Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-10-21
RIVER CHANGES ITS BED.
CAUSED DAMAGE TO TWO RAIL
ROAD BRIDGES.
Heavy SandfiII Of PatapSco Interferes
With Short Line and A. W. & B.
Electric Line.

Heavy SandfIll OF PafapSc0 lntefIefes
With Short Line and A. W. &B.
Electric Line.
Even a river changes its bed some
times, but that the Patapsco river
should have taken such course espec-
ially during Old Home Week, and
more especially on Saturday when
all roads led To Annapolis, was
the height Of i'll luck, for the
Short Line railroad, and greatly ham
pered and Inconvenience transporta-
tion out Of Baltimore and Annapolis.
Two railroad bridges unfit for use,
Baltimore and Annapolis Short Line
passengers obliged TO walk from one
train to another, the bottom Of the
Patapsco heaved up ten feet above it's
ordinary level and part of the river
pursuing a different course are the re-
suit Of ''fll'' of sand on the new
line of the Washington, Baltimore
and Annapolis Electric Railway
where ii crosses the river, half a
mile north of Humphrey.
Both bridges are out of commits
sion, the trestle of the Short Line,
which is now known as the Mary
land Electric Railway, having sunk
at one end to such an extent as TO
render it impossible to run trains
over it. The new bridge on the other
road buckled instead OF sinking, apd
both concrete abutments cracked. No
end of inconvenience has been caused
the Short Line. Trains have to be
stopped at each side of the river, or
rather of the rivers bed, for the
water has found another outlet and
joins another branch several hundred
feet away.
The trouble was ali caused by the
heayiness OF the sand of the ''6ll'
against the softer and lighter mud Of
the rivers bottom. Where the bridges
cross the Patapsco divides, running
around sort os island OF marshland
which has been formed for centuries
with the silt and earth deposits. The
river at that part OF its course Is per-
fectly level and is subject to the rise
and fall of the tide. 1t is so shallow
and 50 small that it could hardly be
called river and its bottom consists
of soft and unstable mud.
For three days, in an endeayor to
create a new bottom for the Short
Limo bridge, Allen & Kiefover, the
contractors who are overhauling and
electrifying the railroad, have dumped
carload after carload OF sand and earth
into the mud, and upto Saturday night
81. 900 cubic yards of material had
been used. So far the bottom has not
been found, but the contractors in
tend TO keep on dumping sand until a
firm foundation is obtained. IL is
estimated that the mud is 60 feet deep
and that below that firm ground will
be reached.
IL has been noticed that mud has
been coming up aud the water fall
ing off for the last five days. Arnold
a. Wells, the contractors, who were
building The Washington, Baltimore
and Annapolis line, and went into
the hands Of receivers last Tuesday,
after building iron bridges over the
two branches of the Patapsco, con-
strucged a ''flI' across the marsh.
The sand and earth which were
dumped TO make the embankment
weigh about 81 pounds TO the cubic
foot, and many feet were used. A
few days ago it was noticed that the
bridges Of the two roads over the south
branch, which had been un1er obser-
vatiOn for sometime, had begun to
sink. The tracks Of the Short Line
twisted and the south end Of tho
trestIe, Just at the, edge OF the river,
sank more than foot. The rest Of
the bridge retained its position and
grade,
The new bridge. which spans the
river at the same place, and is only a
few feet away, was seen To rise in the
middle from the force Of the heavy
concrete abntments sinking. They
are now cracked beyond hope Of re-
pair. Meanwhile the heavy sand Of
| the ''flI, >, IN its sinking against the
marsh bottom, forced the mud and
ooze upward. Where the south branch
Of the river once flowed Is now a
bank Of mud, drying out and crack
| ing. The engineers on the job say
that the mud has come up At least
| ten feet under the steady pressure oi
l the sand.
While the mud was rising and
| playing havoc with the bridges, the
| south branch was backing uT, unable
to flow On-iB its accustomed way.
| Finally, a few days ago the mud
rose above the level Of the water, and
the river. perfectly level, sought an
other outlet into the main body. a
narrow channel through the marsh
about $50 feet westward Of the bridgs
diverted the stream. It is planned u
i drive GO-f0ot piles down through the
| sand Of the "GlI'' and ~ build abut-
ments on these piles. a GO-foOt spar
l will be built and the water allowed
10 flow through the opening after tbs
1 mud has resumed rs natural position
OF has been carried on down stream
4 BY the How Of the river.