The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1906-02-28
WORK ON BRIDGE
PIERS NOW BEING
RAPIDLY PUSHED
First Blasting for the Foundation of
The Bridge Piers Gone This
Afternoon
Grade on Spur Track to Bridge Site
Finished and Rails TO be
Laid Tomorrow

Although no great showing had Deen
made as yet, work on the new bridge
is being pushed as fast as possible. Be-
fore the heavier work of the artisans
can be rushed the civil engineers
with transit-com pas and stake, must
lay the plans and examine each foot Of
ground on which the proposed bridge
pires and foundations will rest. This
is the W brk that has been going On for
the past week. AS result of the en-
gineels' examinations, the site Of the
bridge has been changed 200 feet up
liver from the site originally chosen.
The first site selected was in IS to Is
feet of water and in very swift cur
rent andby systematic soundings it was
found that pier location could be had
TWO 200 feet up stream and in from 6
to feet of water and that in still wat
er.
the first sblast on the foundation
work was set off this afternoon and
was the first actual work done toward
the construction of the bridge.
In order to drill in the rock under
water pointed steel ten or twelve
inches long fastened to an iron pipe of
the desired length is used. When some
thirty holes have been drilled, sticks
of dynamite are encased in tin cover
ings and electric wires soldered in to
connect With the mechanism which
with the turning on of the electricy,
causes a spark TO ignite he dynamite.
The charges are all connected to one
battery and are set off simultaneously.
A Golfer dam is put in for the rur-
pose of throwing the wafer to either
side of the proposed pier site and a
frame work. in the pattern of the pier,
is made for the receiving of the plastic
concrete which will form the pier.
The Golfer dam is left here until the
concrete haIdens and the frame work
is torn loose and then the river is let
loose in its original channels with this
SOLID bulwark of mans handiwork to
Dash against and be thrown back and
turned aside.
The grade of the spur track was
finished yesterday and the rails will
be all laid by tomorrow night. On
this spur all the cement, gravel, lumb-
er and steel will be transported to
where they can be easily handled by
the workmen. AS soon as the track
is finished and the pier sites are made
ready, a hundred men will be put to
work, if that nun Der can be secured.
The san d and gravel for use on this
side of the river will be shipped from
Trinidad and it is expected that more
than 10 carloads will be used. On the
other side the sand and gravel used
will be hauled from the regular sand
and gravel pits which have been open
ed.
Yesterday the Chelan towed across
the river to the landing which has
been built, three carloads of cement
and one of lumber. The work on the
other side of the river promises to the
the first completed. One of the con-
crete mixers which was sshipped in re-
Gently has been taken arcoss the river
and and everything sis in readiness to
proceed with work. By Friday the
cement mixer on this side will be work
ing and the Golfer dam be in place.
r. H. Ober the engine er in charge.
had charge of the erection of the re.
cent Notifications put in at Forts Wor
den and Flagler, near Port Townsend.