Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-07-29
Work to Begin On Pish-
on's Ferry Bridge.
County Workshop 10 Be Bull
Immediately.
County Commissioners Let Con.
tracts In Two Important Jobs.


at the office of the county commission
ers of Kennebec county of the contracts
for the erection of county workshop
and for the construction of the bridge
across the Kennebec river at Pishon' s
Ferry, between the towns. of Fairfield
and Clinton. The Somerset county
commissioners were Joined with the
Kennebec county commissioners as
board of award in the case OF the
bridge contracts.
The contract for the erection of a
| Jail WORKSHOP at the south of the Jail
and on the site of the present stable
was awarded to H. T. Clark of Au-
gusta, the lowest bidder, for $S295.
| The other bidders were Reuel j. Noyes
| of Augusta, $S483; F. B. Smith of Au-
gusta, 1884; C. E. Hoxie & Co., OF
Augusta. $4,000.
The building will be of granite, BOX
so, with two stories and basement.
The workshop will be on two upper
floors and the stable IN the basement.
1t is planned to have the prisoners en-
ter the workshop from the Jail by an
underground passage. Work on the
building will commence at once, and
it is expected that it will be completed
! and ready for occupancy about Nov.
II. At so
i The present stable will be sold at
/ auction at 1.30 o'clock Saturday after.
/ noon with the understanding that II
1 must be removed the following week
! The granite for the workshop will be
I quarried in Hallowell. .i- HS
| The contract for the erection of the
superstructure of the bridge at Pish-
on's Ferry was awarded to the Ameri-
can Bridge Co., of New York, it's bic
of $27,S5O being the lowest. The other
bidders were the Penn. Bridge Co, OF
Beaver Falls, Penn; the Pennsylvania
Bridge Co, Of Philadelphia and the
Canton Bridge Co., of Canton, Ohio.
The contract for the erection of two
piers and the abutments was awarded
to r. D. Shanahan of Portland fol
approximately $4,000. the other bidders
J. l.. Parkin & Son of Fairfield. ]. w
Blunt of Skowhegan and W: H. Ellis
of Boston. I'D
The entire bridge is to be of steel
600 feet long, with middle span Of
300 feet and two hother spans each OF
$50 feet. The bridge will be construct
ed strong enough to provide for the
construction of an electric car track
and passage of cars should an electric
road ever be built in that section
The county commissioners of Somer-
set and kennebecs counties will meet
at Skowhegan next Tuesday with Con-
tractor Shanahanl and Architect Green
wood and the contract for the mason
work will then be signed. Work will
then begin upon"the piers and abut-
| The 18th Legislature appropriated the
sum of $4,000 for the erection OF this
bridge with the provision that the
counties sof ~Kenfiebec and Somerset
should appropriate $4,000 each and the
towns of Fairfield, Canaan and Clinton
$4,000 each. The contract price is con
siderably under the appropriation, be-
ing but $44,S50. The bridge is much
needed and for several sessions of the
Legislature petitioners in favor of such
a bridge appeared before the Ways and
| Bridges committee. The only means
means of crossing the Kennebec. at
| this point, which is near Good Will
Farm, is by ferry and at seasons OF
| the year when logs are running such
passage is hazardous. The news that
the long looked for bridge is to be
built will be joyfully received by the
residents of the three towns most vital
ly interested.