Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1903-09-10
THE BRIDGE
PROBLEM

The need of repairs on Church street
canal bridge has grown into perpleX
ing problom, which occupied a good
deal of time before Council Friday
night
When the bridge was nailed shut
last Monday the clerk of Council act
| ing under instructions wrote to the
PENNSYLVANIA Canal Company asking
| why the bridge had been nailed shut
and whether it was closed permanent
ly or only for repairs. In reply the
following communication was rec "
ed from Chief Engineer Thomas 7.
Wiroman:
Harrisburg, Pa, Sept. 3, 1903.
Mr.. H. b. Patton, Danville, Pa.
Dear Sir:-In reply to yours of the
End inst. on the subject Of the canal
bridge on Church street in Danvillc,
| which you say has been closed by Mr..
Quick 1t is not the intention of the
Canal Company to repair this bridge,
nor assume any responsibility for it,
hut, if the Borough desires to reopen
| the bridge for travel. it Is at full lib
rrty to do so hy assuming ltnr expense
and responsibility of tho undertaking.
Yours respectfully,
THOMAS 7. WIREMAN,
Chief Engineer.
Council is clearly at loss to know
how to act in the premises. 1t was the
sense of some that the Borough should
proceed to make repairs and present
the bill to the Canal Company forp
mont Others took the view that tlr
obstruction being removed the matter
should be permitted to rest until the
next term of court The objection
urged against this was that the bridge
has been pronounced unsafe hy the
borough and deferrinE repairs with
the. bridge open involves some risk, as
in case of accident 40 one could say
that the borough might not be mulrt-
ed in damages.
David Gibson moved that the Ror-
ough repair the bridge on Church
street and present the bill for the
same to the Pennsylvania Canal Com
pany Mr. Montgomery seconded the
motion. The question was put and
lost by the following vote:
Ycas-Vastinc, ,Feustcrmachcr, Mont
gomery, and David Gibson.
Nays-Davis, Reifsnydcr, Swank,
Doughcrty, Joseph Gibson, and Lloyd.
1t was reported to Council that the
Division superintendent was under
instruction from the canal company
to keep the bridge nailed shut until
repairs are made What course COuu-
ell may take should the bridge he clos
ed again is not known
\ communication was received from
the Board Of Health calling attention
to the resolution adopted at meeting
held August 26, relative TO the rcmov-
al of the slaughter houses outside the
Borough limits, in which it was re
solved that unless the resolution ad-
opted by the Board on June / rcquir-
ing that the slaughter houses be- re-
moved in sixty days were not inn
mediately complied with legal proceed
ings would be instituted to abato the
nuisance
Mr.. RcitSnyder moved that the aC-
tion of the Board of Health he onduls-
ed MI Swank seconded the motion.
1t was put 10 u yea and nay vote aud
carried as follows:
Yeas-Vastine, Davis, Reifsnydor,
Swank, Fenstermacher, Montgomery
and Lloyd.
Nays-Dougherty.
Not Votlny-Joscph Gibson and Da-
vid Gibson.
On motion of Mr.. Fcnstcrmachcr the
Street Commissioner was ordered to
replace the planking owe: a gutter in
front of the Held property on Bloom
street with flag stone At similar
gutter on Center street near Albert
Lloyd's property, the planking was
also ordered to be replaced with flag
stone
Mr.. Davis called attention to the
uncouth pavement on Mill street OPP
posite the Brown Building and asked
why, now that we have an established
grade, that the sidewalks are not rails
ed to conform On motion Of Mr..
Davis the Street and Bridge Commit
tee was ordered to confer with the
owners of the Hartman and the Cous-
ant properties relative to the proposed
Improvement of the sidewalk.
The following bills were approved
tor payment;
BOROUGH DEPARTMENT.
Regular Employees .......... ) 50 20
d. l.. & W, Freight .......... -. 81
Standard Electric Light Co 49, 45I. 81
b. Il Brown ................ 90
Standard Gas Co .......... 200
". b. Liuville ............ $50
Labor and Hauling i3 30