Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1908-07-12
TAG koPPE BRIDGE.
Main Span VIII BE Complete In a Few
psys-Joues Bridge to Be Re-
palred-Proaress OF Road

\ A. @. Board and Commissioner p. II
\ Arlington, Mr.. II. o. Smith. repre-
\ senting the Pilot, and a representa-
X tive Of the Eagle, went down 10 In
q spect the work on the new bridge II
0 process OF construction between IN,
X Hoppe plantation and Wellborn. Tn,
\ start was made at 5:15 a. m. and ,
D brisk drive brought the party TO Tn,
\ camp OF the road graders, near Prov
X idence church, where MIR. Bob Nc
4 Mahan, the superintendent, had 9
v good warm breakfast awaiting. for
which the fresh morning air had Civ
en- each of the party a good appetite
The location of the camp was Sc
lected because of its convenience to
; construction work on the Jones
bridge, the Providence and the Kop.
pc bridge roads. Mr.. McMahan's
force is now on the Jones bridge road.
which he is grading and ditching in
the best approved style The most
necessary work on each of the other
roads has been done, and Mr.. Nc.
Mahon will continue the construction
until all three are put in the best
possible condition.
The late flood did considerable
damage to the Jones bridge. An i'm.
mense pile of drift lodged against the
twin concrete piers at the west end
OF the main span, and the weight OF
the tide pressing against this pushed
them out of line until, like the cele-
brated tower of Pisa, they lean at an
angle of several degrees from the per.
pendicular, their tops being two and
one-half or three feet out of line. An
effort will be made TO restore them
to their proper position, but II is not |
certain that this can be done. The |
approach to the bridge on the west
side was carried away bodily. A
trestle of false work, made almost en-.
tirely of rough timber from the for.
est, was hastily constructed as soon
as the water went down. II is a film.
sy AFFAIR and looks TO be hardly safe
for heavy loads, AS soon as practica.
BILE, ii will be replaced with a sub.
stantial permanent structure.
From the Jones bridge, the road
through the plantations of the Foun-
tain brothers, Jas. o. Chance, and
Hoppe & Robertson. parallels the riv.
err at no great distance. At a distance
Of several miles part Of the trestle
Of the new bridge, surrounded and
by "the traveller" could
been seen looming up high On arriv.
al 1t was found that the middle section
IF the long span OF $50 feet was near.
" complete. In a short time the last
BOLT was driven, the last tap was
ightened and the traveller was rolled -.
TO begin another section
The inspectors saw the heavy steel
lprights and Orders and the lighter :,
fruits and laterals loaded on the :,
rucks, drawn over the track resting ;,
N the false trestle work and hoisted >
nto their several places by the power 4,
( n stationary steam engine operat. \,
M through complicated system OF :,
ables and pulleys. Everything o.
loves with the precision of clock :,
'ork and the work is progressing i
apidly. II is expected that the main %
pan will be completed Monday. =,
The work on this bridge has been a,
iuch retarded by the floods which ~
ave twice washed out the false work, a.
the first instance carrying away all do
lie timbers. l.,
One notable feature Of this bridge ~
the steel web between each pair OF r,
ers, by which they are mutually ON
rengthened. and the accumulation IN,
drift between them will be pre-. NJ,
nted ~.
One effect of the late food was the n
hiking and sliding of large section n,
the eastern bank. splitting the con. N,
etc abuttment with large crack. Oh,
fore this occurred, the trestle of the .
stern approach had been erected. ,o,
{ it had to be taken down and an,
W abutment will be built further
ok from the bank. Midway between % A
S and the twin piers at the east I
1 of the main span a substantial Ale
r. of concrete mars win IA, oroo,,5 Ev,
iding the eastern approach into two Pe>
tions. The bridge will thus be
de secure, even though the entire n
sened section of the bank should ,.i,,
e into the river. an
When completed, the Hoppe bridge dot,
be a grand viaduct and will do Ton,
III to promote the development of
adjacent portions or Brazos and
Lesson counties. No.,
he Eagle man took advantage OF Bost
opportunity to observe the grow. DIT
crops. On the uplands the corn
lade and It is evidently one Of the
in the history of Brazos county.
and cotton looks all right, but ID
e is no telling what the boil wee. I heII
may do TO it. In the bottom the bo v
q ora loss nrOuisinp Indications ! 20 al