Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1905-05-19
RIVER BRIDGE !
WAS INSPECTED

The inspection of the river bridge
took place during Saturday forenoon
according to the program outlined in
this paper last Thursday the in
speotors being Emil Swensson, of Pitts
burg William A. About, of Glen
Riddle and D. M. Currey. of Spring
Oity. John E. Stott, Secretary of the
Board of Commissioner of Public
Grounds and Buildings. was present,
along with H. r. Leonard and rep
resentatives of the different contract
ing firms. The report will be present
ed to the Dauphin County Court to-
day.
The inspectors were at their work
considerably before 10 O'Clock. Each
of them is an expert of recognized abil-
ity and they went about the inspeo-
tion in way which showed that they
were able to take in the big structdre
as whole and to size up the minutest
details of construction all at the sam Q
specifications they went over the en-
tire length of the bridge comparing
the iron work of the bridge with the
dimensions of the same specified in
the plans.
1t was scarcely II O'Clock when they
completed the superstruoture. Next
in Dan Ross naphtha launch they
made tour of the substructure in
speoting the piers and the bottom Of
the bridge. About an hour was con-
sumed in this work. after which they
went into session in the grand jury
room at the COURT House.
The inspection attracted a good
many citizens to the bridge. In this
number were several Gouncilmen. in
addition to Messrs. Cooper, Cook and
Leighow. the Board Of County Com.
missioners. The latter were joined by
Messrs. Oooner and Raudenbush Of the
Northumberland County Board Of
Commissioners, who arrived on the
10 III Pennsylvania train.
While the inspection was in progress
the County Commissioners spent the
time oonversing with the contractors
and others who were authorities on
matters relating to the inspection and
thus many important and practical
facts were learned relating to the
bridge.
AS to the finished structure itself
there seemed to be but one opinion; it
is one of the finest bridges ever erect
ed by the State and as Mr.. Stott 1e-
marked it is "fit to span East River.
II. B. Gibbs, Treasurer of the King
Bridge Company in conversation with
a representative sof the AMERICAN
explained many facts relating to bridge
construction under present conditions.
1t is solely due, he said, to the present
law which provides that the State
shall build bridges that such structures
as spans the river here are at all pos.
sible. He considers the law wise
one. as the counties of the Common
wealth consulting their comparatively
limited resources would be able only to
build a bridge that would possess none
OF the imposing qualities of the new
one here and would be poorly adapted
to Withstand the ravages of high wat
er and ice. Incidentally Mr.. Gibbs
remarked that the King Bridge Com
pany builds no finer bridges than ours
to meet the demands of traffic such as
exist here.
The bridge, the experts all agreed.
would serve humanity for a century,
but that it would:hsve to be we'll tax
en- care of. twill probably need no
repairs for five years, but at the expira-
tion of that tlme:it will have to have
a new coat of paint and regularly ev-
cry five years thereafter, it will have
to be repainted.
So much for the bridge proper When
it came to thelmatter Of unfinished ap-
proaches, one of which threatens to
impede traffic for months to come, the
visitors were unable to conceal their
disgust. Mr.. Stott, Secretary of the
Board of Commissioners of Public
Grounds and Buildings, probably voic.
ed the sentiment of all the others when
he remarked.
"It seems very unfortunate indeed
here the people of Montour and North
umberland counties have been crying
loudly for bridge; they wanted it at
the earliest possible day and the State
in order to accommodate them went as
much out of its way as possible. spar
ing neither labor nor expense and now
after the bridge has been pushed to
completion to find that the approaches
are unfinished is really too bad
OF course, on the Danville side the
unfinished approach is only incidental
to street paving. which has tn Q entire
thoroughfare cut off from Market street
to the bridge. and while thsre seems to
have been some Misunderstanding as
to curbing the whole approach will be
finished and ready for traffic by the
time the other part of the street is
paved.
Fl. r. Leonard, the engineer who
made the plans for the bridge, made
some very practical suggestions relat-
ing to the approach. which will no
doubt be acted upon by our County
Commissioners. The ourbing, which
seems bound by no rule, whatever. but
extends in half dozen different direc-
tions. will be removed and the entire
approach paved from wing wall to
wing wall. The upper wing wall which
as things are arranged at present,
shows up quite oddly. Engineer Leon
ard thinks should be permitted to re.
main as it is and sort of ourbing
to define the entire width of the ap-
proach be extended in a straight line