The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-01-13
ICE GORGE roo
STRONG F0R THE
BRIDGE B!!g..ILIERS |! |.
False VYo orlx Cf
New Bird Gone

! o. -
Last night near eleven O'Clock oe-
erred an event which WIN proInng
the Inconvenience Of our citizens
1T was the collapslng 81 he
false work OF the new bridge 10
span the river at this point
merely a skim Of iee frozen On the IN
er and a freshet coming caasins 4
gorge, the false work could not Be- spt
ficlently anchored to hold "a plRce and
this morning finds the completion 81
the bridge at least three months tat
ther on than It would have been were
all to have gone we'll
No one was injured by Che false
work going down. The negro watch
man had just returned from tha zee
ond pier from making an inspecadn
when the crash came. II was With
dtfHculty that he succeeded 81 gettine
back. the timbers were oscilIatin -
much.
The ice formed on the river by the3
recent cold spell was about one ana
one.half inches thick The snow d
the mountains and netghborlng Inns
melted rapidly and the volume 81 WIT
er in the river rose, breaking the I'd
and forming gorge that rested
against the upright timbers plaeed
from the west side 81 the river to the
second pier. about two.thirds the dis
tance across the river. Itwas known
yesterday afternoon that the bIidga
was In danger and ways for breaking
up the gorge were discussed but moi
put into execution for some reason
The false work was started eariy III
November and was completed u the
second pier. The work had progress
ed rapidly and the riyeters were %
have commenced work this mofnins
on the superstructure Of the bfIdge.
Since the time Of beginning 4 rood
force of worlmen have been hpstling
to get the structure up So that the two
parts Of the city would have better
means of communication Il lot 81
the iron had been placed and ii was
only a matter Of a few days when tiie
danger period would have been passed
The workman realizing this hustled
with all possible speed. The ACCIDENT
last night has delayed the work Tor
considerable time and IS a great anan.
cial loss to the Toledo aseiii6I
Bridge Company.
Robert swede, superintendent 81 tIio
company, keenly feels the ioss itliat
his company has sustained ana the III.
convenience that It has and viii az
perience in finishing up the woflS
Speaking of the accident, Mr.. swede
said:
All day yesterday / kept 4 careful
watch on the structure. noting itsscon
dition and realizing that any sort III
gorge would be fatal. 1t was impos
bic to anchor the false work inasmnch
as the bottom Of the river at tins point
is rock-bed and there was no possible
chance Of placing an anchor. IIad
known there was the least dangel 81
ice, the bridge would have never been
constructed under my direction onr
loss is at least s35, 900 and tie dnRi
construction Of the bridge Is delayed
at least three months. SO far IS i
am concerned, there viii be no more
attempts to work on the structure ia.
til all danger of ice Is passed. 4
This was a very unfortunate turn ia
the affairs for many Of the people II
the county. Those living on he eass
side Of the river VIII experience much
Inconvenience and considerable daia
in transporting their trafic for sever
al months yet.
1t is reported that the timbers of
the false work have been caught
down near Morgantown aud that tliey
can be brought back on d nat boat ii.
ter Some think the loss has been
greatly over estimated ii is said the
loss cannot reach more than $4,000
or $4,000. 1t Is also Thought tic work
Will not be delayed as much a iirat
supposed. BY the time everything ean
be gotten ready TO start On the false
work again. say in about sixty days
all danger from ice gorges wiiIbe past
and then the work can be rushed to
completion.