of the
Bridge Is Reported Nearly Finish
ed-ThOught 1t VIII BE Here and
That Piers viii BE Ready for 1t
by Dec. 1-Dredging and wharf
work on the Island Progress Well.
The reports from the iron company con-
structing the bridge spanning the Savan-
nah river for the Georgia and Alabama
Railroad are that 1t is nearly completed.
The last heard from the company was to
the effect that the bridge was "A per cent.
finished, and it is thought that by this
time it should be 80 per cent.
1t was quite clear some time ago that
there would be delay in getting the iron
superstructure here in time to complete
the bridge within the time specified in the
contract. That was Nov. 10. The great
demand for iron work throughout the
country was responsible for the delay so
far as the bridge company was concerned,
and the Georgia and Alabama people had
about made up their minds to the fact
that the bridge could not be finished with
in the time named.
AS the weeks logged along it also be-
came apparent that the substructure could
not be completed by the time required II
the iron work had reached here in due
season. One cause or another contribute
ed the delay, and now the piers are only
partly finished. There are to be five, and
on one or two of them the masonry work
Is yet 10 be started. One of them has
been finished and the piiing upon which
they are to rest has been driven for all
Contractor Homes, who has the job of
doing all the masonry work, Is now en-
gagged on his first struggle with tide wa
ter. His work on similar cons tructions has
heretofore been where there is no tide.
and he did not fully appreciate the diff
culties that are added by the period al
rise and fail of the waters. In sinking the
caissons for work on the piers. Il was nee
essary TO allow for the varied pressure the
tide exerts, and IL is only recently that
Mr. Holmes has Caught on" so that he
can push the operations more rapidly than
at first.
One Of the caissons was launched yes
river, and it looked very much then as If
there were to be three or four colored lab
orers killed by The operation. cluster of
them stood around just at the critical
moment of the launching. Ropes that
were tied 10 heavy skids parted under the
strain, and the skids fell back. knocking
over several in the knot of d9rkies. 1t
was a matter of wonder that none were
killed.
II is believed the work on the masonry
should be sufficiently advanced by Lee. /
to ADMIT of the putting together of the
iron 5uperstructuIe, which win doub less
arrive those charge OF the work be-
iieve, by the la Of Novemb r. The O m
pany is poos d o co struct the iron
work 50 tn I ,very pece win fit without
troubl d all Il at " II lie necessa for
the workmcn who accompany II viii be
to put II OF thgr
The dredg ng and w orr work on the is
lana is rer.'r ed y Mai. y an lori as o.
3 cssing well. The lhr a ps a e been
ne rly nnisf ed, both edges b. NJ now
eng ed in dmin teri he final Que es.
The excavation necessary aSong the river