The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-18
Decision Announced at n Conference
Held by Them with Mayor
BOokwaIter.
CITIZENS HEATING COMPANY
NEW CONCERN THAT WANTS TO DO
A COOPERATIVE BUSINESS.
Action Deferred on CapitOI-Avenue
sidewaIks-MOney from Gallup
Estate-City Affairs.

III new bridge over White river at
Washington street TO replace the old iron
bridge that collapsed will be built by the
county. At a conference with the mayor
yesterday morning the decision of the COM
missioners was announced. In view of the
emergency which the commissioners recog-
nized to be existing it was deemed best
to lay aside any legal bubbles which may
exist as to the Jurisdiction of the county
authorities in the matter and to help the
city in it's difficulty.
The new bridge will be Of stone. John
McGregor declares that that point is set
tied and that no other kind of specifca-
tons will be considered for a minute. Com
missioners Spafford and McGaughey are
with him on that proposition, he states,
and members OF the County Council are
known to hold the same view. Mr.. Nc
Gregor says that the most important de-
tails Of the new structure have been con-
sidered and settled. The bridge will have
six arches. 1t will be $50 feet long and
eighty feet wide. The street at White
river il one hundred feet in width. but the
commissioners believe that an eighty-foot
bridge will be of sufficient width to handle
all traffic. The center of the bridge will
be twenty-one feet above lOw-water mark,
within a few inches of the height of the
old bridge. The arches will be laid on
wooden piling fifteen inches in diameter
driven into the gravel bottom Of the river
bed as far as powerful hammers can send
them. On the wooden piling a foundation
OF either concrete or stone Will be placed,
but Commissioner McGregor states that
in all probability no concrete will be used
at all and the entire bridge in all it's de-
tails will be solid stone.
PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES.
Preliminary estimates place the cost of
the bridge at $1O0, 0O0. 1t was believed when
the question of the construction of the
bridge was brought up first that it could
not be built for less than $4,000. but Mr..
McGregor, who has made a careful study
of the details of stone bridge construc~
ton, thinks that estimate is far too high.
In part he bases his estimate ON the Cen
tral-avenue bridge. When it was proposed
to build that structure the cost was esti-
mated at from SIS, 200 to $50, 600. Mr.. Nc
Gregor held that ii could be built for SIS, 5000.
This total cost was $4,000.
County Surveyor Harry K~laussmann was
ordered yesterday to begin the prepara-
ton of the plans for the bridge. They will
be entirely new. With the exception of
his figures on the ~soundings of the river
bed none OF the plans of the city engineer
will be used. The plans il is expected will
be completed within a month. 1t is pro-
posed to ask for bids May l, and the bridge
will be done i'm all probability Dec. /.
The commissioners issued a call last
night for a meeting of the County Coun-
Gil. The meeting will be held I'm ten days
on Feb. Is. The council will approve, it is
believed. the communications of the COM
missiOners and will make the necessary ap-
propriation. Commissioner McGregor states
that none of the council is opposed to the
plan of the county TO assist the city and
that the members will likely be unanimous
in approving the decision of the commits
sionerS.
The county is we'll fixed financially. and
1t is quite probable that no bond issue will
be necessary. The commissioners state that
there is a fund of $50 200 existing which
they may be able TO use, paying interest
at the rate of 6 per cent.
A LEGAL PROVISION.
There. is a legal provision in regard to
the borrowing of school funds which states
that real estate must be the security of all
loans of the kind. McGregor holds that
the bridge property will be real estate in
the sense meant and that the use of the
FUND will be perfectly regular. However,
he states there is now in the county treas
ury about $780, 900 in cash which can be
devoted at least in a large measure TO the
cost of the bridge.
The commissioners believe that some tax
payer will resist the action of the county
~ g ohlL " III UlQ
the use of the county money i'm city bridge
construction. They think. however. that
the time has passed for such a protest to
be effective, and hat the work may now
proceed without interruption. The county
attorney, Mr.. Hugg, while still holding to
his position that il is out OF the range of
the commissioners power TO build the
bridge. believes on the other hand that in
the nature OF things authorities may ar
rogate to themselves powers that are not
naturally theirs and that after their acts
have been -consummated their legality cam
not be attacked. If a mandamus suit of
the nature stated be brought il is prob
able that il would be defended by CITY
Attorney Joss instead of Mr.. Hugg.
The indianapolis Street-railway Com
pany will be required to pay a part of the
cost. How much that will be has not been
decided. The commissioners are in earn
est about the whole proposition and de-
clare that the bridge will be built no mat
ter what happens. No small matter will
stand in the way, they say. Mr.. McGregor.
who has urged the cause of the city since
the request was first made, is particularly
pleased at the formal decision of the com
m~issioners.