The Washington times., 1902-12-09
Masonry Expected to b
Complete About February
Eight OF the Twelve
Piers Have Been Finished.
BY This Time Next Year
Trans of the Pennsylva-
MIA Road Will Be Running
Over the New Structure.

Work on the bridge now IN course Of
construction about a hundred feet from
historic Long Bridge. Is progressing
rapidly, and by this time next year the
trains OF tho Pennsylvania Railroad NilI
he crossing 81. instead OF using the
tracks cn The cid structure. The rtonr
work is almcst completed. and within Il
short time tho iron workers VIII begin
10 erect the iaIllngs and t,p o3 The
bridge.
Tho work OF digging for foundations
upon which TO build the piers and abut-
ments, was begun last February by
Weaned & McDermltt. the contractors.
a farce OF about 100 men under superln-
tendont Cnrlsty started about tho hrst
OF that month The first thing done was
90 erect the castings whero the piers
were 70 be built in order to keep tho
water out. Then the pumps were pat
into service, and several hundred OF
them were kept going night and day
Several divers worked continually oa
tho piers un,il rock bottom had been
found. The workmcn experienced great
dimculty IN finding solid bottom for
several or the piers.
Eight Piers Complete.
The Eew bridge viii havc two nbut-
rents. north and south. and twclvo
piers. The aer;h ebutmcnt. or tho Wash
inktcn side, is complete and eisnt OF tic
dozen piers arc finished. One ia almost
completed, but the stone masons have
not started on the other three. The
workmen found more trouble in getting
rock bottom for the piers near the Vir-
giuia shore then they did on the city
side. The center pier. which is in the
middle Of the river. where the channel
Is, gave much trouble. The men were
compelled to dig forty feet before reach
ing rock. and thus the stone workers
had to build UP that number Of feet
before they reached the level Of the
water.
The depth near the Virginia shore was
nothing like forty feet. but it was more
than one and cne-half times as deep as
that on the Washington side After the
laborers and Givers found bottom the
stone workers made rapid progress with
their part Of the work. For several
months they secured all the granite or
cut stcne blocks they needed. and were
making splendid headway. when their
supply Of stone. which IS quarried at
Pert Deposit. Nd. was cut short This
delayed the work some time. II was ex-
Fected by the contractors that the piers
ana abutnents would an be completed
by Christmas. but owing 10 the setback
It Is thought that they will not be com
pleted before the frst CT February.
Waiting for Stone.
Counting from the Washington side.
the north abutment and piers Ncs.
/. ?. 3. &. 6. :. s. and . are complete.
No. is almost done and the stone ma
sons are putting the finishing touches
on it, The castings have been set for
Nos. 10. Il. and u, and the stone
workers have built up to the surface Of
the water. They are waiting for the
stone 20 complete the piers.
The labcrers. about thirty I'm num-
Der, are at present working on the south
abutment Half a dozen pumps are kept
running night and day in order that the
men may reach rock bottom as quickly
IS possible.
The iron workers viii begin work as
soon as the piers are completed. OF about
February 4. Already the iron beams and
trusses have begun TO arrive and by the
time the men start TO work every piece
CT iron which will End a place In the
structure will have been shipped here
The work OF putting the trusses to-
gether can be done very rapidly. and
when this is completed the ties and
tracks viii be laid.
Parallels Long Bridge.
The new structure Will be about FIVE
OF six hundred feet longer than Long
Bridge. On the Virginia side. the first
pier is directly opposite the south abuj-
ment OF Long Bridge. This Is a differ
ence OF about $50 feet and the same is
true on the Washington side.
The draw. which pivots on the pier in
the center Of Long Bridge. is located in
almost the same place in the new
structure. All OF the piles have been
driven for this draw. and the carpen-
ters will start IN 20 work when the iron
workers do.
The new bridge rs the property OF the
Pennsylvania Railroad. and will De used
only by the trains Of that road Their,
viii be no walkways or drivcways on d.
Only two railroad tracks. one for the
north and the other fer the southb0uuC
trains. will be built.
Passing Of Old Structure.
Il is thought that another driveway
will be built or Long Bridge when m,
railroad tracks are removed. The Ne.
mortal Bridge. which will take the plac,
OF Long Bridge. will be erected about q
quarter OF a mile west q the Peansyl.
vRnia Railroad Bridge. II will take th'
place of the historic structure aeros'
which the Northern soldiers marched
when they started into Virginia iu 81
After the completion OF the Mema-ia
Bridge. Long Bridge win be torn down
and one Of WashiUgtCn's old landmark.
viii have passed into history.
MURDER CASES ABANDONED.
pOT~rel-rTrE pa ueo e-Tfa com,