The Washington herald., 1908-07-03
NEW BRIDGE ACROSS POTOMAC
Williamsport, Nd, and Big Tract in
West Virginia to Receive Benefits.
Fills FOrty-mIIe Gap, and VIII Cost
Approximately One Hundred
Thousand Dollars.
Special to The Washington Herald.

Special 10 The Washington Herald
WilliamspOrt, Md, July 2-Following
a most enthusiastic meeting of the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers Association
OF Hagerstown. held in that city and
which was largely attended by infu-
entail residents Of Hagerstown and Will
| Transport and numerous representatives
Of Washington County's wealthy agri-
culturists, the chances seem 10 favor the
/ immediate erection OF a fine bridge 10
cross the Potomac at Willlamsport. filing
In territory stretching for some thirty
eight miles along the river which is at
present brldgeless. and constituting the
most important improvement hereabout
in recent years.
The Washington and Berkeley Bridge
Company is a corporation organized some
time ago for the purpose OF constructing
this much-needed link. Numerous plans
OF action and numerous estimates for the
bridge construction have been furnished.
The advocates OF the project have been
divided into two parties between which
the alignment Is not particularly clear.
one side favOring the simplest bridge
possible. the other a far more expensive
and at the same time permanent struc-
ture. At the Hagerstown meeting the
liberal" element was in the majority. The
general sense Of the meeting was that
so long as a bridge was 20 be constructed
and was needed sadly at this point. a
proper and IN every way a substantial
/ bridge should be provided. a difference
! of about $4,000 i'm cost IS about all that
| has heretofore separated the two factions
| II now seems assured that the bridge,
approXimating In cost 10000, 20 be
! erected upon re-enforced concrete piers Of
a superstTuCture OF modern steel bridge
work and a roadway Of vitrihed brick,
will be the outcome. The corporation
plans to begin work i'm tho early autumn
and very likely before the harvesting OF
the 1909 crops the Washington Berkeley
bridge will be a reality.
The new bridge provides an outlet for
Berkeley County, W. Va. the products OF
which fertile region have heretofore been
compelled to seek transfer Rprthwurd
either by a detour OF some eighteen miles
TO the present bridge at Shepherdstown,
on the east. or twenty-four miles TO the
westward. crossing at Hancock. Nd.
WilliamspOrt and Hagerstown are con-
nected at present by trolley. II is the
expectation now that with the bridge,
which, by the way, VIII be provided with
accommodation for trolley tracks. an ex-
tension OF the trolley line viii be made 20
Martinsburg. w. Va.
The new Washington Berkeley Bridge
will, as the reader reHdily sees, fill the gap
Of nearly forty miles. and the bridge
project is meeting with general approval.
AT the Merchants and Manufacturers
Association meeting a committee was ap-
pointed 10 see 10 the completion Of the al
ready large stock subscription Of the
/ bridge company The committee is COM
posed Of Messrs. Joseph c. Roulette.
! Thompson A. Brown. Of IIaEerstown, and
DIR. w. S. Richardson, OF Williamsport
| Something in excess Of $4,000 has already
been subscribed. and the committee look
20 a completion of their laboTs within a
few weeks. Among those deeply interest
ed I'm the bridge project in Hagerstown
Fare Hon. Alexander Nell. Victor Cushwa,
O. ID. McCardell. and others among the
manufacturers, merchants bankers, and
farmers OF the territory 20 be benefited.
The meeting OF the Merchants and Man
ufacturers' Association was presided over
by President w II. McCardell. Victor NJ.
Cushwa, jr acting as secretary.