Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-03-24
BELLOWS FALLS NEWS
1900 People Celebrated Opening
of the New Bridge

Residents Of Rockingham Invited to
North WaIpole, Where Exercises Were
Held Monday.
The event of the greatest importance
the past week at this end of Windham
county has been the opening OF the new
steel bridge over the Connecticut river
IL having been thrown open to the pubic
Monday afternoon at o'clock Although
finished last week Wednesday the formal
acceptance of 1t was decided upon py the
committee to take place Monday At
o'clock the full bridge committee OF both
towns met at C. H. Williams's office
Walpole was represented by e. K. Sea-
hurry. F. o. Smalley, c. e. Seward, Z. j.
ONeil w. H. Kiniry; Rockingham by
II. M. Ray, c. w. Osgood, j. c. Day, Z.
III. williams, S. J. Cray.
This committee has had full authority
to act in behalf Of the two towns, and
the structure has been contracted for
and erected by them. They voted TO IN
spect the bridge, in connection with the
representatives of the contractors ana
engineers who have had charge OF tne
details Of the work. Their inspection TRIP
was satisfactory and the bridge approved
except some slight Improvement IN the
nainting which was agreed upon with the
contractors. 1t was voted that the con-
tractors be asked to place upon the bridge
four plates showing the names or the
committed and other data, ana tnen
came the last official act Of the pody'
that of voting that w. II. Kiniry be au-
thorized to cut down the pars at each
end opening ii for use. This committee
has worked for almost year with com
nlete harmony and their important du-
Ties have been carried out with the result
of leaving only the most pleasant re-
membranes of the work, which is to
stand it is hoped for many year as
monument of their Judgment.
During the past week the EFFORT 10 ar
range for a Joint celebration of the event
had not met with great announcement
upon this side of the river. This was
not however, because of any lack OF IN
terest or good feeling toward the enter
prise During Monday the North Walpole
citizens got together and chose com
mittee consisting of five men and hve
women to arrange a celebration to which
they would invite Rockingham as their
guests. and they carried it all out in eX-
cellent shape, making royal hosts. Chas'
]. O'Neil was chairman of the committee
and funds were readily raised.
The celebration was held Monday even
ing At 100 Wheeler's Bellows Falls
band and the Rockingham guests were
,met at the Rockingham end OF me pIluS t;
n, a large party of North Walpole resi-
dents The bridge was Illuminated with
red fire and fireworks were discharged at
the Walpole end The band played at
different stations on the bridge ana the
North Walpole church and school pells
were rung. When the line of march was
taken from the bridge to Russell Mem
orioI hail the number of people was
variouNy estimated at from 1900 to l5OO'
Certainly the hall, which will seat 74O, was
filed. about 200 standing in the rear ana
II seemed as if as many more went away
who could not crowd into the building.
A chorus of so school children rendered
n number of selections during the pro-
gram, and the band also furnished music.
The meeting was presided over by z. r..
Griffin who introduced the speakers as
follows: c. w. Osgood, w. C. Belknap
and Charles H. Williams of Bellows FANS
and Charles ]. O'Neil of North Walpole.
The speaking all had an undercurrent OF
congratulation and good feeling at the
Completion of an enterprise which must
result in binding more closely the two
sections of this community. The interests
of both localities being the same, the
prosperity, or adversely of one affects the
other. After the speaking the audience
was invited to the rooms below where
coffee and doughnuts were served 10 the
whole crowd Everything was planned ana
executed in good taste and all those who
attended reported a royal good time
The new structure is built in two
arches, the one spanning the connecticut
being $40 feet in length, and the smaller
one on the Vermont end carrying the
roadway over the Rutland railroad is 104
feet 8 inches in length. The roadway is
&c feet wide, six feet of which is a SIDE
walk on the south side raised six inches
above the roadway. The arch in the CEN
tire of the river is 80 feet above the water
and the roadway passes through 1t being
hung from it by rods of steel In its
construction thirteen thousand B-nch
rivets and seven thousand q Inch rivets
were used The total weight of the bridge
is 9OO 900. 1t is hung on three hinges,
one at each end and one in the middle OF
the arch. Only one other bridge has
been built like it, and that one is in the
Alps One crossing the chasm at Mag
ara is similar in principle, but the road
way passes over the top of the arch.
Lewis F. Shoemaker & Co., of the
Schuylkill Bridge Works, were the con-
tractors of the structure, the total cost
of which, including the foundations, was
$45, 900. The towns of Walpole and Rock
ingham Joined in the expense, the former
paying two-thirds and the latter one
third of all the cost. The bridge was
erected within the appropriations. The
town of Rockingham has an unexpended
balance of about 500 after all bills were
paid. 1t will be lighted by the towns with
an arc light at each end and one In the
middle.
There are now four different bridges
two railroad and two highway, spanning
the Connecticut here within a distance OF
half a mile.
The first bridge across the Connecticut
at any point was built here by Col. Enoch
Hale, then of New Hampshire, later OF
Bellows Falls in 1885. It was an I'M
covered frame work bridge of primitive
design replaced in 1910 by the present
Tucker bridge, toll being collected fol
passing until last November, the first
Cheshire and Sullivan railroad bridges
were erected in the year 1851 The Suli-
van being replaced about 20 years ago by
a steel structure, while the Cheshire ole
frame heavy bridge remained in use unit
September, 1899, when it also was replaced
by the present beautiful double arch
which rises so gracefully over the rocky
gorge which it spans.
Have New Hampshire Dealers Right Il
Deliver Liquor In This Slater
Much lie talran In tho afforf