The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-04-12
NO DECISION.
South Bridge. Committee
Will Confer With Es-
sex Over Plank
Road.
OWENS OF ESSEX REPORTS
His Suggestions Received at a
Caucus Held By Free
holders.

Matters in connection with the accept-
ance of the Newark Plank Road by the
Joint counties of Hudson and Essex, oc-
cupied considerable time at last nights
meeting of the Board of Freeholders. No
definite action was taken, however, but
the South Bridge Committee will once
more confer with the Essex Passaic Riv-
er bridge committee and report again at
the next meeting of the Board
At caucus held prior to the Board
meeting the following report from Coun-
ty Engineer Owens of Essex was read
in compliance with your request have
examined the bridge over the Passaic Riv-
er known as the Plank Road bridge, and
would report as follows
1.-THE structure itself may be described
as wooden trestle at the east end built
of ordinary pile work with wooden beams
and planking, then a wooden drawbridge
1SS feet long and "a feet wide; then an
other length of trestle of similar cnarac-
ter extending to the eastern end in which
is a wooden truss bridge for the passage
of canal boats on the outside of the tres
tie of the bridge proper are the tracks If
the electric railroad, but these tracks are
not continuous across the draw
''The whole structure is of wood and Of
considerable age and has evidently been
patched up for a number of years to keep
it going, and in my opinion, with the as
sumption of control by the municipal au-
thorities, it will be absolutely necessary
TO rebuild the whole bridge from end to
end either at once of a new and approv-
ed design, or to renew it gradually as
| means and methods permit. But with the
exception of the piling prudence would alb
solutely require renewals in one form or
another.
This not only applies to the draw but
to approaches as well. The problem that
| now faces the authorities on the question
of the structure is one of safety and to
that end l have more particularly con-
fined my attention. 1t may be said gener-
ally that the approaches, both on the
east and west ends, are in fair condition
and are able to carry the ordinary wagon
travel without danger, especially as for
part of the distance the trolley cars have
a separate structure of their own, but
with the draw it is different, as it has to
carry all the travel that may come on,
including the heavily loaded cars of the
Traction Company. The original timbers
of the draw have been in their place six
teen or twenty years, and have been sup
plemented by having others spiked to
them to increase their strength. This was
done, I presume, to care for the extra
loads brought by the cars; also additional
rods have been inserted with the same
object.
1.-THE condition of the draw superstruc-
ture is about as follows:-The piling and
cribbing in the centre pier seems to be
in fair condition. the Gaping on the piles
is all right; the truck wheels, drum and
supplementary guides are of iron and
steel and in good condition, except the
lack of paint, but the superstructure is
entirely gone, and on no account would
I endorse it's use for travel in its present
condition. In places the timbers of the
trusses are rotted and are crowded; the
swinging spans have settled vertically
and are warned out of line horizontally;
some of the stringers are IN good con-
dition, but the planking would have to
be renewed before long.
II would therefore report the necessity
of rebuilding the draw at once before
hsAvel is resumed, either by substituting
new timbers in the draw and probably
adding more iron for strength. or OF sub
stttuting a new steel structure in its
place.
If the old draw is merely rebuilt the
requirements of extra length by the
United States Government demanding ex-
trR length would probably not be insisted
upon ana the cost Of renewing the tiln-
bers or building . steel draw would be