Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-09-03
|1BE ! NEW B. I 0. bridge
ACROSS WHEELING CREEK WILL
BE COMPLETED IN A FEW
MONTHS FROM NOW.
WILL BE FIVE TRACK BRIDGE.
Contractor Hallock Expects to Conn
plete the Stone Work October 81
Some Interesting Information
About the Work and How 1t Is
Progressing.

Progressing.
just year ago Contractor Hallock
commenced the work of removing the
old B. & o. bridge across the creek that
collapsed in July, 1895. Soon after the
old bridge fell temporary wooden
single track bridge was built across the
creek. AS the center pier did not fall,
the bridge was built across it.
As Contractor Hallock removed the
earth and stones they were dumped in
to the creek. The channel is now filed
up, all but a small space about three
feet wide. This little rivulet is bridged
over by a small track on which 1~ad
car is run to carry the mortar buckets.
There are three of these tracks, the one
mentioned across the creek and two on
the south bank.
There are between 10 and 80 men
employed in all capacities, as concrete
mixers, engineers, firemen, masons, ETC.
There are seven large derricks being
used, three on the north bank and four
on the south bank. and each derrick
has a stationary engine. The earth
was removed from the excavations in
large iron buckets, handled by these
derricks, and the stone is being replaced
the same way. Sometimes before n
stone reaches its final resting place it
has been handledt by three or four of
these derricks and has been hauled three
feet on one of the small hand cars
The concrete is mixed on the south
side Of the creek, where the sand and
stones have been placed and near to the
lime. The sand and lime come in by
the car load over the B. & O. and is
emptied by hand from the cars into long
chutes, down which it goes to the place
mixed it is shoveled into the large iron
bucket, picked UP by derrick and
handed over to another derrick which
places it upon car. The car is then
showed ever until ii can be reached by
a third derrick, which carries it TO the
place where it is to be used. Theshard-
est part of the work, the excavation,
has almost been completed. The re-
naming portion will require only a
few days ITO finish it. During the fall
and spring this work was very difficult,
as the holes would fill UP with water
in spite of the large steam pumps used.
AS fast as the earth was removed a
wooden casing had TO be put in to keep
the bank from caving in. This frame
work also greatly interfered with the
raising and lowering of the bucket and
stones. The north retaining wall was
the first one started and is the nearest
completion. The east end of this wall
is about finished, while the west wing
excavations for it are still in progress.
This wall is 1873 feet long and is 81 feet
below the level of the tracks. Beneath
the wall is 9 feet of concrete. The
wall Is duouI 10 ISeI Wlue DIT Inc pdSc
The south face is perpendicular to the
earth, while the north face Is in the
form of steps and at the top is only
about feet wide.
The south wall was the second start
ed. This wall is 100 feet long and 81
feet below the level of the track, 1t
has about 5 feet of concrete beneath 1t
and is not as near completion as the
north wall.
About a month ago the center pier
was removed and the excavation for il
went far below the depth of the first
pier. In the course of the digging a
number of logs and timbers were re-
moved. These were all in fair state
of preservation. The new pier is 50
feet long and is the same depth below
the track as the other ones. 1t is point
ed at the end facing up the creek, while
the end towards the river is square
The old stone is being used for back
ing. All the face stone is new. The
dirt which was removed from the ex-
cavation will be used to fill behind the
retaining walls.
Contractor Hallock expects to finish
his work about the 18th of October.
This is the stone work only. When it
is completed a modern five track bridge
will be built across the creek.
This will be great improvement over
the bridge now used and will give the
B. & o. increased facilities for hand
ling freight. Maybe when this is COM
pleted we will know whether we are to
have. a new depot or not.